Logging Heavy "Augmented" Crew Time

Are you the designated pilot in command, designated on the flight release by the certificate holder? Log it.

Most airlines (and employers) ask if you're the guy that "signed for the jet." If you signed the flight release and logbook as pilot in command, then you're that guy. Log it.

At the end of the day, when the FAA seeks a violation against your crew, it doesn't matter who was at the controls: you're still the pilot in command. If you have to file as ASAP report, you file it whether you were in the lav or bunk or in the left seat.

When your block time adds up toward flight time limitations, the FAA doesn't break it down by time in the bunk, lav, or hovering around the galley stealing grapes. It's block time. All of it.

14 CFR 61.51 states that the pilot in command logs the time as PIC. Clear enough.

If you're the designated pilot in command by the certificate holder, you're the "acting" pilot in command. "Acting" means the one acting as pilot in command. Under a 121 operation, that is decided by the operator and spelled out on the flight release. If two guys are flying a 172 and trading time off under the hood as sole manipulator, with the other acting as PIC...the PIC may change throughout the flight or on alternating legs, or whatever they two decide...they decide who will be acting as PIC, or in other words, who will be the acting PIC, or in other words, who will be the PIC. Under 121, that's spelled out for you. Log accordingly.

If you're the PIC of record and your crew violates a regulation or creates an incident while you're out of the cockpit, you're still on the hook, if you're listed as PIC for that flight. You own the boat. Log accordingly.

 

ASAP - 80 miles off course. Filling out the form - crew position at the time of incident - asleep in bunk. Were you the PIC on the flight? Yes.

Only get 2/3's credit for requirements on 3 man crews. Get 50% credit on 4 man crews. So they take 1/3 of the PIC time from me. Did I take 1/3 of the break time? No. I'd typically average about 1.5 hrs. Probably averaged 9 hr legs over 7-8000 hrs? They'd take 33% away from me when I probably averaged closer to 20% not in the left seat.

You can log PIC for the entire flight. As others have said it's not defined.

Guess who the call if a non-standard call has to be made? The PIC. FO's on break? Medical event, and possible diversion? "Let him sleep. If we ring the bell (divert) we'll wake him up." We pressed on...we woke him up at his regular time. "Your dad dropped....but he's okay now." Yup, his dad was the passenger.

 

How about SIC time? Log SIC time only when you’re actually in the right seat? Log all of it if you’re SIC on the release? Log no SIC if relief pilot? I assume you can always log the time generically if you’re required crew on an augmented crew.

 

No, I'm pretty sure SIC is seat time only.

The idea being the PIC of record is ultimately responsible for the flight at all times, even when out of the cockpit. That's not the case for SIC.

This is in the context of one designated PIC, teamed with multiple FO and left seat qualified IRO.

In some cases, staffing is two separate crews, each with it's own designated PIC. The crews do a formal turnover and only the on-duty PIC is responsible on his watch (and logging it).

 

Roger thanks. We typically operate one PIC and three FOs, all of which are PIC type-rated on the aircraft. I’ve been logging SIC when butt is in either front seat. One of the FOs is listed as SIC on the flight release but we routinely ignore that if a different FO needs a landing or prefers PM for the leg. We don’t need to modify the flight release for that.

 

SIC and PIC time is given fractional credit for currency, IOE, etc requirements. Two pilots = 100% each. Three pilots = 67%, four pilots = 50%. We actually could contact dispatch to give the real breakdown of seat time if we wanted. That was typically only done on IOE's when the actual seat time might matter. I'd take shorter breaks but we never bothered contacting dispatch to reduce the percentage of time the others actually sat in the seat. There's nothing, in the U.S., I've seen that talks about not logging all of the actual flight time. However PIC time does switch over if a second PIC takes over command. A relief Captain sitting in the seat while the Captain is on break is not the PIC. The real Captain could actually assign the FO to be the 'acting PIC' while he is on break instead of the relief Captain. Some companies do a mid flight change of command. At that time the PIC stops for one Captain and transfers to the other Captain. If that should occur on a regular flight we'd notify dispatch that Captain XYZ is now in command. About the only circumstances would be pilot incapacitation OR removal of the Captain by a management pilot/CKA while in flight.