Originally Posted by Spooled

There is an FAA Legal Interpretation on this matter.

http://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/.../Carpenter.rtf

It doesn't matter what one FDSO says vs another.

As a required SIC, you are allowed to log instrument time, even if you are not the pilot flying. However you can only log the approaches if you were the pilot flying.

"You first ask whether it would be proper under FAR 61.51(g) for a properly qualified SIC to log instrument flight time flown during instrument conditions while serving as the SIC in Part 121 operations on an aircraft that requires two crewmembers. The answer is yes. As a qualified SIC, and as a required crewmember, you are "operating" the aircraft within the meaning of FAR 61.51(g). Therefore, as the SIC operating the aircraft "solely by reference to instruments under actual or simulated instrument flight conditions," you would log that time as SIC flown in instrument conditions. Naturally, the PIC logs the time as PIC flown in instrument conditions.

You then ask if, for the purposes of maintaining instrument currency, an instrument approach on the above flight flown by the PIC can be logged as an instrument approach by the SIC. The answer is no. As the SIC you have not "performed" the approach as contemplated by FAR 61.57(c) because you were not the sole manipulator of the controls during the approach."

Originally Posted by RJ85FO

Well, at least I am not alone then. I was in the crewroom the other day and a new hire FO was ecstatic about breaking the "double-digit" actual IFR time. He went on to remark how it is great to be flying 121 and being able to log actual time on each leg. I was left scratching my head wondering if this is a widely accepted practice or if he just didn't know the rules.

Originally Posted by Ottopilot

Now I do autolands: who logs that? The SIC is the PF until the PIC takes over and "lands". The AP does the actual approach and landing. Does the SIC log the approach and the PIC log the landing? I don't really care for an answer, but I say both pilots log both approach and landing in autolands. The company gives both pilots currency credit when doing an autoland.

Originally Posted by razorbuzz

I just logged in to thank you for the info. This is how all answer should look like, quoting official sources (FARs, links, etc.)

I update the link you provided:
https://www.faa.gov/about/office_org...rpretation.pdf

Thank you!

Originally Posted by B727DRVR

So I guess the answer is YES, an SIC who is the non-flying pilot in instrument conditions MAY log that time as actual instrument, just like they would log night time as a condition of flight. But only approaches actually flown by that pilot may be logged.

Got it...

Originally Posted by Cheese7

How do you know how much actual instrument time to log per flight? Do you just estimate how much time was spent in the clouds?