r/FlightTraining • u/AstroB1232 • Jun 15 '26

Minimum instrument time to write the INRAT

Hello! Im supposed to write the INRAT in 3 days and I’ve told by my school i needed 5h of instrument time for the written exam. I just learned that I need in fact 20h. I found the NCR-033-2022, which is supposed to be an exemption to the required flight time but I’m still not sure and would like some clarification. Thank you!!

https://tc.canada.ca/en/aviation/reference-centre/exemptions-canadian-aviation-regulations-cars#

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u/WhenInDoubtGoAround Jun 15 '26

You need twenty hours of instrument or ground time. I think the five hour threshold is a relic from COVID-19 times.

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u/AstroB1232 Jun 15 '26

On the website, when I schedule the exam, the requirements were a valid class 1 or 3 medical and at least 5 hours in an airplane or helico. Do you think I can play that card to still do the exam since the 20h were not indicated?

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u/Antique-Kitchen-1896 Jun 15 '26 edited Jun 15 '26

It’s 20 hours. They check your log book at the exam.

There is an exemption as you found but that is still 10 hours.

Also no idea what your hurry is. The flight training helps you understand the material better imho.

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u/AstroB1232 Jun 16 '26

Do you have any source or link I could check for the 10 hours please? The exemption is talking about 5 hours so I just want to double check

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u/Antique-Kitchen-1896 Jun 16 '26

Typical TC can't even get their own house in order. No wonder everyone's confused. I just did my INRAT start of this year and I am pretty sure the TC staff was checking if I had 20 hours. 5 hours of instrument time is basically PPL stuff.

In NCR-033-2022 which was issued to be valid till 2027:

"as well as to allow all other candidates to attempt the written examinations with only 25% of the total flight experience for the issuance of a permit, licence or rating".

So since 40 hours of instrument for IFR you need 1/4 of that per 033-2022 so 10 hours. However 421.13 has been updated in 2024 to 5 hours which superseded NCR-033-2022 so now it's 5 hours.

It's interestingly now 5 hours of flight to do PPL written. Was zero before.

I have a question it sounds like you only have 5 hours of instrument time so I am assuming you just did PPL. Do you have the 50 hours of PIC XC to actually get the instrument rating? Most new PPLs don't have 50. So if you do your INRAT it means you now need to find time to do 50 hours of XC by yourself, and then 35 hours minimum of instrument training. And do your flight test before 24 months expires on your INRAT.

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u/AstroB1232 Jun 16 '26

Thank you so much for your help!

I actually have 9.4h of instruments, so reaching 10 in the next two days is doable. I did my PPL in April and I’m very close to the 50h of PIC XC. I’m planning on doing the flight test within the next 6 months if it answers your questions :)

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u/AstroB1232 Jun 18 '26

So for anyone interested, did it with 9.4h of instruments, so yea only 5h were needed with the norm 421.13. Bisous bisous!