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(a) Except as provided in paragraphs (b) and (c), to be eligible for an instrument rating (Aeroplane or Helicopter), a person must—
(1) hold a current class 1 or class 2 medical certificate issued under the Act and a pilot licence, which includes the night flying privileges for the pilot licence, for the appropriate category of aircraft; and
(2) have flight time experience acceptable to the Director; and
(3) successfully complete a ground training course, in the following subject areas:
(i) air law: rules and regulations relevant to flight under IFR; related air traffic service practices and procedures; preflight preparations and checks appropriate to flight under IFR; operational flight planning; preparation and filing of flight plans under IFR; altimeter setting procedures; interpretation and use of aeronautical documentation such as AIP, NOTAM, aeronautical codes and abbreviations, and instrument procedure charts for departure, en-route, descent and approach; precautionary and emergency procedures; safety practices associated with flight under IFR; radiotelephony procedures and phraseology as applied to aircraft operations under IFR; action to be taken in case of communication failure:
(ii) flight navigation - IFR: practical air navigation using radio navigation aids; use, accuracy and reliability of navigation systems used in departure, en-route, approach and landing phases of flight; identification of radio navigation aids:
(iii) meteorology: interpretation and application of aeronautical meteorological reports, charts and forecasts; use of, and procedures for obtaining, meteorological information, preflight and in-flight; altimetry; aeronautical meteorology; climatology of relevant areas in respect of the elements having an effect upon aviation; the movement of pressure systems, the structure of fronts, and the origin and characteristics of significant weather phenomena which affect take-off, en-route, and landing conditions; hazardous weather avoidance:
(iv) instruments and navigation aids: use, limitation and serviceability of avionics and instruments necessary for the control and navigation of aircraft under IFR and in instrument meteorological conditions; use and limitations of autopilot; compasses, turning and acceleration errors; gyroscopic instruments, operational limits and precession effects; practices and procedures in the event of malfunctions of various flight instruments:
(v) human factors: human performance and limitations; and
(4) successfully complete a flight training course conducted by an appropriately qualified flight instructor comprising a minimum 10 hours of dual instruction in the appropriate category of aircraft in the following subject areas:
(i) pre-flight procedures, including the use of the flight manual or equivalent document, and appropriate air traffic service documents in the preparation of an IFR flight plan:
(ii) pre-flight inspection, use of checklists, taxiing and pretake- off checks:
(iii) procedures and manoeuvres for IFR operation under normal, abnormal, and emergency conditions covering at least: transition to instrument flight on take-off; standard instrument departures and arrivals; en-route IFR procedures; holding procedures; instrument approaches to specified minima; missed approach procedures; and landings from instrument approaches:
(iv) in-flight manoeuvres and particular flight characteristics:
(v) for multi-engine aircraft, the operation of the aircraft solely by reference to instruments with 1 engine inoperative or simulated inoperative; and
(5) have a valid written examination credit, or approved equivalent, that covers approved written examinations in the subject areas described in paragraph (a)(3); and
(6) successfully demonstrate to the Director (by undertaking a flight test in an appropriate aircraft or in an approved synthetic flight trainer) the ability to competently perform the procedures, manoeuvres, and operations described in paragraph (a)(4) that are applicable to the navigation systems on which the applicant is being tested, and the ability to—
(i) operate the aircraft within its limitations; and
(ii) complete all manoeuvres with smoothness and accuracy; and
(iii) exercise good judgement and airmanship; and
(iv) apply aeronautical knowledge; and
(v) control the aircraft at all times in a manner that ensures the successful outcome of a procedure or manoeuvre is never in doubt.
(b) To be eligible for an instrument rating, a holder of an unrestricted equivalent rating issued by an ICAO Contracting State must—
(1) have a valid written examination credit in the subject of air law described under paragraph (a)(3)(i); and
(2) pass the flight test required by paragraph (a)(6).
(c) A person who holds a New Zealand Defence Force instrument rating and has passed a New Zealand Defence Force instrument flight assessment in the 90 days before applying for an instrument rating meets the eligibility requirements of paragraphs (a)(2) to (a)(6).
(a) If the Director is satisfied that an applicant for an instrument rating has met the requirements of rule 61.801, the Director may issue the rating as an endorsement on the applicant’s pilot licence.
(b) A holder of an instrument rating may apply to the Director to have any additional approach aid or system endorsed on the holder’s pilot licence.
(c) On receipt of an application under paragraph (b) and payment of the applicable fee, the Director may endorse the additional approach aid or system on the holder’s pilot licence.
(a) Subject to paragraph (b), a current instrument rating authorises the holder to act as a pilot-in-command or co-pilot of an appropriate aircraft operating under IFR.
(b) To exercise the privileges of an instrument rating,—
(1) the holder must, in the case of a single-pilot aircraft, have passed the flight test required by rule 61.801(a)(6) or rule 61.801(c) to the single-pilot standard; and
(2) the holder must, in the case of a non-centreline-thrust multi-engine aeroplane, have passed the flight test required by rule 61.801(a)(6) or rule 61.801(c) on a non-centreline-thrust multi-engine aeroplane; and
(3) if the holder is carrying out an instrument approach procedure under IFR, a flight examiner must certify in the holder’s logbook that the holder has satisfactorily demonstrated competency on that approach aid or system; and
(4) if the holder holds only a class 2 medical certificate, the holder must meet the class 1 hearing standards prescribed in Part 67 and this must be endorsed on their class 2 medical certificate.
(a) Except as provided in paragraph (b), the holder of an instrument rating must not exercise the privileges of the rating unless the holder has,—
(1) within the immediately preceding 12 months,—
(i) successfully demonstrated to a flight examiner competency in accordance with rule 61.801(a)(6) for the appropriate category of aircraft; and
(ii) the person who conducts the competency demonstration certifies the successful completion of the check in the pilot’s logbook in accordance with rule 61.29; and
(2) within the immediately preceding 90 days,—
(i) either met the requirements of paragraph (a)(1) or completed at least 3 hours instrument time (which must have included at least 1 hour instrument flight time); and
(ii) carried out at least 3 published instrument approach procedures (1 of which may be performed in an approved synthetic flight trainer); and
(3) if acting as a pilot of a non-centreline-thrust multi-engine aircraft under IFR, demonstrated the competency required in paragraph (a)(1) in a non-centreline-thrust multi-engine aircraft; and
(4) if carrying out an instrument approach procedure under IFR, within the immediately preceding 90 days, performed in flight or in an approved synthetic flight trainer a published instrument approach procedure using a similar type of navigation system; or
(5) if conducting an IFR operation under the authority of an air operator certificate issued under the Act and Part 119, satisfied the IFR competency requirements in Part 121, 125 or 135 as appropriate; and
(6) holds a current class 1 or class 2 medical certificate issued under the Act.
(b) The holder of an instrument rating who does not comply with paragraph (a)(2) may act as support pilot of an aircraft on an IFR flight if the aircraft is not performing an air operation.
(c) A pilot who successfully completes the demonstration required by paragraph (a)(1) within 60 days before the date on which it is required is deemed to have completed the demonstration on the required date.
A pilot-in-command who had been certified competent in the use of GNSS receiver under rule 19.205, immediately before 1 December 2021 –
(1) is deemed to have met the requirements of rule 61.805(b)(3);
(2) may carry out an instrument approach procedure under IFR using the GNSS receiver; and
(3) must comply with the limitations referred to in rule 61.805; and
(4) must meet the currency requirements referred to in rule 61.807.
