Here’s a good question concerning logging of pilot time that I received from Don:

Can one log time as a safety pilot? If so, under what heading, eg, PIC, or a separate category “safety pilot“? Thanks.

First a quick review.

A “safety pilot” is a required flight crew member when another pilot is flying under simulated or actual instrument conditions in order to meet the IFR recency requirements of 14 CFR 61.57.  FAR 61.57 requires that in order to file and fly on a IFR flight plan you have to be instrument current, which means that within the past 6 months you have logged 6 approaches, holding and intercepting and tracking procedures.  If for some reason, those 6 months pass, the pilot has another six month grace period in which he can fly with a safety pilot under simulated instrument conditions in order to become fully instrument current again.  In simulated instrument conditions the pilot wears a view limiting device that blocks the pilot’s view of the outside world so that he can only see the instrument panel (we call them foggles).  This can present a problem for other airplanes as the flying pilot is unable to see where he is going!  The FAA found a solution to this problem by creating the safety pilot.  A safety pilot is simply that, someone who looks out for other airplanes (safety) while the other pilot is flying blind “under the hood”.

Instrument Training Glasses “Foggles”

So how do you log time flown as a safety pilot?

Because you are a required crew member when flying with a pilot under simulated instrument conditions the FAA allows you to log this time as SIC or second-in-command (61.51(g)).   If you agree to be the “acting” PIC you and the other pilot could both record the time as PIC but only when the other pilot is under the hood and the other pilot is the “sole manipulator of the flight controls.”   In order to be the “acting PIC” you will have to make sure that you meet the full PIC requirements for that flight and aircraft, which will include any necessary medical, category, class, type, recency and ratings requirements.

Don’t forget!  If you use a safety pilot to gain instrument currency the FAA requires that you record the name of the safety pilot in your logbook.

As always…fly safe!

I received an outstanding question this afternoon concerning instrument approach visibility minimums from Michael.  His question went something like this:

I’m looking at the RNAV (GPS) Z Runway 31 at McNary Field in Salem, Oregon (SLE) and I can’t make sense of the minimum visibility requirements of the approach.   Why is it that the visibility requirements for the LNAV only are so low?  On this particular approach the required visibility for the LNAV only is 2400 RVR or about a 1/2 mile.  That doesn’t make any sense!  I wouldn’t be able to descend from a MDA of 940 with only 1/2 mile of visibility!  Can you help shed some light on it?

Like I said mentioned before Michael, great question.  Let’s take a look at the RNAV Z RWY 31 approach into SLE.  For those who are interested, you can view a copy of the approach plate from EchoPlate:

Maybe at some point we’ll go over the terms and definitions of this approach plate a little more throughly, but for now, I’m going to try and just answer your question about the confusing visibility requirements.

Why are the visibility requirements so low for the MDA on the LNAV only approach?

The reason is the differences in the physical location of the Missed Approach Point (MAP) between the different approach types authorized for this approach.  Take a look at the MAP for the LNAV only approach and then compare it to the MAP for the LNAV/VNAV approach.   I have highlighted in red the locations of these two different MAPs in the illustration above.  For the LNAV only, the MAP is basically the start of the runway.  If you reach this MAP without having 2400 RVR AND you don’t meet the requirements of 14 CFR 91.175 then you must begin the missed approach procedure.  For the LPV approach and the LNAV/VNAV approach, the MAP corresponds with the DA which is most likely going to be physically further from the runway thus the higher visibility requirements.

Now you bring up an interesting point about the practicality of this approach.  Let’s say you are at a MDA of 940 and suddenly you have the airport environment and the required min. visibility, so you should “chop and drop” in right?  Well, let’s read 91.175 again.  14 CFR 91.175 says that in order to operate below MDA you have to be:

In a position from which a descent to a landing on the intended runway can be made at a normal rate of descent using normal maneuvers

So it may very well be that you have the required visibility before the MAP and you still have to execute a missed approach simply because you are not in a condition that you’ll be able to make it to the runway surface using safe and normal maneuvers.

I hope this clarifies things for you Michael.  If you have any other questions, feel free to comment on the this post and I’ll do my best to find an answer for you.

If anyone else has questions about the terms used in this explanation, feel free to ask me a question about which term you are confused about.

Thanks again for your question and ….

Fly Safe!

Woke up this morning and saw that I got a question concerning requirements for the instrument written test:

Can I take an IFR written test without any endorsement? I am thinking of flying to Florida for the IFR training on G1000 equipped aircraft but if possible they recommend already having passed the knowledge test.

Well, kind of.  You are required to have either a authorized instructor’s endorsement or a training record endorsement.  So you could take a home study course like the ones offered by King or Sporty’s or another school.  When you complete the home study course they will send you a training record certificate that you can present to a testing center like CATS to take on your test.  According to 14 CFR 61.65 paragraph (a) the person applying for an instrument rating must “receive and log ground training from an authorized instructor or accomplish a home study course of training” and “receive a logbook or training record endorsement certifying.  The only time you don’t need an endorsement for a instrument rating is if you are adding a instrument rating to your flight instructor certificate. 

A recommended link here.  I would recommend taking a look at the FAA testing matrix as well to know how many questions will be on the test and what the required passing grade will be.   The instrument rating is 60 questions with a passing grade of 70%.  FAA Testing Matrix.