Instrument Rating
Fly in cloud, by day or night, with confidence. The Instrument Rating is the most valuable rating a pilot can hold — and essential for any professional career.
About the course
Fly when others can’t
An Instrument Rating lets you fly under instrument flight rules and in instrument weather conditions, day or night. It turns weather from a barrier into something you can plan for.
We keep two IFR-equipped Cessna 172s and 182s dedicated to training, so your lessons don’t get bumped. The rating forms a 40-hour phase of our CPL syllabus and can also be taken on its own, with its own ground school.
What it lets you do
- Fly under instrument flight rules (IFR) and in instrument weather (IMC), day or night
- Required for commercial flights in aeroplanes over 1,545 kg
- Single-engine or multi-engine instrument privileges, depending on your training
- A multi-engine IR is a prerequisite for the ATPL
Before you start
Minimum experience
| Dual instrument instruction at an ATO | 20 hrs |
|---|---|
| Of which in the aeroplane | 10 hrs |
| Total instrument time | 40 hrs |
| Cross-country as PIC | 50 hrs |
| For multi-engine privileges | 15 of the 20 dual hrs in a multi-engine aeroplane |
Minimums from the Civil Aviation (Personnel Licensing) Regulations, 2019 (S.I. 176 of 2019), sections 73–76. Up to 20 hrs of the instrument time may be ground instrument time (30 hrs in a full flight simulator).
Your training journey
How the course runs
Ground school & exam
IFR theory — procedures, radio navigation, instruments, meteorology including icing — and the CAAZ knowledge exam.
Instrument flying basics
Full- and partial-panel attitude flying, unusual-attitude recovery and precise aircraft control by instruments alone.
Procedures
Departures, holds, instrument approaches and go-arounds, flown to IFR standards.
IFR cross-country & test
Full IFR flights, then a skill test of at least one hour with a CAAZ examiner.
Ground school
IFR theory
Exams & test
CAAZ sets the knowledge exams and the pass mark is 75%. Exams are written at CAAZ Head Office, Harare International Airport, and are moving to CAAZ’s computer-based PEXO system.
Skill test: at least one hour — hold height within ±100 ft, track within ±5°, and start the go-around at decision height (+50/−0 ft). Fail a section and you repeat only that section; two failed attempts mean further training.
Afterwards: the rating is valid for 12 months and renewed with a flight test in an aircraft or approved simulator — apply 30 days before it expires.
Why it matters
Trained to understand, not just to pass
“In the absence of all other standards, maintain your own.” — the standard we hold ourselves to.
A licence is the start, not the goal. What counts is how you handle the moment something doesn’t go to plan — and that comes down to how deeply you were trained.
Over the years, Guthrie-trained pilots have gone on to fly for — and reach the senior levels of — some of the world’s most recognised airlines, including Cathay Pacific, Emirates and Qatar Airways, and to serve as chief pilots for corporate operators and private families.
Training at Charles Prince (FVCP)
Instrument training without the waiting list
Two IFR-equipped C172s and C182s kept for training — lessons don’t get bumped.
Fly Zimbabwe’s first all-glass training aircraft — Garmin G500 PFD and GTN 650 — and log the glass-cockpit time airlines look for at interview.
A CAAZ Approved Training Organisation (certificate 0006), also approved by the Ministry of Higher Education (0162/98). Training here since 1995.
Questions
Frequently asked
Do I really need a Class 1 medical as a PPL holder?
Yes — in Zimbabwe the Instrument Rating requires a Class 1 medical, whatever licence you hold.
Can I use a simulator?
Yes. Up to 20 hours of the 40 hours of instrument time can be ground instrument time, or up to 30 hours in a full flight simulator.
Single-engine or multi-engine?
Multi-engine instrument privileges need 15 of your 20 dual hours in a multi-engine aeroplane, plus a demonstration of one-engine-inoperative instrument flying.
How do I keep the rating?
It’s valid for 12 months. Renew it with a flight test in an aircraft or approved simulator, applying at least 30 days before it expires.
Request information
Ask us about the Instrument Rating
Tell us where you are now and what you’d like to achieve. We’ll come back with the next intake, a training plan and costs.
Make weather work for you
Ask about Instrument Rating training on our IFR fleet.