Need to Build Time in Houston Area!

J

J. Taylor Stanley

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Jul 12, 2018
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Taylor Stanley
I am flying out of Pearland Regional with Coastal Skies aviation. I need to build about 50-60 hours to get to through my commercial. I am about 3/4 of the way through my IFR and have the required Cross Country and hood time, so I just need total time now. Looking for someone who either needs a safety pilot, or would like to be one. Either way, we can split the cost right down the middle. If you need to get your 50 Cross Country (you'll have to be under the hood to log it as Cross Country) to finish your IFR, or 250 total to finish out your commercial (what I need), shoot me a PM. I can be available almost any time with a day or two notice. Although I will take anything, I would really like to do some fairly long cross countries of about 3 hours each way. We can go to New Orleans, or Destin, grab lunch and come back. Bring your spouse or bf/gf if you want. We can even do it in the Arrow if you are checked out (I got my endorsement today) and need to build up your 10 hours for you commercial. It could be pretty cheap way to log some time if we split the cost right down the middle. If you are local and aren't a member, it is 160ish to sign up and 35 a month after that. They have a pretty good selection of aircraft and their rates are reasonable. Shoot me a message! I am ready to fly tomorrow!
 
If I had the available time off, I'd be willing to come down and help you knock out 50 hours and more within a week.

For "missions to fly", look into Angel Flight South Central, http://www.angelflightsc.org/pilots/become-a-pilot

There are many missions between Dallas and Houston that go unfilled, so they can always use more mission pilots.

And go find Wade Roberts from Pearland. He does many, many Pilots n Paws missions from Pearland and can get you going with that.

Also, reach out to Pat Brown, the AOPA You Can Fly ambassador for Texas. He is based at KIWS and is a good starting node for a strong pilot network.


Finally, if you find yourself up this way with your airplane, reach out and I will fly with ya for time building.
 
How do I send a PM?
I have a coastal skies membership and need hood time!
(also got a plane at AXH)
 
I am in a similar situation looking to get from my current 180 hours up to the CPL 250 but I am in Pennsylvania. I am also looking for suggestions in building some time. Looks like being a safety pilot for IFR might be helpful to build some hours. Any other ideas?

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Adam Conrad said:
I am in a similar situation looking to get from my current 180 hours up to the CPL 250 but I am in Pennsylvania. I am also looking for suggestions in building some time. Looks like being a safety pilot for IFR might be helpful to build some hours. Any other ideas?

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk
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The only real way to get cheaper costs is to either be a safety pilot, or get someone else to be one. You both get to log it as PIC, the only issue is for people who just have a PPL, and need to get that cross country time, they have to be under the hood, with you as the safety pilot. If the plane they are flying is complex or HP, you will need those endorsements as well. I have my complex, but no HP (don't have one in our club to get check out in). If you have a friend with a plane who wants to go buy a hamburger, you can do that and split the fuel. But only one of you can log the time.
 
J. Taylor Stanley said:
The only real way to get cheaper costs is to either be a safety pilot, or get someone else to be one. You both get to log it as PIC, the only issue is for people who just have a PPL, and need to get that cross country time, they have to be under the hood, with you as the safety pilot. If the plane they are flying is complex or HP, you will need those endorsements as well.
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Not correct. You just need to have a valid medical, and a private pilot certificate with category and class ratings appropriate to the aircraft being flown. Nothing In the rule says endorsement

See §91.109 (c)(1)

https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?node=14:2.0.1.3.10#se14.2.91_1109
 
I thought that also, and it is true to ACT as a safety pilot, but in order to log it as PIC you have to have those endorsements.
 
J. Taylor Stanley said:
I thought that also, and it is true to ACT as a safety pilot, but in order to log it as PIC you have to have those endorsements.
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Not according to the DPE who gave me both PPL and Instrument checkrides. I asked him specifically, because I was looking for safety pilots for my Mooney. Both log PIC, safety pilot only needs PPL and medical.
 
https://www.aopa.org/training-and-s...-cross-country-time/logging-time-safety-pilot

The article states among other things:

Second-in-command time may be logged if not acting as PIC.
  • Usually the case if the safety pilot cannot act as PIC. An example might be when the safety pilot is not endorsed for the particular airplane (such as in a high-performance aircraft).
and
  • High-performance aircraft. AOPA has a letter of interpretation that states when the safety pilot is not the acting PIC, a high-performance "sign-off" is not required. However, some FAA divisions may interpret the regulations differently. Prudence suggests that the safety pilot be endorsed for high-performance aircraft and thoroughly familiar and current in the aircraft.

I had thought that I could log it PIC. I had several CFI tell me different. I'm calling the FSDO tomorrow hopefully. The way it was explained, and it concurs with the AOPA document above. I can log it for total time as SIC, but because I am not endorsed in the plane I cannot act as PIC. You do not have to be PIC to act as a safety pilot. But because all I need for the Commercial is 250 hours total, the time as a safety pilot without PIC is still valuable to me. I'll check back when I get a definitive answer from the FSDO
 
According to AOPA, they have even gotten push back just logging it not as PIC, and suggest everyone get the proper endorsements. It should not be this difficult just to know what is legal to log and what isn't. I would hate to spend all the time and some DPE having a bad day decide my time didn't count.
 
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