{
  "slug": "ifr-currency-cost",
  "title": "IFR Currency Cost Calculator",
  "heading": "IFR Currency Maintenance Cost Calculator",
  "category": "financial",
  "url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/ifr-currency-cost",
  "summary": "Annual cost of staying instrument current with a safety pilot or CFII.",
  "description": "Instrument currency under 14 CFR 61.57 requires 6 approaches, holding procedures, and intercepting/tracking courses within the preceding 6 calendar months, or you need an instrument proficiency check with a CFII. Staying current isn't free even if you never fly actual IFR — you need aircraft time and either a safety pilot (who flies free in exchange for the right seat, but you may still owe them something) or a CFII. This calculator totals the realistic annual cost of maintaining currency through periodic practice sessions.",
  "formula": "Annual cost = sessions per year × (aircraft rental hours per session × rental rate + safety pilot/CFII cost per session).",
  "dateModified": "2026-09-30",
  "run_url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/api/public/calc?tool=ifr-currency-cost",
  "inputs": [
    {
      "id": "sessionsYear",
      "label": "Practice sessions per year",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": "2 per 6-month cycle is typical minimum",
      "default": 4,
      "unit": null,
      "min": 1,
      "max": 12
    },
    {
      "id": "hoursSession",
      "label": "Aircraft hours per session",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 1.5,
      "unit": null,
      "min": 0.5,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "rentalRate",
      "label": "Aircraft rental rate",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 165,
      "unit": "$/hr",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "useCFII",
      "label": "Safety pilot or CFII?",
      "kind": "select",
      "hint": null,
      "default": "cfii",
      "options": [
        {
          "value": "safety",
          "label": "Safety pilot (swap/low cost)"
        },
        {
          "value": "cfii",
          "label": "CFII"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "cfiiRate",
      "label": "CFII rate (if used)",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 65,
      "unit": "$/hr",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "safetyPilotCost",
      "label": "Safety pilot cost per session (if used)",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 0,
      "unit": "$",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    }
  ],
  "outputs": [
    {
      "id": "annualTotal",
      "label": "Annual IFR currency cost",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": true
    },
    {
      "id": "costPerSession",
      "label": "Cost per practice session",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "aircraftCostPerSession",
      "label": "Aircraft cost per session",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "helperCostPerSession",
      "label": "CFII/safety pilot cost per session",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    }
  ],
  "worked_example": {
    "inputs": [
      "Practice sessions per year: 4",
      "Aircraft hours per session: 1.5",
      "Aircraft rental rate: 165 $/hr",
      "Safety pilot or CFII?: CFII",
      "CFII rate (if used): 65 $/hr",
      "Safety pilot cost per session (if used): 0 $"
    ],
    "outputs": [
      "Annual IFR currency cost: $1,380",
      "Cost per practice session: $345",
      "Aircraft cost per session: $248",
      "CFII/safety pilot cost per session: $98"
    ]
  },
  "how_to": {
    "title": "How to use this",
    "steps": [
      "Enter practice sessions per year — 2 per 6-month cycle is typical minimum.",
      "Enter aircraft hours per session.",
      "Enter aircraft rental rate ($/hr).",
      "Enter safety pilot or cfii?.",
      "Enter cfii rate (if used) ($/hr).",
      "Enter safety pilot cost per session (if used) ($).",
      "Read your annual ifr currency cost on the right — it updates as you type.",
      "Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone."
    ]
  },
  "scenarios": [
    {
      "name": "Conservative",
      "description": "Lower-end numbers — what if things land soft?",
      "values": {
        "sessionsYear": 2,
        "hoursSession": 0.8999999999999999,
        "rentalRate": 100,
        "useCFII": "cfii",
        "cfiiRate": 40,
        "safetyPilotCost": 0
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Typical",
      "description": "Defaults — the most common real-world setup.",
      "values": {
        "sessionsYear": 4,
        "hoursSession": 1.5,
        "rentalRate": 165,
        "useCFII": "cfii",
        "cfiiRate": 65,
        "safetyPilotCost": 0
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Ambitious",
      "description": "Higher-end numbers — what if things really pop?",
      "values": {
        "sessionsYear": 6,
        "hoursSession": 2.4000000000000004,
        "rentalRate": 265,
        "useCFII": "cfii",
        "cfiiRate": 105,
        "safetyPilotCost": 0
      }
    }
  ],
  "limitations": [
    "Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them.",
    "Rates are treated as fixed for the whole period — variable-rate products will drift from this projection.",
    "This is educational maths, not financial advice. Check anything contractual with the lender or your accountant."
  ],
  "faq": [
    {
      "q": "Can I stay current without a CFII at all?",
      "a": "Yes — a safety pilot who holds at least a private pilot certificate with the appropriate category/class rating can log the required approaches, holds, and course tracking with you under simulated instrument conditions (a view-limiting device). Many pilots trade seats with another instrument-rated pilot so both log the flight and neither pays cash, dropping the cost to just aircraft rental split two ways."
    },
    {
      "q": "What happens if I lapse past 6 months?",
      "a": "You get an additional 6-month grace period (12 months total from your last approach) to become current again just by flying the required approaches/holds with a safety pilot, without needing a CFII. Past 12 months total, you need an Instrument Proficiency Check (IPC) with a CFII, which is a longer, more expensive session, typically 1.5-2x this calculator's per-session cost."
    },
    {
      "q": "Does simulator time count toward currency?",
      "a": "Yes — an FAA-approved simulator, FTD, or even a BATD/AATD (like many Redbird or similar units) can be used for some or all of the required approaches and tasks under 61.57, often at $40-80/hr versus $150-250+/hr for a real airplane, meaningfully cutting the total in this calculator if you swap some hours to synthetic training devices."
    },
    {
      "q": "Is staying current cheaper than getting an IPC after lapsing?",
      "a": "Almost always. Four small maintenance sessions across the year (the default here) typically total less than a single IPC even though the IPC covers everything in a compressed session, because IPCs run longer (often 2-3 hours) at CFII rates plus aircraft time, and often include ground instruction billed separately."
    }
  ],
  "related": [
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/instrument-rating-cost",
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/flight-review-cost"
  ],
  "license": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "citation": "RevenueLab — IFR Currency Cost Calculator (https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/ifr-currency-cost)"
}