Helicopter Flight Information

This domain is for sale. #1 in all relative searches, 12,000 views per month averaging 400 views per day!

Logging Flight Time - Helicopter Only

Although many opinions exist, this is the way it is!

PIC

Several rules apply to the logging of PIC, these are as follows: Any time you are solo, you are PIC. Anytime you are piloting (the sole manipulator of the controls) the aircraft after you have received your rating. Any time you are receiving flight instruction after you have received your rating in the category aircraft involved. You are also PIC on every checkride, even your private.

SIC

You may never log SIC unless an SIC is required. This is almost never the case except where the aircraft requires a type rating and two pilots, such as aircraft weighing more than 12,500 pounds. This is clearly defined in the FAR's by §61.51(f)(1 and 2). An example of this was a case in Florida where commercial pilots were logging SIC as they accompanied private pilots while practicing/time building.

Deriving Flight Time

Unfortunately, there are many ways to derive the time which you will log. This can be simplified by using the following rules. First you must decide the method you will use for a given aircraft. Guessing and flip-flopping methods is not a good idea as it will eventually raise a question as to your integrity, and you do not want that.

Hobbs Times - Again unfortunately, there are several different ways that a Hobbs may be rigged. The Hobbs may be activated when the collective is raised which is the method by which most helicopters are maintained. If an operator chooses to activate the Hobbs by another method, they may waste valuable maintenance hours. At the same time, an operator begins spending money the moment the starter button is activated. Due to the above facts, it is perfectly acceptable to maintain one way (the collective Hobbs), while billing and logging (flight time) another way. On some helicopters the Hobbs is activated by, the battery switch, oil pressure, or a tachometer. If you choose to log off the Hobbs rather than off the clock, you must use the indicated Hobbs time unless it is a collective activated Hobbs where you may log as stated below.

Acceptable methods of deriving at the billable and logable flight time include the following. The most common is a billing Hobbs which may be activated by the battery switch or oil pressure. Another acceptable method is multiplying 1.3 times a collective activated Hobbs (see below). Another method is clock time, where you simply set the aircraft clock at start time, and check it at shutdown. Yet another method is block-to-block time. Clock time is self explanatory the others are defined below.

Multiply the Hobbs - The multiplying of the Hobbs is an acceptable method, and through many years of timing, I have shown that during flight training, the actual clock time will be from 1.3 to 1.5 times that time indicated on a collective activated Hobbs. However if you use this multiplication method, you may only log 1.3 times the collective Hobbs. I have found that after flight training, during normal commercial flying, the actual flight time is usually about 1.2 times that indicated on a collective activated Hobbs. Ride hopping time will be similar to flight training time if there are more than 4 landings per hour. Remember however that when using the multiplication method of a collective activated Hobbs, you may only log 1.3 times that indicated, regardless of the actual flight time.

Block-to block - This is the elapsed time from that time at which the skids first break the ground or in the case of a wheel aircraft where the first movement is started, until that time when the aircraft is landed for the last time during that flight, or in the case of a wheeled helicopter when taxi is stopped.

Send email to rb@helicopterflight.net with questions or comments about this web site.
Copyright © 2003-2007 All Rights Reserved.
Last modified: 01/19/08