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4 Answers

Logging Simulated Instrument When Not Current

Asked by: 7187 views , ,
FAA Regulations, Instrument Rating

I am an instrument rated pilot who would like to practice instrument procedures before an upcoming IPC. Is it legal to log PIC simulated instrument along with approaches and holds with a safety pilot when out of currency?

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4 Answers



  1. John D. Collins on Jul 06, 2011

    If by currency, you mean IFR currency as defined in 61.57 (c), yes, you may fly with a  safety pilot and act as PIC and log PIC for the time you are the sole manipulator of the controls, but you must remain in VMC conditions and operate under VFR rules. 

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  2. Micah on Jul 06, 2011

    Simulated instrument flight can mean a lot of things, but you don’t have to fly sim/hood on an IFR flight plan. You can go up on a VFR clearance/flight plan and request the approaches you want to fly. You may request “VFR approaches” or may be required to readback “maintain VFR” after you accept clearance to fly the approach, but like John says, you don’t need to be instrument current to fly an approach in VFR conditions on a VFR flight plan. IFR currency is only required to act as PIC on an instrument flight plan or in IMC.

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  3. Matthew Waugh on Jul 06, 2011

    The fundamental point is that there is a difference between LOGGING PIC and ACTING as PIC. Sometimes you can log PIC but not be legal to act as PIC, and sometimes you can act as PIC but not be legal to log it.
     
    You can LOG PIC if you are the sole manipulator of the controls of a yada, yada, yada. You can’t ACT as PIC under IFR, but you can under VFR even if you are under the hood (which is not related to logging).

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  4. Jason on Jul 06, 2011

    Thank you both for your input. The answer seems obvious, but I’ve never flown with a safety pilot and just wanted to double check.

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