WEACLRS

Nick - I'm very comfortable with the anwsers we came up with in the Commercial Checkride thread. Then again while I enjoy these discussions, I always take them with a gain of salt, so-to-speak!

14 CFR Part 61.51(e) Logging pilot-in-command flight time states under (1) "a recreational, private, or commercial pilot may log pilot-in-command time only for that flight time during which that person - (i) is the sole manipulator of the controls of an aircraft which the pilot is rated; ..."

14 CFR Part 61.51(f) Logging second-in-command flight time states "a person may may log second-in-command time only for that flight time during which that person: (1) is qualified in accordance with the second-in-command requirements of 61.55 of this part, and occupies a crewmember station in an aircraft that requires more than one pilot by the aircraft's type certificate; or (2) holds the appropriate category, class, and instrument rating (if an instrument rating is required for the flight) for the aircraft being flown, and more than one pilot is required under the type certification of the aircraft or the regulations under which the flight is being conducted."

I've bolded the important stuff. You are a commercial, multiengine, instrument rated pilot. So you can log the time you were sole manipulator of the controls as PIC time and Total Duration of Flight. In your example say the flight was 2.0 hours and you controled the takeoff, enroute portion, and landing (your leg to fly). If it was small airports I think you can reasonable log 1.9 hours (of the 2.0 total) as PIC and Total Duration of Flight. At larger airports you might have to log say 1.8 as PIC and Total Duration of Flight to allow for longer taxis.

The aircraft you were flying does not require two pilots by type certification of the aircraft (regardless of insurance requirements - the regs make no mention of "insurance"). Therefor the aircraft doesn't need a SIC. You can't legally log SIC time in that aircraft and an astute examiner of your logbook (say an airline interview - it's a red flag) might ask some polite questions about it. You would need to have a specific deviation from the FAA Admimistrator (or her designee) for the regulation. I think (don't know for sure) that that is what AirNet and others of the same ilk have through their FAA Op Specs for their operations.

Last, airlines will allow multiengine sole manipulator PIC time in your Total Duration of Flight column, in your Multiengine Land (or Sea) column, but they are going to pull it out of your PIC totals because they typically hold us to the definition of Pilot In Command as stated in Part 1.1. There are two different types of "pilot-in-command" in the regulations - one for logging flight time (under part 61.51) and another (part 1.1) for definition of command of the aircraft.

Randal

you can most certainly log any time you spend in the right seat as either P2 or SIC, and add this time towards your total time.

Conair

Weaclrs, I agree with you 100 percent. The regs are clear on this. People should not get confused between loggable time per FAR's and insurance requirements. They are two different things.

nick@FL350

Thanks for the help guys. I kind of knew the answer, but I didn't want to hear it because it's already in the books. In my opinion the FAR'S need to be changed in this area. I have some time in a few jets and believe me, those Merlins are 3 times harder to fly then the jets. There is so much stuff going on in those planes that I feel it's just wrong to allow one pilot to operate them, unless that is your an ace with 2,000 hrs in type. Just my 2 cents though,