Helicopter Flight Information
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Helicopter Flight Information |
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Logging Flight Time - Helicopter OnlyAlthough many opinions exist, this is the way it is!PIC Several rules apply to the logging of PIC, they 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 even if you are receiving instruction whether or not it is for a rating. You are also PIC on every checkride, even your private. SIC You may never log SIC unless an SIC is required by aircraft type certificate. This is almost never the case unless the aircraft is over 12,500 lbs gross weight and requires two pilots by certification. 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. A DPE caught this in their logbooks during a review for a further rating. Deriving Flight Time The single best method of deriving your flight time is a good old fashioned watch! It just doesn't get any simpler than that. The problem is though, most people forget to write down the time when they lift, and when they land. What do the regulations say (Part One): Flight time means: (1) Pilot time that commences when an aircraft moves under its own power for the purpose of flight and ends when the aircraft comes to rest after landing Note that it does not state, 'that Hobbs time', does it? NO! It states 'that time'. 'That time', best comes from a device that records the actual time to the most reasonable degree of accuracy. That my friend, would be a watch! The bottom line when it comes to logging flight time, is that you must make an honest attempt to log your flight time as close as reasonably accurate. I would not want to exaggerate my flight time, it is just not worth it. On the other hand, you don't want to simply not record that flight time that you actually make either. This can be simplified by using the following rules. 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 - 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, or oil pressure, or a tachometer. If you choose to log off the Hobbs rather than off the clock, you should use the indicated Hobbs time unless it is a collective activated Hobbs where you may log as stated below. Multiply the Hobbs - The multiplying of the Hobbs is an acceptable method during flight training. Through many years of verifying these times, 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 should only log 1.3 times the collective Hobbs. I have found that 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. 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.
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