Fly in real weather. Not just good weather.
The FAA Instrument Rating is the single most valuable upgrade you can add to a Private certificate — and the required step toward Commercial flying. Train in real Los Angeles IFR airspace, backed by 20 hours on our FAA-approved Redbird MCX full-motion simulator.
Master precision flying with Los Angeles Flight School's IFR course
Are you ready to become a safer, more confident, and more professional pilot? At Los Angeles Flight School, we offer one of the most comprehensive and affordable instrument flight training programs in Van Nuys and the greater Los Angeles area.
Our Instrument Rating Course is designed specifically to prepare pilots for the demands of flying under Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) — giving you the knowledge, precision and confidence to navigate through clouds, low visibility and complex airspace using instruments alone.
Whether you're working toward a career as a commercial airline pilot or you simply want to fly more capably as a private aviator, we provide the tools and the guidance to help you get there — with the lowest IFR course pricing in Los Angeles, guaranteed.
Why train for your instrument rating here
Your Instrument Rating is the single most valuable upgrade you can add to your Private certificate. It teaches you to fly safely and precisely by reference to instruments alone — through clouds, haze and low-visibility weather — using real IFR procedures in the busy Los Angeles airspace. It's where good pilots become truly capable ones, and it's a required step toward a Commercial certificate and the airlines.
You'll train in capable IFR aircraft — the Piper Arrow, Diamond DA20 and Piper Warrior — paired with our FAA-approved Redbird MCX full-motion simulator, where you can rehearse approaches, holds and emergencies repeatedly at a fraction of the cost of aircraft time. The result: an instrument pilot who is confident, current and genuinely safe in the system.
What you'll achieve
You'll earn your FAA Instrument Rating, master the instrument scan, holds, precision and non-precision approaches, and IFR cross-country flying — and gain the confidence to handle Southern California's marine-layer mornings and changing weather like a professional.
Every hour, every line item — one fixed number
No hourly surprises and no drip-fed add-ons. Here's exactly what the $11,700 Instrument Rating Course buys you.
Instrument Rating Course
Verified · Van Nuys Airport (KVNY)
Try the Redbird MCX first
Sit in the full-motion simulator, fly an ILS approach with a CFII beside you, and see exactly how the sim hours in this course work.
1-hour simulator demo · no experience required
Book the 1-Hour Sim DemoWhere your 90 hours actually go
Instrument Rating requirements
Four things need to be true before you begin. If you're unsure about any of them, call us — we walk students through this every week.
U.S. citizen or TSA compliance
U.S. citizens show proof of citizenship at your first lesson. Non-citizens complete TSA flight-training security approval — we'll guide you through the filing.
Private Pilot Certificate
You must already hold an FAA Private Pilot certificate. Don't have one yet? Our Private Pilot course leads straight into this rating.
FAA 3rd-Class Medical
A current third-class medical certificate from an FAA-designated Aviation Medical Examiner. We can point you to AMEs near Van Nuys.
English proficiency
You must be able to read, speak, write and understand English — an FAA requirement, and essential for IFR radio work in LA airspace.
20 hours on the Redbird MCX full-motion simulator
We don't just talk about cutting-edge training — we deliver it with the Redbird MCX Full-Motion Flight Simulator, one of the most advanced simulators available for instrument training. It isn't an add-on. It's an integral part of the curriculum, and it's why this course works.
- ✓Full motion for realistic control feedback and turbulence simulation
- ✓Dual controls for side-by-side instructor collaboration
- ✓Glass cockpit and analog configurations, real Garmin G430
- ✓210° wraparound visuals and an enclosed cockpit
- ✓FAA-approved AATD — loggable hours that accelerate your certification
- ✓IFR scenarios built to challenge and refine your decision-making
- ✓Practice emergencies with zero risk — and train through poor weather or maintenance downtime
Los Angeles is the best IFR classroom in the country
Fly actual instrument approaches and real ATC clearances in one of the nation's busiest airspaces. Marine-layer mornings, complex arrivals, dense traffic, mountainous terrain — the exact conditions that make an instrument pilot genuinely capable rather than merely certificated.
- ✓Precision (ILS) and non-precision approaches into real airports
- ✓Holds, missed approaches and IFR cross-country flying
- ✓Live ATC clearances, routings and amended instructions
- ✓Weather analysis and real-time in-flight decision making
The rating that unlocks the professional track
The Instrument Rating is required for the Commercial certificate and every airline pathway that follows. It's also the single biggest jump in safety and usefulness a private pilot can make — the difference between cancelling a trip and flying it.
