Didn't realize that NJA was a "stepping stone". Seems to me that, if it's not, this is all academic.

 

I've got to agree with jmack of this. I was wondering this recently, and asked the AOPA legal department. Their answer was an unequivocal no. There can only be one PIC at a time, and the one that is dispatched PIC is the one that will log it. There is only one that is final authority. When I am the one manipulating the controls and dispatched SIC, I make a note of it so that I can add it up if I want to, but I even went through the motion of correcting 400+ hours of wrongly logged PIC jet time. I'm that convinced. I will also agree that NJA is not a stepping stone, but where I hope to spend the rest of my flying career. (UM, when's my interview??? )

 

jmack, that is very interesting as the FAA also has held pilot's responsible for incidents as PIC in an airplane even when they are not the designated PIC. Even going so far as to take certificate action. One example of this was in a recent AOPA issue in an instance where an instructor was flying with a certified, current and qualified pilot. The pilot proceeded to wander into some airspace or something where they shouldn't have been. Later in the flight the instructor ended up taking the controls due to the other pilot doing something or other wrong. The Feds ruled that since both pilots had handled the controls, both were going to be held culpable to the responsibilities of the PIC. Violated both of them for the airspace infraction.

I know this is a hugely grey area but I think the only way you could get in trouble is if you log time illegally for the purposes of counting that time towards a certificate or rating. Otherwise it is your book. Log it how you like, just make sure the hours establishing currency or eligibility are completely legitimate.