If the Airline Transport Pilot certificate is the Ph.D. of aviation, the Commercial and Instrument tickets represent the bachelor’s and master’s degrees.” With this statement Bob Gardner defines the advanced pilot, and this is his textbook written for the many pilots who streamline their efforts by preparing for the instrument rating and the commercial certificate simultaneously. An FAA Knowledge Exam is required for the instrument rating and the commercial certificate. Using these tests as the premise for learning, Bob Gardner applies practical information so readers are not only prepared for the exams, but also for the cockpit. He augments the required aeronautical knowledge by giving specific tips and techniques, checklists and mnemonic devices, and sound advice from personal experience. Each chapter concludes with sample FAA test questions, and a comprehensive glossary and index are included as well as useful aviation website links. This practical application of the FAA Knowledge Exam is not available in any other text! With the author’s conversational yet concise writing style, readers will quickly grasp the subjects, pass the required tests and checkrides, and have an operational understanding of flight they can take to the cockpit as newly-minted commercial pilots operating under instrument flight rules (IFR). Includes links to helpful resources on the internet for weather charts, full color examples of those weather charts, and more.