Can this be logged as a cross country for the purpose the instrument rating?

Question

Two PP-ASELs on a cross country (>50 nm) flight. The first hands the controls to the second halfway through. Can the second log his PIC time (yes, he is appropriately qualified in the cat/class) as cross country even though HE hasn't flown the flight from the orig. departure point?

Answer 1

Yes, because his PIC time is acquired during a qualifying cross-country flight.  (Read FAR 61.1(b)(3)(ii)(B):  "Cross-country time means.....time acquired during a flight....That includes a point of landing greater than 50 nautical miles from the original point....")

He need not make the flight's  takeoff or a landing.  He need only acquire his PIC time sometime during the flight.   (Read the regulation.  There is not even a reference to the takeoff).  

There need not be any agreement beforehand that he would be PIC later during the flight.  [Read FAR 61.51(e)(i)].

Answer 2

For PIC, the FAR has this:

61.51

(e) Logging pilot-in-command flight time.

   (1) A recreational, private, or commercial pilot may log pilot-in-

        command time only for that flight time during which that person--

        (i) Is the sole manipulator of the controls of an aircraft for which

            the pilot is rated;

For cross-country time, I would imagine the second pilot would need to cover the "50nm" rule for it to count as a cross-country, but I could be wrong there. I found no specific definition for "cross-country" in my quick review of the FAR, and I don't have an AIM handy.

At the very least, it appears that the second can log PIC for time flown, I'm just not sure about if it falls under "cross-country".

Cheers!

Answer 3

He can only log the time (hrs) he is the sole manipulator of the controls.

Taking the controls for  25nm does not qualify as X-country time.

For the second pilot to  log x-country , they would have  agree before the flight,the second pilot is PIC, allowing the other pilot to manipulate the controls for the first half.

though technically legal, I dont recommend doing this, you are putting your ticket on the line if the other pilot screws the pooch .

Cross-country time means --

(ii) For the purpose of meeting the aeronautical experience requirements (except for a rotorcraft category rating), for a private pilot certificate, a commercial pilot certificate, or an instrument rating, or for the purpose of exercising recreational pilot privileges (except in a rotorcraft) under §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.

Answer 4

think you would be better of letting one be a safety pilot and one under the hood

Answer 5

No, because the regulations state that for the purposes of earning the instrument rating that each cross country flight MUST HAVE A LANDING at least 50 linear miles from the point of departure. You cannot both log the landing, so you would each need to fly at least 50 miles with a landing after each leg (a minimum total of 100 miles with two landings) in order for both of you to legally log cross-country time. And no, if you both each do a landing at the destination airport, the second landing cannot be counted as cross-country since it is simply a local flight around the traffic pattern, even if it is an airport you've never been to before. Don't shortcut the system just to save money. In the end you'd just be cheating yourself.