Calculating the 50 miles to an airport for cross country requirements

6 Answers

1. 
   

   
   

   John D. Collins on Dec 27, 2011

   If you are referring to the requirement in 61.109 (a)(5)(ii), then no.  It reads as follows: “One solo cross country flight of 150 nautical miles total distance, with full-stop landings at three points, and one segment of the flight consisting of a straight-line distance of more than 50 nautical miles between the takeoff and landing locations“

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2. 
   

   
   

   John D. Collins on Dec 28, 2011

   Michael,

    

    

   You wrote: “I am referring to the 50 hours of cross country for IFR requirements, where cross country is defined as landing 50 nm from departure airport”.

    

   The requirement in FAR 61.65(d)(1) for 50 hours of cross country as pilot in command does not define a cross country as landing  50 NM from the departure airport. The definition is found in FAR 61.1 Applicability and definitions (a)definitions(4):

    

   Cross-country time means–

   
   (i) Except as provided in paragraphs (b)(4)(ii) through (b)(4)(vi) of this section, time acquired during a flight–

   
   (A) Conducted by a person who holds a pilot certificate;

   (B) Conducted in an aircraft;

   (C) That includes a landing at a point other than the point of departure; and

   (D) That involves the use of dead reckoning, pilotage, electronic navigation aids, radio aids, or other navigation systems to navigate to the landing point.

   
   (ii) For the purpose of meeting the aeronautical experience requirements (except for a rotorcraft category rating), for a private pilot certificate (except for a powered parachute category rating), a commercial pilot certificate, or an instrument rating, or for the purpose of exercising recreational pilot privileges (except in a rotorcraft) under Sec. 61.101(c), time acquired during a flight–

   
   (A) Conducted in an appropriate aircraft;

   (B) That includes a point of landing that was at least a straight-line distance of more than 50 nautical miles from the original point of departure; and

   (C) That involves the use of dead reckoning, pilotage, electronic navigation aids, radio aids, or other navigation systems to navigate to the landing point.

    

    

   The example you cited would not meet the 50 NM straight line distance from the point of departure.  But if you included a landing at another nearby airport that did meet the requirement, then the entire cross country would count towards the instrument rating requirement.  According to the definition in (i), anytime you land at an airport other than your departure airport, it would be considered a cross country, but according to (ii) at least one landing must be at an airport at least 50 NM straight line distance from the departure airport. As an example, assume three airports A and C that are 50 NM straight line distance from each other and an airport B that is half way between them.  If your flight consists of A to B, landing at B, then B to C, landing at C and then the opposite on the return flight landing at B and finally at A, it would meet the definition for the purpose of meeting the IFR cross country requirements, even though no single leg was more than 25 NM straight line distance.

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3. 
   

   
   

   StudentCFI on Dec 29, 2011

   What about this scenario.  You have three airports, A,B,C.  A and C are 51nm apart, but B, which you fly out of, is halfway between.  If you flew say, B-C, then C-A, and finally, A-B, is that considered a cross country, or only the C-A leg?  Thanks.

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4. 
   

   
   

   Windtee on Dec 29, 2011

   @StudentCFI,
   All legs B-C, C-A, and A-B are each individually considered cross-country legs (by FAR’s general definition).
   If you’re logging required experience towards a certificate, then only C-A counts which is 51nm.

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5. 
   

   
   

   Matthew Waugh on Jan 09, 2012

   You could certainly take Windtee’s position – but most people would not. There is another thread that talks about the “layover” problem. If you want to take advantage of the “layover loophole” and consider multiple legs all part of one flight, and thus log them all as cross-country when one airport is more than 50NM from the origination point then you can’t really flip around and use the individual leg theory for some other flights.
    
   So I would generally suggest that none of the flights are 50NM cross-country in your example. If you’re going to log them as cross-country, be prepared to defend them, and don’t be using the “multiple leg” option to log other cross-countries because you’ll never be able to defend both theories in one logbook.

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6. 
   

   
   

   Richard Westmoreland on Nov 13, 2012

   I am currently time building for my commercial license. At my flight school the word coming from some of the instructors is that, on a cross country flight, my total time cannot equal my cross country time. They are saying that cross country time is only that time spent in the air. We must take off at least .2 for ground ops.

   The only time this rule makes sense to me is when logging simulated instrument time due to not being under the hood for ground ops, but not for logging cross country time. I feel like I am being robbed 0.2 cross country every time I go flying in the schools airplanes.

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