Definition
An additional qualification added to a pilot certificate that authorizes the holder to operate an aircraft solely by reference to the flight instruments, including flight in clouds and other conditions where outside visual references are not available. It is earned by meeting specific training, flight experience, knowledge test, and practical test requirements set by the FAA.
Plain English
An extra qualification added to a pilot's license that allows them to legally fly when they cannot see outside, by relying on the cockpit instruments alone.
Context Anchor
Seen in pilot qualifications, flight training records, and discussions of flying in clouds, low visibility, or other conditions that require instrument flying.
Derivation
"Instrument" here refers to the cockpit gauges and displays a pilot uses to know the aircraft's attitude, altitude, heading, and speed. "Rating" comes from the older sense of formally assessing or grading someone's qualification. So an instrument rating is a formal qualification to fly using the instruments.
Why Pilots Care
It expands the range of weather conditions in which a pilot can fly legally and safely, reducing the risk of loss of control when visual cues are lost.
Intuition Check
Do not read rating as a grade or review. Here, rating means an official pilot qualification added to a certificate.
Example Sentence 1
She earned her instrument rating last spring, which now lets her file flight plans through cloud layers instead of waiting for clear skies.
Example Sentence 2
The instrument rating allows a pilot to accept an IFR clearance and fly an approach when the ceiling is below visual flight rules minimums.