Definition
The legal authority granted to a pilot who holds a current and valid instrument rating to act as pilot in command of an aircraft operating under Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) or in weather conditions less than the minimums prescribed for visual flight.
Plain English
Permission to fly in clouds and bad weather using only the cockpit instruments, given to pilots who hold a current instrument rating.
Context Anchor
Seen when discussing instrument proficiency checks, which can restore a pilot’s authority to fly under instrument rules after the pilot no longer meets recent instrument-experience requirements.
Derivation
Privilege' comes from the Latin 'privilegium,' meaning a right granted to a specific person or group. In aviation, privileges are the specific things a certificate or rating allows you to do — earned, conditional, and revocable.
Why Pilots Care
A pilot without current instrument flying privileges cannot legally enter clouds or fly under instrument rules and must restrict operations to visual conditions.
Intuition Check
Do not read privileges as simply meaning skill or confidence. In FAA use, privileges are legal authorities tied to the pilot’s certificate, rating, and current requirements.
Example Sentence 1
After six months without flying in actual instrument conditions, she completed an instrument proficiency check to regain her instrument flying privileges.
Example Sentence 2
The regulations require an instrument proficiency check every twelve months to keep instrument flying privileges active.