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3 Answers

Logging Flight Time

Asked by: 4025 views FAA Regulations, Private Pilot

If me and another private pilot go in a plane and are both licensed in single engine land and only one can be PIC. Could the other pilot still log flight time in the right seat?

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3 Answers



  1. Bryan on Apr 09, 2024

    The answer is no.

    Think of it this way–if your presence was not legally required in the aircraft, you cannot log the time. Almost all training aircraft require only one pilot to legally operate it. Thus, the person in the other seat cannot log any time at all unless some other regulation requires their presence. The two most common examples are those of safety pilot and instructor.

    A pilot can only legally go under a view limiting device when there is a safety pilot with them. In that circumstance, the presence of both pilots is required so both pilots can log the time–but only the time that the one is under the view limiting device.

    The second scenario is for instructors who may count PIC time up to 8 hours per 24 hour period regardless of who has control of the aircraft or whether the other pilot is using a view limiting device.

    There are some larger aircraft which do require multiple crew members but you typically will not encounter these in the GA environment.

    If you stick to the idea that you cannot log the time unless your presence was legally required, you’ll be much less likely to make a mistake.

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  2. Mark Kolber on Apr 11, 2024

    I can think of three situations (other than instruction) in which 61.51 says yes. Otherwise, doesn’t matter if they’re an ATP. A passenger is a passenger.

    1. The pilot in the right seat is the sole manipulator of the controls. But then the pilot in the left seat doesn’t log the time.
    2. The aircraft requires two pilots.
    3. The operation requires two pilots (such as when the pilot flying is under the hood).

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  3. Russ MacDonald on May 01, 2024

    Assuming only a single pilot is required for the aircraft, and no flight instruction is taking place, the PIC must be agreed upon before the flight takes off, and only that pilot may log PIC time.

    However, during mid-flight they can agree that the other pilot is now PIC, and then that pilot will be the only one who can log PIC.

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