How many IR pilots are there?

kicktireslightfires

kicktireslightfires

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kicktireslightfires
My IR instructor told me only 2% of pilots are instrument rated. I replied "Are you sure? That seems extraordinarily low." He said, yup, they are a rare breed. Well, if there's about 1,000,000 pilots worldwide, that would mean there's only 20,000 pilots who are instrument rated. But, it appears there are hundreds of thousands of airline pilots -- all of whom must be instrument rated -- so?

https://www.statista.com/statistics/740147/active-pilots-airline-industry/

Does anyone have an accurate gauge of what percentage of pilots are instrument rated?
 
All the pilots I know are IR, and only two of them fly for airlines. My IR told me it was 30 percent, which also sounds low. I would imagine commercial operations make up the majority of pilots that are actually actively flying, and they're all going to be IR. This seems like it could be one of those myths that get passed down.. like shock cooling (ducks and covers)
 
Tantalum said:
All the pilots I know are IR, and only two of them fly for airlines. My IR told me it was 30 percent, which also sounds low. I would imagine commercial operations make up the majority of pilots that are actually actively flying, and they're all going to be IR. This seems like it could be one of those myths that get passed down.. like shock cooling (ducks and covers)
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I agree. I think theres' two questions here: How many airline pilots are there in the world? And then how many part 91 pilots are IR? Because every airline pilot will be IR. I think it would be more interesting to know how many part 91 pilots are IR.
 
kicktireslightfires said:
I think it would be more interesting to know how many part 91 pilots are IR.
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Agree, that's probably much lower. But ever there 2% sounds too low to be true. Heck, set up a PoA poll, I bet more than 2 out of 100 people will declare that they're IR

Maybe back in the 1960s and 1970s fewer people got IR. But it seems a pretty natural next step now for people, especially nice that next step is no longer multi for that vast majority
 
Keep in mind that an ATP certificate doesn’t say “instrument” on it…that might cause some confusion as to the actual numbers.
 
Hmmm, not quite sure the point of this...either you are instrument rated, or you're not, but how many are in percent? Are you wondering in order to prove in your mind that your instructor is fallible? I can assure you he/she is...does he/she have an attitude infallibility that rubs you the wrong way? Might be easier to find a new instructor than to prove how many are instrument rated...just saying.
 
kicktireslightfires said:
Love how my very experienced instructor with 50 years of flying experience was dead on balls certain that only 2% of pilots are IR
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There are a lot of crappy instructors out there. The appeal to authority fallacy is huge in this field. Just look at how many people have their own "fool proof" method for hot starting. Luckily, it's not 1976 and information access is available to everyone. If you know where to look for reputable factual sources it's easy to parse the value add bits from the "I-made-this-up" bits and translate "only 2% are IR" into "this is a big deal, it's a hard rating to earn and not everyone's got it"
 
kicktireslightfires said:
My IR instructor told me only 2% of pilots are instrument rated. I replied "Are you sure? That seems extraordinarily low." He said, yup, they are a rare breed. Well, if there's about 1,000,000 pilots worldwide, that would mean there's only 20,000 pilots who are instrument rated. But, it appears there are hundreds of thousands of airline pilots -- all of whom must be instrument rated -- so?

https://www.statista.com/statistics/740147/active-pilots-airline-industry/

Does anyone have an accurate gauge of what percentage of pilots are instrument rated?
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If that 2% is out of those who only hold a PPL, then I'll say that the % is accurate.
 
Capt. Geoffrey Thorpe said:
Then don't ask how a wing generates lift
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"Because the air molecules are sentient and have a longer distance to travel over the top of the wing to keep up with their 'bottom of wing' compadres and thus go faster" is the explanation at least I was fed growing up. Which never passed the smell check, and when questioned "why does it go faster over the top" the answer was "DUH, bernoulli!" but again without explaining it, or understanding it

I digress. I'm feeling salty today.
 
