IFR is a flight simulator of Cessna 172RG Cutlass light aircraft. Due to limitations of early 1980s computers it doesn't offer external cockpit view, only an instrument panel (hence the name: Instrument Flight Rules) with full set of gauges: altimeter, tachometer, artificial horizon, airspeed, turn, and rate of climb indicators. The plane is also equipped with flaps, retractable landing gear, LORAN-C inertial navigation system, ILS and ADF (picking up 4 beacons and 2 airfields on the map).

The objective is to safely navigate between 4 airfields located on the map, while avoiding terrain obstacles etc. and within the aircraft fuel limit (~30 min.), the game flight model also includes stalls, wind and turbulence (difficulty level is adjustable).