Section O

Instrument Rating (Aeroplanes)

1. Requirements for Issue of Rating— An applicant for an Instrument Rating shall satisfy the following requirements: —

                        (a) Knowledge— He shall pass a written and oral examination in Air Regulations, Air Navigation, Aviation Meteorology and Instrument Rating as per syllabus prescribed by the Director-General for issue of Commercial Pilot’s Licence. He shall also pass a practical test on interpretation of aural and visual signals as per the syllabus prescribed by the Director-General.

                        (b) Experience— He shall produce evidence of having satisfactorily completed as a pilot of an aeroplane—

                        (i) not less than one hundred hours of flight time as a Pilot-in-Command including not less than fifty hours of cross-country flight time;

                        (ii) not less than forty hours of instrument time of which not more than twenty hours shall be instrument ground time. A minimum of five hours of instrument time shall have been completed within a period of six months immediately preceding the date of application for the Instrument Rating :

 

Provided that in the case a pilot who holds a current Instrument Rating (Helicopters), he shall have not less than one hundred hours of flight time as Pilot-in-Command of an aeroplane including not less than twentyfive hours of cross-country flight time and not less than twenty hours of instrument time of which not more than ten hours may be on an approved simulator.

                        (c) Other Requirements — He shall be :

                         

                           (i) holder of a current Pilot’s Licence (Aeroplanes);

                            

                           (ii) holder of a current Flight Radio Telephone Operator’s Licence for operation of radio telephone apparatus on board an aircraft issued by the Director-General.

                         

                        (d) Flying Training— He shall have completed the flying training in accordance with the syllabus as prescribed by the Director-General.

                        (e) Skill— He shall have demonstrated to the satisfaction of the Examiner his competency to fly an aeroplane in respect of which Instrument Rating is desired, solely with the aid of instruments by undergoing an instrument flying test within a period of six months immediately preceding the date of application for the rating. The flying test shall be carried out in accordance with the syllabus as prescribed by the Director-General. The Director-General may, however, allow such tests or part thereof to be carried out on an approved simulator for the type of aircraft.

2. Validity ─ (a) The rating shall be valid for a period of twelve months from the date of the instrument rating flying test.

 

(b) It shall be renewed for a further period of twelve months at a time from the date of expiry provided that the instrument rating flying test has been carried out within two months preceding the date of expiry and all other requirements for renewal are met.

 

(c) In other cases, the validity of renewal of the rating shall commence from the date of the test.

 

3. Renewal— The Instrument Rating may be renewed on receipt of satisfactory evidence of the applicant :

 

(a) having satisfactorily completed the Instrument Rating Flight Test as laid down in para 1(e).

 

(b) having a valid Flight Radio Telephone Operator’s Licence issued by the Director-General for operation of radio telephone apparatus on board an aircraft.

 

4. Extension of Instrument Rating— For extension of Instrument Rating to include an additional type of aeroplane, an applicant shall be required to produce evidence of having satisfactorily completed the flight test in accordance with para 1(e) in respect of the type of aeroplane for which the extension of Instrument Rating is desired. The flight test shall have been completed within a period of six months immediately preceding the date of application for the extension of Instrument Rating.

 

5. Privileges— Subject to the validity of the Instrument Rating, the privileges of the holder thereof shall be to fly under the Instrument Flight Rules, the types of aeroplanes on which he has demonstrated his competency in accordance with para 1(e) :

 

Provided that a pilot, who has demonstrated his competency by undergoing an Instrument Rating Flight test on a single-engine aeroplane not exceeding an all-up-weight of five thousand seven hundred Kgs., shall exercise the privileges of his Instrument Rating on all single engine aeroplanes within the aforesaid weight category :

Provided further that a pilot, who has demonstrated his competency by undergoing an Instrument Rating Flight test on a Multi-engine aeroplane not exceeding an all-up-weight of five thousand seven hundred Kgs., shall exercise the privileges of his Instrument Rating on all multi-engine aeroplanes within the aforesaid weight category.

Notwithstanding anything said here-in-before, the holder of an Instrument Rating on any transport aeroplane, shall exercise his privileges only on the type of aeroplane on which the Instrument Rating Flight test has been satisfactorily carried out;

Provided further that the holder of an Instrument Rating on aeroplanes having an all-up-weight exceeding five thousand seven hundred Kgs. shall exercise the privileges of his Instrument Rating only on the type of aeroplane on which the Instrument Rating Flight test has been satisfactorily carried out.

 

Provided also that, notwithstanding anything said herein before, the holder of an Instrument Rating on any multi-engine aeroplane may exercise the privileges of Instrument Rating on any single engine aeroplane entered in the aircraft rating of his licence.

[Amended vide (i) GSR No. 165(E) dated 12-03-2009;

(ii) G. S. R. No. 11(E) dated 10th January 2011;

(iii) GSR No. 32(E) dated 13-01-2015; and

(iv) G.S.R. No. 399(E) dated 31st March 2016]