Instrument Rating at Northern Flight Company

The Instrument Rating is a transformative step in your aviation journey. It sharpens your skills, expands your limits, and gives you the ability to fly through clouds, weather, and complex airspace with control and clarity. At Northern Flight Company, we approach instrument training with the seriousness it deserves—because earning this rating doesn’t just make you legal in the system. It makes you a better pilot, period.

A balanced blend of old-school and practical GPS navigation ensures that you build real proficiency—not just button-pushing ability. You’ll fly out of Anoka County Airport, where Class D operations and nearby busy airspace create an ideal environment for realistic IFR procedures and controlled airspace communication.

The course is built around structured, scenario-based training. You’ll learn how to interpret weather products, brief instrument approaches, manage in-flight workload, and make critical decisions when visibility drops and options narrow. From enroute navigation to holding patterns, partial-panel work, and real-time ATC interaction, every flight is designed to build precision, discipline, and situational awareness.

We teach under Part 61, which means we can adapt our instruction to your schedule, goals, and prior experience. Whether you’re coming in fresh from your Private Certificate or returning to training after a break, we’ll meet you where you are and chart a clear path forward. Ground instruction is integrated throughout, with a strong focus on practical application—not just passing the written exam.

An Instrument Rating isn’t just a line on your certificate—it’s a mark of professionalism. It teaches you to think ahead, stay ahead, and operate with composure in the toughest environments. And when you train at Northern Flight Company, you’ll earn more than a rating. You’ll gain the confidence and competence to handle whatever’s on the other side of the clouds.