Logging time, what counts?

tspear

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Timothy
Here is a question I just thought of. I could find the answer online.
Either on the way to your PPL or after, what is the lightest/smallest plane you can log?
If flying an LSA is loggable, what about an ultralight? A part 103 plane, a gyrocopter, a powered chute?

Tim
 
It's your logbook. Doesn't have to be just hours logged towards a certificate and/or rating. For instance, you win the lottery and go up for a P-51 ride. Log it as a memory!
 
It's your logbook. Doesn't have to be just hours logged towards a certificate and/or rating. For instance, you win the lottery and go up for a P-51 ride. Log it as a memory!
This is just a philosophical question. Something I could not find an answer too.

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You can log anything you want. That doesn't mean it all counts towards any certificate or rating.

I log ultralight time, including in a separate "103" column. If I need a total excluding it, it's easy to subtract.
 
The only less obvious item is this one:
Ultralights are not "airplanes" (or any other type of aircraft as far as the regs are concerned). The time can't be counted towards the aeronautical experience times for certificates and ratings.

LSAs are.

As for everything else, it pretty much comes out of 61.51
PIC time counts once you have a sport pilot (or higher license) in an aircraft for which you are rated. You can log it and count that time toward other ratings.
Solo time counts.
Instrument time can be logged anytime you are flying solely by reference to instruments in simulated or actual conditions. No requirement for the plane to be approved for IFR.

Training time with a CFIS counts to your totals, but can't be used as the specific training required for the private or higher certificate or the instrument (and other) ratings. It requires an authorized instructor
and a CFIS is not authorized to provide that instruction.
 
Sounds reasonable. But where is it documented in the regs or AIM?

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In general, part 103 is a "vehicle" and does not have an N number (103.1) , time towards a rating requires an "aircraft" (61.51)... See 61.52 for the very limited exceptions.
 
When it comes to logging, it only counts when the chainsaw is running. Otherwise you’re just standing around being useless.
 
When it comes to logging, it only counts when the chainsaw is running. Otherwise you’re just standing around being useless.
You’re lucky Paul Bunyan doesn’t read these forums.
 
I log everything I fly,with comments and notes,but I’m not logging for certificates,have all I’ll need.
 
I don't log my 103 time - likely have multiple 1,000's of hours, including XC> 50 miles.
 
PIC time counts once you have a sport pilot (or higher license) in an aircraft for which you are rated. You can log it and count that time toward other ratings.
Solo time counts.


I believe you can also log solo time on a student license as PIC time. Don't have access to the FAR right now, but I think that was a rule change some years ago.
 
The logging regs say nothing about N numbers. I have a bunch of hours in a plane marked VH-UGK.
 
I believe you can also log solo time on a student license as PIC time. Don't have access to the FAR right now, but I think that was a rule change some years ago.
61.51
(4) A student pilot may log pilot-in-command time only when the student pilot—

(i) Is the sole occupant of the aircraft or is performing the duties of pilot of command of an airship requiring more than one pilot flight crewmember;

(ii) Has a solo flight endorsement as required under §61.87 of this part; and

(iii) Is undergoing training for a pilot certificate or rating.
 
Yep, prior to 1997 or therabouts, student pilots couldn't log solo time as PIC even though they were PIC. The full citation is 61.51(e)(4).
 
Training time with a CFIS counts to your totals, but can't be used as the specific training required for the private or higher certificate or the instrument (and other) ratings. It requires an authorized instructor
and a CFIS is not authorized to provide that instruction.

Not exactly true based on the new rule change. If you are a sport pilot and are going towards the private, the training received from a CFIS may be counted toward the higher certificate.

Credit for training obtained as a sport pilot
Allows all training received from a sport pilot instructor to be credited towards a higher certificate or rating Allows training received from a sport pilot instructor on the control and maneuvering of an aircraft solely by reference to the instruments to be credited towards a private pilot certificate, provided the sport pilot instructor satisfies § 61.412

Here is the source document from the Federal Register

https://www.federalregister.gov/doc...fication-training-and-pilot-schools-and-other

61.109(I)

(l) Permitted credit for flight training received from a flight instructor with a sport pilot rating. The holder of a sport pilot certificate may credit flight training received from a flight instructor with a sport pilot rating toward the aeronautical experience requirements of this section if the following conditions are met:

(1) The flight training was accomplished in the same category and class of aircraft for which the rating is sought;

(2) The flight instructor with a sport pilot rating was authorized to provide the flight training; and

(3) The flight training included either—

(i) Training on areas of operation that are required for both a sport pilot certificate and a private pilot certificate; or

(ii) For airplanes with a VH greater than 87 knots CAS, training on the control and maneuvering of an airplane solely by reference to the flight instruments, including straight and level flight, turns, descents, climbs, use of radio aids, and ATC directives, provided the training was received from a flight instructor with a sport pilot rating who holds an endorsement required by §61.412(c).


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So, building time to your private is OK. Chandeliers and Crazy 8's don't count.
 
The holder of a sport pilot certificate may credit flight training received from a flight instructor with a sport pilot rating
So, you have to actually take the ride and get the S.P. ticket first. Then training with a baby eating, low life, sport pilot instructor scum counts.
If you get part of the way and decide to go straight for yea olde private - then that time doesn't count.
Makes sense to me.

(Kidding aside, allowing the sporty instructor time to count towards training seems like a good thing to me - it's not like learning to fly a Cub under one set of rules is any different than learning to fly a Cub under another set of rules...
And thanks for the update.)
 
Yeah - it is kinda screwy, but could be useful for a certain population.

Say you hold a Commercial Certificate with Rotorcraft Helicopter privileges. (Former Army Helo pilot for example). You could go and get Light Sport Airplane training from a CFIS, get a recommendation for a proficiency check, fly with another CFIS and get signed off. Now you have Sport privileges in an airplane without ever taking a ride from the Feds or a DPE. Then move to a real man Instructor and a 152 and all of the time counts. I also believe that you could log time flying with the CFI in the 152 as both dual received and PIC when you are the sole manipulator as you are rated then in catagory and class.


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Yeah - it is kinda screwy, but could be useful for a certain population.

Say you hold a Commercial Certificate with Rotorcraft Helicopter privileges. (Former Army Helo pilot for example). You could go and get Light Sport Airplane training from a CFIS, get a recommendation for a proficiency check, fly with another CFIS and get signed off. Now you have Sport privileges in an airplane without ever taking a ride from the Feds or a DPE. Then move to a real man Instructor and a 152 and all of the time counts. I also believe that you could log time flying with the CFI in the 152 as both dual received and PIC when you are the sole manipulator as you are rated then in catagory and class.

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Not sure if original intent, but one of the "advantages" of sport pilot was that it got pilots to the point of having something useful earlier in the cycle. Drop out rates on PPL are rather high. So the pitch is, get your sport pilot, enjoy flying some, come back and finish the PPL. This helps keep the interest (that is the theory).

Tim
 
If you get part of the way and decide to go straight for yea olde private - then that time doesn't count.
Makes sense to me.
.)


Well, a pilot in that situation would be motivated to take a checkride and get his ticket at that point to make his sport training hours count. Not sure if that was intended but it might not be such a terrible result.
 
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