CFI hours count towards 121 limitations?
 

Greeetings,

Just wondering that if I CFI on my days off from working at a Regional, if those hours count against my 100hr/month 1000hr/year limitation? I still want to do some CFIing on the side to keep my skills sharp in General Aviation.

Be careful most airlines prohibit you from doing any outside flying for hire on your days off. Make sure you check your companies policies.

Plus if you can't stay sharp flying a jet 4 to 5 days a week then you shouldn't be in this industry.

121 flying doesn't keep GA skills sharp.

Pretty sure it counts. I'm no expert as I fly Part 135 (although thinking of making the switch to Part 121), but we have a similar limitation with 135.276 (500 per quarter/800 per two consecutive quarters/1400 per year). This includes all commercial (i.e. for hire or compensation) flying. Although, I know plenty of guys that pick up outside contract work as hitting the 135 limits is a lot of flying. As the old saying goes, what you do in your off time is yours to do so long as you don't get caught.

121.471 Flight time limitations and rest requirements: All flight crewmembers.
(a) No certificate holder conducting domestic operations may schedule any flight crewmember and no flight crewmember may accept an assignment for flight time in scheduled air transportation or in other commercial flying if that crewmember's total flight time in all commercial flying will exceed—

(1) 1,000 hours in any calendar year;

(2) 100 hours in any calendar month;

(3) 30 hours in any 7 consecutive days;

(4) 8 hours between required rest periods.

It counts. Depending on your airline, you may be able to get a waiver that allows you to fly commercially outside of the airline, as long as you prioritize your airline flying first, and ensure legality. At least this is how my airline was in the mid-2000s, not sure if it's still the case.

So much bad advice here.

Then give some good.

I would ask the Chief Pilot, however it's typically frowned upon. I occasionally do a Biennial Flight review but that's about it. If you have an airspace violation or anything while you are instructing it could affect your ability to fly for a 121 carrier and that could be grounds for termination.

The good advice was given in the second post in the thread in the form of an FAA interpretation.

If you're flying under 121 rest rules, it counts. If you're under 117 rules then only flying for an air carrier or 91K program counts.

As many have noted already, company policies are often more restrictive than 117 in this area.