- ✓Capable IFR fleet: Piper Arrow, Diamond DA20, Piper Warrior with modern navigation
- ✓Cirrus SR22 Turbo upgrade available for an additional charge
- ✓Sim-accelerated learning — log progress faster, spend less per skill
- ✓Pairs naturally with our Multi-Engine add-on and Commercial track
Train smarter, safer and faster
Our simulator is fully integrated into your training syllabus, FAA-approved for loggable time, designed to simulate complex IFR scenarios, equipped with dual controls for instructor-led precision, and perfect for mastering emergency procedures without risk.
$2,500 down. Four payments. Rated and flying.
We partner with trusted third-party lenders to offer full financing on approved credit, making your instrument training more affordable and accessible.
Instrument Rating payment plan
The exact plan for this course — nothing hidden, nothing balloon-shaped at the end.
Finance your future with confidence
A simple process, built for pilots — not for paperwork.
- ✓Simple application process
- ✓Competitive interest rates
- ✓Flexible repayment terms — up to 15 years
- ✓Fast decisions, soft credit check, no co-signer
- ✓From $2,500 down across our programs
- ✓100% of a discovery flight credits toward training when you enroll within 24 hours (discovery flights from $229)
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Instrument Rating FAQ
The complete course cost is $11,700. That covers 20 hours of single-engine flight time, 20 hours on our FAA-approved Redbird MCX full-motion simulator, 40 hours of dual instruction across aircraft and simulator, and 10 hours of ground school with pre-flight and post-flight briefings — plus written-exam prep and checkride preparation. We offer the lowest IFR course pricing in Los Angeles, guaranteed. A Cirrus SR22 Turbo upgrade is available for an additional charge.
Yes. The in-house plan for this course is $2,500 down plus 4 monthly payments of $2,300. We also work with trusted third-party lenders offering terms up to 15 years, with a soft credit check, fast decisions and no co-signer required.
Four things: you must be a U.S. citizen or complete TSA flight-training security approval, hold an FAA Private Pilot certificate, hold a current FAA 3rd-Class Medical, and be able to read, speak, write and understand English. If you're missing any of these, call us at (818) 290-8249 — we help students through this constantly.
Because it's the single most effective way to learn instrument flying. On the Redbird MCX you can fly the same ILS approach five times in an hour, freeze the scenario mid-approach, reposition instantly, and practice failures that would be unsafe or impossible in the aircraft. It's FAA-approved for loggable time, so those hours count — and they cost far less than aircraft time. Under FAR 61.65(h)(2) an instrument applicant may credit up to 10 hours of aviation training device time toward the rating's instrument time requirement; the additional sim hours in our course build proficiency and cut the number of aircraft repetitions you need.
Absolutely — we offer a 1-hour simulator demo for $189. You'll fly with a certified instructor, shoot a real instrument approach, and get a genuine feel for the training before committing to the full course.
Instrument students train in the Piper Arrow, Diamond DA20 or Piper Warrior — all well-equipped for IFR work with modern navigation. Our wider fleet also includes the Cessna 162, Cirrus SR22 Turbo and Piper Seminole twin, plus the Redbird MCX simulator. The Cirrus is available as a paid upgrade.
It depends entirely on how often you fly. Students training two to three times per week typically finish in a few months; those flying most days finish considerably faster. We schedule seven days a week — early mornings, evenings and weekends — and build the plan around your availability rather than a fixed classroom calendar.
Yes. It's a required step toward the FAA Commercial certificate and every airline pathway that follows. It's also the biggest single jump in capability and safety available to a private pilot — the difference between cancelling a flight because of a low ceiling and flying it legally and confidently.
Los Angeles Flight School is based at Van Nuys Airport (KVNY) — 7900 Balboa Blvd. Suite 108A, Van Nuys, CA 91406. We serve Encino, Sherman Oaks, Studio City, Calabasas, Thousand Oaks, Simi Valley, Santa Clarita, Pasadena, Canoga Park and the greater Los Angeles area.
Ready to fly IFR with confidence?
Talk to a real instructor today — no pressure, just answers. Van Nuys Airport (KVNY) · Open 7 days, 9am–9pm.