Definition
The instruments, navigation receivers, communication radios, and supporting systems that an aircraft must have installed and operational to be legally and safely flown under Instrument Flight Rules. This typically includes attitude, heading, and altitude instruments; navigation equipment appropriate to the route and approaches to be flown (such as VOR, GPS/WAAS, DME, or ILS receivers); two-way radio communication equipment; a transponder; and any equipment specifically required by the filed flight plan, the route, or the approach procedures.
Plain English
The set of working instruments and radios on board that the aircraft needs in order to be flown safely and legally in the clouds, on instruments alone, rather than by looking outside.
Context Anchor
Seen during preflight and departure planning for an IFR flight, when the pilot checks whether the aircraft is properly equipped before taking off.
Derivation
IFR stands for instrument flight rules. Equipment means the items fitted or supplied for a task. Together, IFR equipment means the aircraft items needed to carry out a flight under instrument flight rules.
Why Pilots Care
Required by regulation to legally and safely operate in instrument meteorological conditions.
Intuition Check
Do not read IFR equipment as meaning every instrument in the aircraft, or only advanced equipment. It means the specific working equipment required for IFR flight and for the particular route and procedures being flown.
Example Sentence 1
Before departure, the pilot checked that all required IFR equipment was installed and functioning, including the attitude indicator, transponder, and GPS navigator.
Example Sentence 2
The aircraft met the minimum IFR equipment standards listed in the regulations.