Does the cross country for instrument rating have leg distance requirements?

Question

I already have my commercial rating so I don’t need to do that long XC.

IR-Is this 250nm requirement for the total distance of the flight?

Sec. 61.65

Instrument rating requirements.

(d) Aeronautical experience for the instrument-airplane rating. A person who applies for an instrument-airplane rating must have logged:

(ii) Instrument flight training on cross country flight procedures, including one cross country flight in an airplane with an authorized instructor, that is performed under instrument flight rules, when a flight plan has been filed with an air traffic control facility, and that involves--

(A) A flight of 250 nautical miles along airways or by directed routing from an air traffic control facility;

(B) An instrument approach at each airport; and

(C) Three different kinds of approaches with the use of navigation systems.

Answer 1

The 250NM is for the total distance of flight. However it also needs to be long enough to fit in the definition of a cross country flight for flight training purposes, in other words you are going to need to fly more than 50NM from your home airport.

(ii) For the purpose of meeting the aeronautical experience requirements (except for a rotorcraft category rating), for a private pilot certificate (except for a powered parachute category rating), a commercial pilot certificate, or an instrument rating, or for the purpose of exercising recreational pilot privileges (except in a rotorcraft) under § 61.101 (c), time acquired during a flight -

(B) That includes a point of landing that was at least a straight-line distance of more than 50 nautical miles from the original point of departure