This license allows you to fly with friends or family in the clouds. Suppose you want to fly to Nantucket for the day. If there is a thin cloud layer at 1,000 feet, you won't be going because it is neither safe nor legal. However, if you have your instrument license, you can take-off, climb through the layer in a couple of minutes, and cruise to your destination in the clear blue sky above the clouds. once there, you will have the ability to perform an "instrument approach" wher you descend through the clouds by reference to your instruments. Ultimately, you will pop out of the clouds with the runway straight ahead of you and land. The Instrument Rating requires the following: the Private Pilot License; 50 hours as pilot-in-command cross country, 40 hours actual or simulated instrument instruction; a written exam and a practical test.