Do you need...

[captvikki]

An IFR Rating to get a Commercial Rating?

 

[vontresc]

No, but your comm will be limited...

14 CFR 61.133 States

(b) Limitations. (1) A person who applies for a commercial pilot certificate with an airplane category or powered-lift category rating and does not hold an instrument rating in the same category and class will be issued a commercial pilot certificate that contains the limitation, "The carriage of passengers for hire in (airplanes) (powered-lifts) on cross-country flights in excess of 50 nautical miles or at night is prohibited." The limitation may be removed when the person satisfactorily accomplishes the requirements listed in §61.65 of this part for an instrument rating in the same category and class of aircraft listed on the person's commercial pilot certificate.

 

[Ted]

What Pete said. Most people get their IR before their commercial. While it is a more difficult rating, it is also far more useful, and without the IR you will be limited on what you can paid to do.

Since you need 250TT to get your Comm anyway, you may as well work on your IR first. It'll help you build the time. That's been my strategy, and now I'm at around 205TT and PP-ASEL-IA, working on chaning to CP-ASEL-IA... once I get that next 45 hours.

 

[TMetzinger]

As discussed earlier, you don't need the IR to get the commercial. Most folks do get the IR first, particularly when doing ab initio training as the IR hours help build time for the commercial requirements.

If you do go the traditional route and get the IR first (which will vastly increase the utility of your airplane), you can probably bet that you'll have to work to get "visual" again when you start your commercial. My CFI covered the panel for a couple of lessons until I started looking out the window again.