wyltk55

Greetings fellow pilots! I’ve been reading the forums for quite some time now, and this is my first post. Thank you for supporting this web site; it has answered countless questions and concerns of mine all the while learning and becoming enmeshed in aviation.

I received my PPL about half a year ago and I’ve since been working on my instrument rating. I have been thinking of ways to bring myself to the 250 hour mark to gain a CPL. I would like to know if you have any advice in getting there. I have considered joining a civil air patrol, purchasing a Cessna 152, gaining time as a safety pilot, and perhaps even purchasing a Challenger ultralight. My question is this: if I have 100-150 hours as a safety pilot, will my commercial checkride examiner allow this? My initial thought is no, but what about in a Challenger ultralight registered as an experimental aircraft? Is this possible? Finishing college and trying to afford the airplane rental bill is becoming quite difficult financially, and I fear it will become impossible. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Riverside

I rented a 152 and flew the living daylights out of it. I put 140 hours in it in a course of 2 1/2 months. I'm not a big fan of safety time, since people have a hard time figuring out how to log it. And plus the examiner will pay close attention to it to make sure you did it right.

rickair7777

I've never heard of using SP time to qualify for a rating. I doubt you could use a lot of it (if any) because a lot of the comm training must be dual or solo XC...SP is neither. Also you can't count landings unless you do the landing.

I don't like the idea, and I suspect many DPEs would fail any applicant who used SP time to meet aeronuatical experience requirements for a rating...especially 150 hours.

In order for an "ultralight" to qualify as airplane time, it has to be an airplane. If it is certificated as such, either under part 23 or as an experimental, it is legal to use to train for an airplane rating.

boeingt7

join a flying club for a cheap rate on the airplane and fly the hell out of it

Stryker

Unfortunately in your situation as rickair said, you need to be flying solo or with an instructor. We all realize that the costs are very high for training, but all of us had to do it, and its the only way. There is no such thing as "cheap" time when it comes to your training unfortunately.

wyltk55

I like the idea of leasing a C152 for three months or so and putting on 100-150 hours. With no flight clubs in my area, I think this would be a good alternative to paying $100+/hour like I am now.

Thank you for the valuable input.

250 or point 65

If you go to a 141 flight school, the hours required are reduced. I applied for my first CFI job with 207 total hours...

...and not because I went to "ACME Zero to Airline Pilot in Three and a Half Days School"...

but because I went to a QUALITY 141 university where it made sense to reduce the hours required.

SmoothOnTop

wyltk55,

You CAN log safety pilot time in your logbook (as a required crewmember per 91.109).

Use it for total time only, not PIC or solo.

For example:

Your logbook total hours would be 175 hours after you satisfy the PIC/Solo/CrossCountry/Night/ComplexTraining etc. hours of 61.129 ( including 3 hours in a single-engine airplane in preparation for the practical test within the 60-day period preceding the date of the checkride).

You could supplement your total time with 75 hours of 91.109 safety pilot time to reach the 250 total requirement.

250 or point 65

Wrong. See the other thread I started. A safety pilot can absolutely log PIC.

Techically, 61.51 (b) describes what NEEDS to be logged. It does not say anything about what does not or cannot be logged. So if i go run around in circles with my arms out pretending to be an airplane, I can log that in MY logbook. It just doesn't count for anything meaningful (except entertaining the neighbors).

SmoothOnTop

Ouch!

I don't recall writing that you could not log it that way : I suggested not logging it as PIC or solo (obvious).

As far as the PIC goes, it is my very humble opinion that pilots gain valuable experience when they fly single pilot cross country, night and yes, instruments.