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3 Answers

Solo XC for PPL count towards 50hrs PIC XC for IFR?

Asked by: 6724 views General Aviation

I am hearing multiple opinions on this and what it comes down to is it seems it is really up to the instructor if he wants to count the solo XCs for the PPL towards to total 50 hours needed to complete IFR.  Any opinons on this?

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3 Answers



  1. Koehn on Apr 20, 2013

    Mine did, as did my 3 hours of simulated instrument. DPE never looked twice.

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  2. Mark Kolber on Apr 20, 2013

    It’s up to the instructor if the student is willing to let him get away with it. The regulations make it absolutely clear that the 50 hours of solo PIC time count toward those requirements. Check out 61.65(d)(1)’s requirement for cross country PIC time with 61.51(e)(4) and see if you can find that part that says, “except when pursuing an instrument rating.” Better yet, hand the book to the instructor who claims you can’t and take a couple of lessons while he tries to find it.

    That mya not help your argument, though: The instructor who claims different tends to fall in one of three categories.

    (1) lived in the past when student solo flight were not countable as PIC and hasn’t re-read the reg since in changed … more than 15 years ago.

    (2) “Heard” this from some guy (maybe those more than 15 years ago)and never checked into it.

    In both of those cases, the responses to s “look here…” will be varied. One will be consider the material, maybe even taking time to consider and check official sources. Another will be a simple rejection which comes don’t to, “I don’t care what it says; it will be my way!.” With many variations in between. What you do with a response like becomes a personal choice

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  3. Mark Kolber on Apr 20, 2013

    Let’s fix that:

    The regulations make it absolutely clear that the hours of student solo cross country PIC time count toward the 50 hour cross country PIC requirements for the instrument rating.

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