That is not correct advice. I stole the below excerpt from another site but I verified it with the regs and it's pretty clear.

A pilot may log PIC time when he/she is the sole occupant of the aircraft; is the sole manipulator of the controls of an aircraft for which the pilot is rated; or is acting as PIC where more than one pilot is required (FAR 1.1, 61.51 [e]).

Rated, by FAA interpretation, means that the pilot has the appropriate category, class, and type (if required) privileges on his/her pilot certificate for the aircraft being operated. A solo endorsement doesn't let you log anything PIC if you don't have a rating for that cat/class/type except when you are the sole occupant of the aircraft.

 

Ive had some bad information come from the local FSDO, from which I've learned to do my research before i go in and get told i cant get my TYPE rating for an S70, when the FARs clearly state that your military competency exam gets you your commercial-instrument and type rating, if applicable.

once again it comes down to interpretation i guess... but unless i have paperwork to give to the FAA I avoid the FSDO like the plague. I guess my next step is to call around to the regionals and ask if I even qualify.

 

With respect to the S70 type, they had one, then it was rescinded (circa 2006?) and then reinstated in 2012. That could have confused the FSDO. So long as you have 10 hours PIC you qualify for that type, and you can take that proof to the FSDO. They don't have a choice but to give you a new airman cert with that type rating. http://registry.faa.gov/TypeRatings/ this is their list off of their site, and SK-70 is there. If you have your ducks in a row, and have their regs handy to show them, they are generally helpful.

Generally speaking though, if you have a question about a legal interpretation of the CFRs, write the FAA legal counsel and they will publish a letter of interpretation, which becomes a legal document. You can google FAA letters of interpretation and look through some. People have questions like yours that get answered. In fact, I'd bet someone has asked some of the questions you have and received a legal interpretation back.

And your situation doesn't come down to interpretation. It is black and white. Read 61.159 and 61.160.

Sec. 61.159 — Aeronautical experience: Airplane category rating.

(a) Except as provided in paragraphs (b), (c), and (d) of this section, a person who is applying for an airline transport pilot certificate with an airplane category and class rating must have at least 1,500 hours of total time as a pilot that includes at least:
(1) 500 hours of cross-country flight time.
(2) 100 hours of night flight time.
(3) 75 hours of instrument flight time, in actual or simulated instrument conditions, subject to the following: (removed bc of length)

(4) 250 hours of flight time in an airplane as a pilot in command, or as second in command performing the duties of pilot in command while under the supervision of a pilot in command, or any combination thereof, which includes at least—
(i) 100 hours of cross-country flight time; and
(ii) 25 hours of night flight time.

61.160 lets you reduce the total time (only total time) to 750 since you are mil. Cross country time is also reduced to 200 hours instead of 500 for restricted ATPs.

Restricted ATP Minimums « Robert Chapin provides an easy to read table showing what you need.

Most regionals websites list minimums as well, including for mil restricted ATPs, which jive with all of the above. I know 5 army helo only guys in your situation who did it. We all had to get 250 airplane PIC hours. I'm not sure how there is confusion about the applicable regs/required experience when it is laid out in black and white.

 

WRONG!!

When solo'd, and one flies SOLO, one is the SOLE occupant of the aircraft: one logs PIC.

One does not need to wait until one has a private pilot certificate to log PIC.

SOLO IS PIC.

 

Yeah when solo, which is what I said. Reading your post it sounded like you were saying once you get a solo endorsement you can log everything PIC. Re-reading it I see where you said when soloing.