Does sim time count for total time?
 

For the commercial requirements you need 250 total time. However they allow 50hrs in an approved flight training device.

How much time can I count towards my total time in a flight training device? Or can I?

I know I can count up to 25 hours for the instrument time, however I can not find where it gives the exception for the total time.

Excellent question.

Unless it is a class D sim, which is not what you are asking about, sim time is only logged as sim time. No total, SE, ME, day, night, complex or any other category or class that might apply.

A class D sim is a type of sim you only find at airlines and probably a training center like flight safety.

I know how difficult and expensive it is to get those first hours. But sim time isn't going help out for you with total time.

I was just updating my logbook and realized that I had logged my last two recurrents in a Class D sim as Sim, dual received, and total (and landings).
Do you agree with this?

A class D sim is no different than flying the actual airplane in the eyes of the FAA. Dual received is only necessary if it is required by part 61 for the rating. By the time one would get to a class D sim they should have already have their ratings that required dual received to earn those ratings. Dual received is commonly logged incorrectly but it really does not matter whether you do or not. There is no extra credit given on the amount of dual received that might be in your log book.

In addition to your total time you could log it as ME, night, day or even actual instrument if you are simulated being in restricted visibility conditions.

Legal or not, I personally don't log level D sim time as anything other than "sim". I also don't bother logging the approaches or landings in my actual logbook.

I have separated out FTD time (no motion) in a separate column.

I don't either. But it is legal to do so if you wish. If your ambitions is to fly for an airline I would take the conservative approach and not log class D sim time as total time. But I am conservative like that and wouldn't want anything to be questioned that didn't need to be. Being on the interviewer side of things I can see what might seem to be little things actually turn into a possible issue.

I have all my sims logged as sim. However, my question is, "Does the 1200 rule allow you to use any sim time?" If I have 1150 total time and 50 hours of sim time to equal 1200.

It requires 75 hours of instrument "atleast 50 hours in actual flight". So this exception seems to allow instrument sim time. However, can I use any part of my sim time to add to my total time.

In my case I guess it would be easy enough to calculate out of my times if it were ever a factor. I did log it as dual received though just based on the fact that it was required training for P135, though as you mentioned I already have all the ratings and such. Thanks all for the advice and input.

Sims can help meet requirements of time but it will not give you total flight time. For example, 200 hours of airplane flight time and 50 hours of simulator. You can meet the requirements for the exam but in no way do you have 250 total flight time. Everyone that counts in the industry... Ie FAA, NTSB, Insurance Companies, and people hiring you don't care about how much simulator time you logged if your name comes across their desk. They want to know your total actual flight time. Log FTD/Sim as it is and not total flight time.

If your logbook is the same as a lot of them, it might even say "total flight time" but unfortunately I can't point it out in a black and white regulation. But you can log them for currency IFR, landings if the simulator is a high enough level but don't forget, most simulators, FTD's to log time in them for currency require an instructor giving dual. Some of the new redbird desktop ones do not require Dual Received. A simulator/FTD has FAA approved paperwork and this paperwork will answer what you can and can't do with/without and instructor and if you can help "meet the requirements" of an exam/log currency.

On the Part 135 requirements for 1200 hours... The requirement does state "1200 hours of flight time as a pilot" so I would not count simulator time ever towards that.

I agree....except I do log the approaches and landings as they are valid for currency. (Level D of course)

Unless it is a class D sim, which is highly unlikely, then no. That 25 hour of instrument sim time you have illustrated does not go towards total time either.

Definitely allowed to log approaches and landings. I just don't bother personally since I dont need them for currency and the training record I receive has them detailed in the event I need to show them to the FAA.

The aeronautical experience requirements for the private, commercial and ATP all list what sim/FTD time you can credit towards their requirements. Since you say "1200 hour rule" I'm guessing you mean 135.243(c)(2). That reg also allows credit for non-aircraft time towards the 75 instrument time requirement. Since the other regs state what sim/FTD time counts and 135.243 gives credit for non-aircraft time for one requirement, given that 135.243 does not give sim/FTD credit for the total time requirement, I'd say no, you need 1200 hours logged time in an aircraft that has left the surface of the earth to be PIC under 135.

Thanks that answered my question!

Great Thread
 

All responses in this thread are good and I agree. HercDriver130 is correct about approaches and landings for currency. When an air carrier has relief pilots in international operations, it's possible to lapse on landing currency and in that case, a Level D simulator meets the FAA requirements for the 3 take-offs and landings. Also as a sim instructor, this is how we maintained "currency" when we spent long periods of time in the box.

Happy New Year to all.:)