Commercial rating before instrument rating

[William D. Meredith II]

My goal is to get my CFI rating ASAP and begin flight instructing. As of now I am a private pilot with 136 hours. Would it be wise for me to focus my efforts on getting my commercial and CFI rating instead of my instrument rating? I do own a C150.

 

[MauleSkinner]

Unless you're doing Sport Pilot instructor privileges, you need an instrument rating to become an instructor in airplanes.

 

[dmspilot]

You can't earn a CFI without an instrument rating. And since a commercial requires 250 hours, it would make sense economically to earn the instrument on the way.

 

[Wheels]

You need another 114 hours to get your commercial, you may as well use about 50 of those hours to get your instrument since it is required for CFI.

 

[Badger]

is your c150 instrument rated/capable?

 

[weilke]

Unless you have an opportunity to fly local air-tours or survey work before you can do the IR, there is no real use in getting the limited commercial at 250hrs.

 

[Juliet Hotel]

Also if you want to be a CFI, why would you not want to go CFII? Teaching for a living is hard enough, why limit your customer base by leaving off the second I?

 

[MauleSkinner]

Also if you want to be a CFI, why would you not want to go CFII? Teaching for a living is hard enough, why limit your customer base by leaving off the second I?

...and take both written sat the same time...I believe they come from the same question bank.

 

[flyingron]

Of course, do this only if you are going to be motivated to get the instrument rating, the commercial, and your instrument rating on your CFI all within the two years the test results are good for.

 

[midlifeflyer]

As others said, your underlying assumption that you can get your CFI with just a commercial certificate, is incorrect. need both the commercial certificate and instrument rating in order to be a CFI (except sport instructor, for which you need neither).

That may end your inquiry, but I'll add that many flight schools and instructors have a dual instrument/commercial program. There are even published syllabi for that. Otherwise, I've always thought the typical sequence of instrument then commercial made sense if for no reason other than that, after keeping your head in the cockpit for instrument training, it's not a bad idea to do a certificate or rating which brings you back to the world of looking outside.

 

[James331]

I see zero benifit to getting your CPL before your IFR.

I see some draw backs, such as half price hour building practicing hood work with another person and shotgunning the hours via safety pilot, as you do this in conjunction with your instrument training.

 

[Mtns2Skies]

I have my VFR CPL & 500 hours. No Instrument (at the moment). The benefit for me was, I had 250 hours and wanted to train (and had the money for) a smaller easier rating. This abled me to continue to grow my skills without the need to put down a lot of money and time for an instrument. It also really doesn't limit you very much for those initial jobs you get anyway. Things you can do with a VFR commercial:

Single pilot cargo
Banner tow
Glider tow
Sky divers
Ferrying aircraft
Sight-Seeing flights.

 

[James331]

I have my VFR CPL & 500 hours. No Instrument (at the moment). The benefit for me was, I had 250 hours and wanted to train (and had the money for) a smaller easier rating. This abled me to continue to grow my skills without the need to put down a lot of money and time for an instrument. It also really doesn't limit you very much for those initial jobs you get anyway. Things you can do with a VFR commercial:

Single pilot cargo
Banner tow
Glider tow
Sky divers
Ferrying aircraft
Sight-Seeing flights.

I know some want the instrument anways because stuff happens and also for insurance

 

[Mtns2Skies]

I know some want the instrument anways because stuff happens and also for insurance

Yeah absolutely. I was just talking legally. Of course getting hired is a whole 'nother story. For me it's just been useful for ferrying planes, but I haven't tried getting hired anywhere.

 

[MauleSkinner]

I have my VFR CPL & 500 hours. No Instrument (at the moment). The benefit for me was, I had 250 hours and wanted to train (and had the money for) a smaller easier rating. This abled me to continue to grow my skills without the need to put down a lot of money and time for an instrument. It also really doesn't limit you very much for those initial jobs you get anyway. Things you can do with a VFR commercial:

Single pilot cargo
Banner tow
Glider tow
Sky divers
Ferrying aircraft
Sight-Seeing flights.

That’s where I was...a 240-hour VFR Pilot, looking to maybe do some glider towing. It took me 10 hours of instruction, including the instrument instruction required, to get the commercial certificate.