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11 Answers

How do I log SIC time?

Asked by: 17260 views FAA Regulations, Private Pilot

I flew as safety pilot for a fellow club member who is working toward his instrument rating. I am class/type certified and meet all the requirements to act as safety pilot.  However my log book does not have an "SIC" column.  Where do I log this time?  Do I enter it into the PIC column and note that I was only safety pilot in the notes column?

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11 Answers



  1. Gary Moore on Aug 24, 2011

    Does your logbook have a blank column that you could use for SIC?  I think that entering it into the PIC column will only be confusing for your totals.  But remember – it’s your logbook you can put whatever you want in it….

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  2. Matej Dostal on Aug 25, 2011

    Correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t SIC just for multi-pilot operations, i.e. in airplanes that REQUIRE 2 pilots to be operated? E.g. on a flight the first officer logs SIC when the captain is PIC.

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  3. steve on Aug 25, 2011

    This is a multi pilot operation. Both can log pic or safety pilot can log sic. Depends who is acting pic of the flight.

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  4. Jim Foley on Aug 25, 2011

    How I interpret it is that SIC is for required multi-pilot operations.  Since you were a required crewmember in order for that flight to take place (ie: He would not have been legal to fly without you in the aircraft), therefore you log that as PIC.  The other pilot can also log PIC because he was the sole manipulator of the control.  As Gary said, you can pretty much put whatever you want in it at this point, there’s really no way to verify the individual flight, all the FAA cares about is the number of hours you put on the 8710 when applying for another rating.

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  5. Dustin on Aug 25, 2011

    Thanks all. Appears you are correct. According to another forum, I can log the entire flight time under “total flight time”, and any time that my buddy was under the foggles as PIC time. We flew 3.5 hours, and he was under for 2.5 of that. So, I logged 2.5 hours of PIC time, and 3.5 total flight time.

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  6. Matthew Waugh on Aug 25, 2011

    Be careful logging PIC time as a safety pilot. You are logging it because you are ACTING as PIC – thus you are responsible for the flight operation. You have to be legal to be PIC and current, and while the FAA may not care, the plane owner and insurance company may have an opinion.
     
    For example – some insurance policies will limit the PIC to the left seat UNLESS they are a flight instructor. So if something happens, and you’ve been logging PIC and the insurance company declines to pay – guess who’s paying.
     
    I’m not saying it’s not a common practice – just make sure your i’s and dotted and t’s crossed and you’re willing to take the rap for any problems (airspace incursions, altitude busts etc.).

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  7. Matthew Waugh on Aug 25, 2011

    Oh yeh – and while I’m a big proponent of the “it’s your logbook, log what you want”, you should be signing each page attesting to it’s accuracy. So if you put time in the PIC column where you were not PIC that signature becomes a little problematic.
     
    If you need to log SIC time, start a new column. If you don’t have space for a new column, take a deep breath and invest $10 in a pilot logbook as opposed to whatever you have 🙂

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  8. Wes Beard on Aug 25, 2011

    I agree with Matthew.  When you log PIC time as a safety pilot you are logging in under §61.51(e)(1)(iii).  This means that YOU are the acting pilot in command. 
     
    I agree that it probably doesn’t matter for the flight that you just completed but it may sound like you will perform safety pilot duties again for this pilot.  If there is ever an incident or an accident with you acting as the safety pilot the FAA will try to determine who the ACTING pilot in command was.  When you log the PIC time, you are telling the FAA that you were the ACTING pilot in command.  Basically, you are setting a precedent right now with how the FAA may treat future indicents / accidents.
    In case someone doesn’t know, the safety pilot can only log time when the other pilot is under the hood.  This means that the time it takes to turn the engine on, runup, takeoff and get the hood on doesn’t count.  The same thing on landing.  Typically, a safety pilot will log .3hrs less than the other pilot.
    Not trying to scare anyone; just trying to present the legality of putting numbers in a column.

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  9. Tommy D Eldridge on Aug 25, 2011

    How does logging SIC time for being the safety pilot while someone else is practicing IFR work? I have always been taught that I can log .7 for every hour of flight.
    Tommy
    privatepilotinsider.com 

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  10. Wes Beard on Aug 26, 2011

    Tommy,
    For a typical flight, that is probably a good rule of thumb.
     
    Regulatory speaking… you can log time anytime the other pilot is under the hood.  The best option is to start a clock the minute they put the hood on and stop it the minute the hood comes off.  Whatever time has accumulated on the clock is what you log.
     
    Typically, it will take between 10-15 minutes to get airborne after starting the engine and another 6-9 minutes after landing to shutdown.

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  11. Tommy D Eldridge on Aug 29, 2011

    Wes,
    Thank you for that information. I have had a few opportunities to fly right seat safty pilot and I would like to be able to log the time.
    Tommy

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