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4 Answers

CFI logging Landings & approaches

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Flight Instructor

When training a private student, does the instructor get to log the landings they salvage from the student pilot?  If a student attempts 4 landings during the flight, is the instructor able to log the landings they assist with?

When teaching instruments, can the CFII log any of the approaches as they're teaching the student?

If anyone has clear guidance on this, I'd love to see it.

Thanks,

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4 Answers



  1. John D. Collins on Apr 02, 2013

    I asked the FAA Chief Counsel a similar question regarding a CFI logging landings made by the student. The answer I received is linked to below. Your question is slightly different, but my guess is that it would get a similar answer from the Chief Counsel. The regulation wording is “sole manipulator”, and you note there are dual manipulators of the controls, so my guess is that it wouldn’t count for the currency of the CFI. However, if the CFI was the sole manipulator, for example when demonstrating a landing, it should count.

    http://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/agc/pol_adjudication/agc200/interpretations/data/interps/2012/collins.pdf

    The second question has also been asked of the General Counsel and in summary, a CFII may log the instrument approach if the conditions are IMC. The opinion is referenced below:

    http://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/agc/pol_adjudication/agc200/interpretations/data/interps/2008/ronald%20b.%20levy.pdf

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  2. Cory Johnson on Apr 02, 2013

    Thanks John. I agree that if I’m not interacting with the aircraft controls and basically watching the student during the approach and landing, then it shouldn’t count as a landing for me. But if we both “participate” in handling the aircraft (as in I took over or provided protection against over control by the student) neither of us is actually a sole manipulator of the controls. Should either of us log the landing?

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  3. ccwebb on Apr 02, 2013

    “What happens in the plane, stays in the plane.”

    You are now wondering into the world where morality is ruling more than regulations. I use the “mirror” test.

    If I can look at myself in a mirror and say, “YES, I…myself… landed that airplane” then I log it. If all I did was made an ok landing turn into a good landing, in other words I didn’t NEED to help, then I will not log the landing. There are many times I have had the student ‘ghosting’ me on the controls, in which I will log the landing for myself. Then, vice versa, I am ghosting the controls for the student but they land. I will not log that for myself.

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  4. Mark Kolber on Apr 02, 2013

    Cory,

    <>

    You’re asking for a pin dance technique. One can come up with all sorts or reasons why it’s ok to log something but in the case of landings, (1) for a sport pilot and higher, the only regulatory reason to log landings is for passenger currency; (2) the reg clearly says “sole manipulator,” not “part manipulator,” “50/50 manipulator” or “mostly manipulator.” If you feel a need to log a landing that doesn’t count for anything, go ahead, but then identify it in some way as not counting toward your currency.

    That said, when training a student pilot, a student pilot has no currency to maintain so 61.37 doesn’t apply. For a student, each and every landing is a great accomplishment, whether or not assisted. And students tend to count them a concrete steps to solo and then to the checkride. So with students I take the exact opposite approach – no problem with the student logging every landing, whether or not sole manipulator. (The exception is, of course the very few regulatory student landings that are requirements for the sport, recreational, and private certificate.)

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