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3 Answers

logging PIC time

Asked by: 2060 views FAA Regulations, Flight Instructor, General Aviation, Private Pilot, Student Pilot

Question: You are flying in a single engine, high performance, complex airplane . You hold a PPL with an airplane single engine landing rating , but do not have a high performance or complex airplane endorsement. Your friend , who has those endorsements is acting as the PIC for the flight. Can you log PIC time for the time you act as a sole manipulator of the controls ? 
 
Answer: Yes. you can log PIC  time but you can NOT act as a PIC. 
 
 
Based on this question why would they allow you to log PIC time when you're not acting as the Pilot-in-Command?
 
Since I'm logging time in the log wouldn't that mean that I have some sort of experience ?  but in reality, i have no clue since i'm not allowed to act as the PIC 
 
or em I missing something here?
 
my brain can't just accept this fact, is there a logical reason behind this?

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3 Answers



  1. JCBaum on Apr 29, 2020

    It can be rather confusing. You need to look at a few different regulations.

    FAR 1.1 for the definition of “Pilot in Command”
    FAR 91.3 for the responsibilities of the “Pilot in Command”
    FAR 61.51 for the requirements for logging “Pilot in Command” time

    Acting as PIC is different than logging PIC time. A pilot who is Category/Class qualified in the aircraft may LOG PIC time while being the sole manipulator of the flight controls in the aircraft. A pilot’s certificate will list the level of certificate (i.e. Private),then the Category (Airplane) and Class (Single Engine Land).

    A common example, a Private pilot is certificated Airplane, Single Engine Land and receiving instruction towards their Tailwheel endorsement in a Cessna 180. The Private Pilot IS Pilot in Command qualified in Category and Class, but not qualified to ACT as PIC in a tailwheel aircraft. The CFI is the Acting PIC, while the student is the sole manipulator of the controls. The Private Pilot may log that time as PIC and Dual Received.

    Another way to think of this is;
    Acting as Pilot in Command is “Who’s ultimately responsible?”
    Logging PIC is “Who’s handling the controls?”
    (CFIs and Airline Captains logging PIC is another issue)

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  2. John D Collins on Apr 29, 2020

    FAR 1.1 definitions includes the following definition:

    Pilot in command means the person who:
    (1) Has final authority and responsibility for the operation and safety of the flight;
    (2) Has been designated as pilot in command before or during the flight; and
    (3) Holds the appropriate category, class, and type rating, if appropriate, for the conduct of the flight.

    Various regulations specify requirements to “act as Pilot in command”. including 61.56, 61.57, and many more.

    Logging is a different topic and more than one pilot on a flight may log pilot in command time if they meet the requirements of 61.51(e).

    For example, as a flight instructor providing training, I have always been able to log the time under the category of pilot in command. If the pilot receiving training is the one who is solely manipulating the controls and is rated in the category and class aircraft, they may also log the time as pilot in command. If they meet all the other requirements they may also act as the pilot in command. Usually prior to a flight we determine who is going to be the pilot acting as pilot in command and we both log the time.

    Another example that is common, two pilots agree to conduct a flight with one acting as a safety pilot and the other under the hood. If the safety pilot acts as pilot in command, they may log the time as such and since the one under the hood is the sole manipulator of the controls, they may also log the time as pilot in command.

    In other countries, the terms acting as pilot in command are is called the aircraft commander. Both the aircraft commander and the pilot manipulating the controls may log the time as pilot in command, assuming the pilot manipulating the controls is rated in the aircraft category and class.

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  3. Best Answer


    Mark Kolber on Apr 30, 2020

    >>why would they allow you to log PIC time when you’re not acting as the Pilot-in-Command?

    The only regulatory purpose of logging is to demonstrate qualification for certificates, ratings, and flight privileges. For many of those, the FAA counts PIC time. At some point in the past, the FAA made the decision to separate counting PIC time for qualification logging from the duty and responsibility definition. There are hints of it as far back as 1954.

    The FAA could have used some other term for the logging function. Perhaps it should have made up some new word or phrase. But it didn’t. That’s the bottom line. Being the PIC is about authority, duty, and responsibility. Logging PIC time is something you write down after a flight while enjoying a beer. Make the mental leap to accept the dichotomy and the rules are easy. Join the two together and they will never make sense.

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