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Private Pilot logging PIC during IFR w/ IR Pilot

Asked by: 3659 views , , ,
FAA Regulations, General Aviation, Instrument Rating, Private Pilot

I've searched everywhere on google and can't find anything on this. Me and my friend came up with this theoretical situation where, let's say we have Pilot A, who is a Private Pilot and Pilot B, who is an Instrument Rated Pilot.

  1. If Pilot B were to file IFR Cross Country and Pilot A flew it - who would log the Cross Country time? I would assume both would log PIC in this situation due to Pilot A being the "Sole Manipulator of the Controls" and Pilot B would be 'Acting PIC' due to being the rated pilot.
  2. Pilot B files for IFR Cross Country and Pilot A flies it, this time the weather calls for IMC conditions - could Pilot A still fly the plane under the supervision of Pilot B and both still log PIC?
I've asked many people about this and everyone has the same answer for Q2 - Pilot A cannot log PIC whilst IMC, but can log PIC on an IFR Flight Plan in VMC. I've taken something from the AOPA website which says to me, as long as there is a rated pilot on board "ACTING" as PIC (Pilot B) then Pilot A can log PIC due to being the Sole Manipulator of the Controls.
"A pilot, whether acting as PIC or not, may log PIC time anytime in which he/she is sole manipulator of the controls of an aircraft for which he/she is rated (FAR 61.51). This is true regardless of weather conditions, whether VFR or IFR, simulated or actual."
Any help is appreciated.

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1 Answers



  1. John D Collins on Sep 01, 2015

    Here is my understanding:

    A rated pilot that is solely the manipulator of the controls is permitted to log the flight as PIC. That person may log the flight as cross country and any of the time that is actual instrument conditions may be logged as instrument time. This is all true, regardless if they are qualified to act as PIC for the flight. There must be a pilot on board that is qualified to act as PIC. The pilot not manipulating the controls in this case must act as PIC, but they may not log any of the time.

    If the pilot acting as PIC is also a safety pilot as required by 91.109, then they may log the portion of the time that they are performing those duties, assuming that the other pilot is the sole manipulator of the controls and is simulating instrument flight by using a view limiting device. While in actual instrument conditions, the flight is not in simulated instrument flight, and the safety pilot is not needed by 91.109 and may not log PIC during that time. Neither may the pilot acting as PIC but not the sole manipulator of the controls log cross country time, because a safety pilot is not needed for the takeoff and landing.

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