Logbook Questions
 

Regarding logbook entries, I was wondering about the following:

1) Does FTD time (simulator) count towards total time when filling out an application or flight time grid?

2) When acting as a CFI with a student, should you log the landings done during that flight?

No and no.

Don't log FTD time as total time. Some full motion sims can be logged, but the landings can only be logged in level D. Most airlines will not accept simulator time towards your total time though, so be ready to subtract it from your total when applying for jobs.

When flight instructing, only log the landings when you are controlling the airplane, not the ones when the student controls it. If you have to take the controls to avoid an accident or hard landing, then you could probably log it, but it's a grey area.

If the sim time is signed off, sure it counts towards TT. I count my IFR sim time and full motion sim time (all signed off) towards my TT. If the airlines don't want that time, it's all dandy. That's their politcal agenda.

Not sure about the CFI thing but I would think you can log the landings since you're giving instruction. I know my last instructor did.

The industry standard is to not count sim time in your total time column on your resume. You are wrong by doing so and if you use that time to meet the mins to get an interview and it is figured out, you'll probably be sent home until you get the required flight hours. Don't confuse FAA acceptability towards ratings with airline requirements. As far as your CFI, he is wrong too. Do you also log those landings? Only one person can land the airplane, plain and simple.

I talked to him about this last night and he said he logged the landings but put a circle around the number to distiguish who landed/who didn't. A circle around the number of landings that day indicated that the student landed the plane.

Like I said, if the airlines don't want that sim time counted towards TT, that's their agenda and fine by me.

It's not their "political agenda". They own the football, and if you want to play you need to do it by their rules. I would caution you not to send out resumes which include sim time in your total time...that's not how it's done in this industry, and when they find out they will kick you to the curb for exaggerating your qualifications. You will NOT be given the opportunity to explain yourself or "educate" the recruiter on the FAR's...you will simply be gone.

You also CANNOT log landings unless you were the SOLE manipulator of the controls. Watching (or even helping) a student clearly does not count.

Well, you can "log" anything you want but if it doesn't really count for anything it will just confuse examiners and potential employers.

I know I know....I was just being a stubborn hard ass. I don't inlcude my sim time in TT when sending in an application. I've got rocks in my head but I'm not stupid. :D But in my logbook, yes, the sim time is towards my TT because it's signed off and it's legal to do so. But again, when I sent in my apps, never did. But oddly enough, when I got a random call from MAG, the young lady on the phone asked me if I had any sim time from AJT or misc training. I told her I had some and she told me it was a plus in the interview. :confused: Never found out if it was though.

The post after the one you responded to clarified the landings as a CFI. I was actually not certain of this either and glad it came up b/c I'll be a CFIing myself.

I count FTD time as instruction and simulated instrument time, but not as total time. FTD time can count up to like 40 or 50 hours of simulated instrument time towards your INST and COMM, but it won't go towards TT. Like said before, you can log the hours spent at taco bell eating bean burritos as TT, but if you're caught, it could be a negative experience. I'm not a commercial pilot yet though, so all my info comes just from reading the FAR's.

I don't count the FTD time toward my total. I also don't log the IFR training I give as dual given in my logbook either.

I've logged all of my landings as a CFI so far, but stopped this morning.

Should I white out the previous numbers, or just leave it as is??

Logging landings is just to keep track of currency requirements. Log the landings as a CFI if you want! It's not against FARs.

For my own benefit, why aren't you logging the IFR training as dual given? You're a II aren't you? Why not log it as dual given if you're giving instruction? I would!!

edit: I checked out part 61.51 and there is nothing there that says anything about logging landings. It seems to be more of an individual preference because it's not against FARs to log landings as an instructor from what I see. When you are giving instruction, you are PIC and I would think you can and should log those landings. The FAA isn't 100% clear on what you CAN'T log. If you're A$$ is in a flying aparatus (PIC or dual rec), log that time!! In regards to FTD and Sim counting towards total time, I asked the captain about this and he said United never sepatated the Sim time from his TT. Wasn't even an issue. My full motion sim time is signed off and I include that in my TT. I haven't done that on my apps but I should and I will when I apply again next year. I know plenty of people that did that and they still got the job. The airlines are not going to turn their backs on you if you counted your sim time in your TT, they'll just tell you they don't except that, subract it and move on with the rest of the interview.