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3 Answers

Logging PIC and SIC in different portions of the flight?

Asked by: 2109 views FAA Regulations, General Aviation, Instrument Rating, Private Pilot

Here's the scenario:  Two flight instructors go flying together to conduct 4 instrument approaches in VMC in a single engine aircraft.  Both pilots are legal and qualified to act as PIC for the flight.  The first two approaches are completed by pilot "A" while wearing a view limiting device while pilot "B" is the safety pilot.  After pilot "A" completes the second approach, pilot "B" puts on the view limiting device and pilot "A" becomes the safety pilot. 

My question is:  During the first half of the flight, pilot "A" is PIC (sole manipulator of the flight controls).  Is it legal for pilot "A" to log SIC (required crew member for the flight) for the second half while acting as the safety pilot. 

Total time for flight 2.0.  1.0 PIC/1.0 SIC.  May not be the best way to log it, just curious if it's legal or not. 

Asking for a friend....

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3 Answers

  1. Best Answer


    Mark Kolber on Jan 29, 2019

    Sure. But I’m not sure I understand why your “friend” wants to know this. Why bother with SIC time at all in this scenario?

    You say they are both qualified and capable to act as PIC. If that’s the case why not agree the pilot with eyes to the outside is the one acting as PIC. That way, they both log PIC time for most of the flight. The Pilot Flying logs PIC as sole manipulator; the Pilot Not Flying (the safety pilot) logs PIC as a required pilot while the Flying Pilot is under the hood.

    A friend and I did this for years.

    BTW, you *don’t* say this was na instructional flight. If that’s the case, whether one or both are CFIs is irrelevant to your question.

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  2. Matt B on Jan 29, 2019

    Mark Kolber: Right, I knew both could log PIC at the same time for the whole flight, just didn’t know if you could switch back and forth between PIC and SIC in the same flight. And yes the fact that two instructors were flying is irrelevant to the scenario. Not an instruction flight, just a proficiency flight. Thanks for the clarification!

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  3. Mark Kolber on Jan 30, 2019

    There are a few regs which say switching can’t be done *in specific types of operations*. For example, 91.1031, dealing with fractionals says “The pilot in command, as designated by the program manager, must remain the pilot in command at all times during that flight.”

    Other than those few, nothing prohibits change of roles. The more cynical would also point to FAA certificate actions in which the FAA said the roles changed even if the pilots didn’t intend it.

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