Becoming an instrument rated pilot opens up a whole new world of flying. Besides being able to safely operate in weather conditions that would ground a VFR pilot, the instrument course will greatly advance your knowledge of the aircraft's avionics, systems, and performance capabilities. Students who obtain their instrument rating in the Cirrus generally are much more comfortable with and exhibit a deeper level of knowledge of the Garmin 430, S-TEC autopilot, Primary Flight Display, and other advanced features of the aircraft.

P&C aviation also offers the opportunity to use the Cirrus full motion flight simulator, located at the SimTrain facility in Atlanta, for a much of your instrument training. This FAA-approved flight training device offers numerous advantages, such as the ability to "pause" a flight, allowing the instructor to advise the student free of distractions. Also, the aircraft can be placed at any airport or at any point in space, permitting much more to be accomplished than in the actual aircraft in a given period of time. Additionally, the hourly cost is much less than the true operating cost of the aircraft, and only marginally more than the hourly cost of fuel and oil, resulting in a much higher training efficiency than the aircraft for many aspects of training. P&C is, by far, the group of instructors with the most experience using the simulator for training purposes.

P&C aviation also believes strongly in using real-world, scenario based training as much as possible during the course of your program. To this end, we will fly with you cross country, just as you will when you earn your rating, giving you real experience operating in the IFR environment. You will visit new destinations, fly in all kinds of weather, and transit all types of airspace, giving you the confidence and ability to later take on new challenges on your own.

The course, while taught at an accelerated pace, is by no means designed to merely get you through a checkride. As instructors, we take very seriously our responsibility to make you a safe, thorough, and competent instrument pilot. To that end, do not expect a "train to pass the checkride" mentality. Expect to be work hard, to be challenged, and to be successful.

The cost of the course is $5,900 for thirteen days of instruction, plus any applicable instructor travel expenses. Should you choose to incorporate the simulator into your training (highly recommended), the hourly usage is extra, though this reduces directly the number of hours flown in your aircraft. The instrument FAA written exam must be completed prior to the start of training; this can be accomplished in a number of ways, and we are more than happy to provide that service for you as well.