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7 Answers

Logging time under the hood with safety pilot

Asked by: 2188 views Instrument Rating

Is ATC required when flying under the hood with safety pilot?

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7 Answers



  1. Kris Kortokrax on Sep 17, 2020

    It depends. If you are flying in Class B, C or D , communication with ATC is required. If you are flying under IFR (not IMC) in controlled airspace (which will almost always be the case), an IFR flight plan and communication with ATC is required.

    If you want realistic practice, you would communicate with ATC.

    If you want to avoid having to talk to ATC, instrument flying is not for you.

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  2. Mark Kolber on Sep 17, 2020

    Required? No unless, perhaps obviously, you are in communication airspace or operating under IFR.

    Good or bad idea? That depends on what you are practicing.

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  3. TJ Tzanev on Sep 17, 2020

    I just want to shoot instrument approaches for my IFR recency in VMC(with foggles) with safety pilot without VFR following(1200 in the box) in Class-E. Would the above scenario count for my IFR recency?

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  4. AV8R on Sep 17, 2020

    61.57(c) is where you find the required items for instrument currency which is
    6 instrument approaches within 6 calendar months
    Hoolding procedures and intercepting and tracking.
    How will you do that without communicating with ATC I do not know.

    I would get what’s called a local clearance to shoot approaches in the area. Request it from your ATC tower. They will give you a squawk code, and departure frequency. Then you can shoot all the approaches you want, get real holding instructions, track radials (VOR Arc) and all the required items to maintain instrument currency.

    Go read 61.57(c)!

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  5. Russ Roslewski on Sep 17, 2020

    AV8R – of course you can do all those things without communicating with ATC. What’s the issue? You’re VFR in Class E, so you can fly direct to fixes, do missed approaches and holds all you want without talking to ATC at all.

    TJ – no you do not need to talk to ATC to accomplish what you want, as long as you are outside of airspace where it is required.

    However, I will add that if you want to do this because you’re uncomfortable talking with ATC, then it would be even more worthwhile for you to give them a call, for practice. In my experience, most people who need to fly with a safety pilot to maintain currency also aren’t very proficient, and that includes ATC communication. This may or may not be you, but it holds true with most pilots I fly with.

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  6. John D Collins on Sep 17, 2020

    For approaches at towered airport, I think it is best to coordinate with approach control. However, at non towered airports, I just monitor their frequency.

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  7. Mark Kolber on Sep 17, 2020

    >>I just want to shoot instrument approaches for my IFR recency in VMC(with foggles) with safety pilot without VFR following(1200 in the box) in Class-E. Would the above scenario count for my IFR recency?

    Yes.

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