Safety pilot requirements

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sballmer

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I just saw this new interpretation, which is only two weeks old:
http://www.faa.gov/about/office_org...0/interpretations/data/interps/2013/Beaty.pdf

So what does that change? I vaguely remember an older interpretation that required an IR for the safety pilot during IFR flight in VMC with a view limiting device. Is that off the table now? (I.e. did common sense win?)

Also, to complete the topic:
1) Does a safety pilot need a current flight review? (I couldn't find any reference to that in the FARs, nor did I find it discussed anywhere. But I did encounter this situation recently.)
2) Does a safety pilot need a current medical?
 
The old rule was that if you were an SIC under IFR (rules, not conditions), then you needed to be Instrument rated and current.

That's still the case.

What this changes is that a SP is no longer considered to be SIC, and as such, is exempt from that rule.
 
sballmer said:
1) Does a safety pilot need a current flight review? (I couldn't find any reference to that in the FARs, nor did I find it discussed anywhere. But I did encounter this situation recently.)
Click to expand...
Read 61.56, the only rule requiring a flight review, and you'll see that rule only applies to PIC's. So, if the safety pilot is also functioning as PIC, then the safety pilot must have a current flight review, but not otherwise.
2) Does a safety pilot need a current medical?
Click to expand...
Yes. 61.23 says you need at least a Third Class medical to exercise Private Pilot privileges in powered aircraft, and 91.109(c) says you need a Private or better to act as a safety pilot. Put it together, and you're exercising Private privileges when acting as safety pilot (whether you're also acting as PIC or not), so you must have a medical valid at Third Class or better when acting as safety pilot.
 
Ron Levy said:
Read 61.56, the only rule requiring a flight review, and you'll see that rule only applies to PIC's. So, if the safety pilot is also functioning as PIC, then the safety pilot must have a current flight review, but not otherwise.
Yes. 61.23 says you need at least a Third Class medical to exercise Private Pilot privileges in powered aircraft, and 91.109(c) says you need a Private or better to act as a safety pilot. Put it together, and you're exercising Private privileges when acting as safety pilot (whether you're also acting as PIC or not), so you must have a medical valid at Third Class or better when acting as safety pilot.
Click to expand...

Makes sense, and as I expected, but I couldn't point to the right FARs. Thanks for summarizing it.
 
Ron Levy said:
Read 61.56, the only rule requiring a flight review, and you'll see that rule only applies to PIC's. So, if the safety pilot is also functioning as PIC, then the safety pilot must have a current flight review, but not otherwise.
Click to expand...

A follow-up on this, regarding logging:
If the safety pilot (private pilot with appropriate category and class ratings, but no IR) cannot act as PIC (e.g. he has no flight review), he
- cannot log PIC (61.51(e)(1))
- but can log SIC time (61.51(f)), even if the flight is IFR in VMC.
( because under the new interpretation 61.55 does not apply and an IR is no longer needed for that operation).

Did I get this right now?
 
sballmer said:
A follow-up on this, regarding logging:
If the safety pilot (private pilot with appropriate category and class ratings, but no IR) cannot act as PIC (e.g. he has no flight review), he
- cannot log PIC (61.51(e)(1))
- but can log SIC time (61.51(f)), even if the flight is IFR in VMC.
( because under the new interpretation 61.55 does not apply and an IR is no longer needed for that operation).

Did I get this right now?
Click to expand...
Yup..
 
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