Tantalum said:
"Because the air molecules are sentient and have a longer distance to travel over the top of the wing to keep up with their 'bottom of wing' compadres and thus go faster" is the explanation at least I was fed growing up. Which never passed the smell check, and when questioned "why does it go faster over the top" the answer was "DUH, bernoulli!" but again without explaining it, or understanding it

I digress. I'm feeling salty today.
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Hey! No need to disparage others.
 
You can go to the FAA website of airmen, which lists the number of airmen with each category of cert. You can assume anyone with an ATP and probably 99% of Commercial certs have the IR.

https://www.faa.gov/licenses_certificates/airmen_certification/releasable_airmen_download/

You want Cert Type = P (Pilot) and F (CFI), but only the subset of Cert Level = A, C and P. Hint - There are 315.388 in that list. Then add the INST* in the rating columns. Then get rid of P/ASEL or similar because they have no other rating) leaving 217,976 names. Then took out the Sport with no other rating for a total of 217,745 or close enough.
 
kicktireslightfires said:
Love how my very experienced instructor with 50 years of flying experience was dead on balls certain that only 2% of pilots are IR.
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50 years ago that figure may have been closer to the truth. This could be a case of, actually a form of "primacy", where someone told him that 50 years ago and he's been believing it ever since. Kind of like "oversquare".
 
EdFred said:
How would the FAA know if I am current or not, so how can one say only 20% are current?
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Its not so much the FAA knowing but what data is tracked by various groups. There are several companies that track this data which is where the 20% comes from. Plus there have been a few industry articles on this as well. The numbers of IR pilots vs currency has been an ongoing discussion in certain circles when it comes to safety and accident rates. For example, one of these discussions led to the requirement that all EMS helicopter pilots are required to be IR rated per Part 135. Unfortunately, having the IR hasn't changed the statics much since it appears currency and proficiency is just as important just like in the Kobe wreck.
 
I love old timer CFIs, but "has obsolete statistics, platitudes, and old wives tales" is a definite downside :D

Use em for stick and rudder knowledge, war stories, and that certain aroma of mentholatum -- but not answers to hangar trivia
 
kicktireslightfires said:
My IR instructor told me only 2% of pilots are instrument rated. I replied "Are you sure? That seems extraordinarily low." He said, yup, they are a rare breed. Well, if there's about 1,000,000 pilots worldwide, that would mean there's only 20,000 pilots who are instrument rated. But, it appears there are hundreds of thousands of airline pilots -- all of whom must be instrument rated -- so?

https://www.statista.com/statistics/740147/active-pilots-airline-industry/

Does anyone have an accurate gauge of what percentage of pilots are instrument rated?
Click to expand...

I think you should get a new instructor, the one you have is mathematically impaired.
 
Have a multi/ifr, not current. Last flew a multi in about 2008/2009, and not ifr since 2020.
 
Searched for myself, used common last name, first initial.
Sample size 22. 7 were instrumennt.
Two remote only
Four student only.
One tower only
One mechanic

So sample size likely was really 14, meaning 50% rated.
 
56% of statistics are made up on the spot.
 
kicktireslightfires said:
My IR instructor told me only 2% of pilots are instrument rated. I replied "Are you sure? That seems extraordinarily low." He said, yup, they are a rare breed. Well, if there's about 1,000,000 pilots worldwide, that would mean there's only 20,000 pilots who are instrument rated. But, it appears there are hundreds of thousands of airline pilots -- all of whom must be instrument rated -- so?

https://www.statista.com/statistics/740147/active-pilots-airline-industry/

Does anyone have an accurate gauge of what percentage of pilots are instrument rated?
Click to expand...
I googled this recently and found that 10% of pilots are instrument-rated and 10% of them are current. And no, I don’t remember where k read that. I would think the number of active airline pilots within the entire community of certificates pilots in the US is rather low.
 
Keep in mind that pilots who have an ATP do not have a separate instrument rating (except maybe for a different class or category) the ATP is in itself authorization to fly IFR. So none of the airline pilots out there have instrument ratings.
 
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