On Tuesday, January 28, 2020 at 5:52:30 AM UTC-5, IADPE wrote:
Keep in mind that any flight time acquired before being rated in the aircraft is either Dual Received or Solo Time- NOT PIC. To log PIC, you must be at least a Light Sport, Recreational, or Private Pilot in that Category and Class. Flight Time in any Category and Class counts toward the Aeronautical Experience Total Flight Time requirement.

***FALSE***

Solo student pilot time ABSOLUTELY counts as PIC time, just as much as it would if he had a rating.

I believe that your interpretation of 61.51 is incomplete. You think that 61.51(e)(1) restricts PIC time to rated pilots. Yes, 61.51(e)(1) lists circumstances where those pilots with a recreational, sport, private, commercial rating can log pilot in command time. However, that is not the whole list of pilot in command logging circumstances.

You need to read all of 61.51. Read on to 61.51(e)(4). You'll find 61.51 (e)(4)(i). It reads:

(4) A student pilot may log pilot-in-command time only when the student pilot—

(i) Is the sole occupant of the aircraft or is performing the duties of pilot of command of an airship requiring more than one pilot flight crewmember;

In the case of a glider pilot, he is the sole occupant of the aircraft. He's the sole occupant of the glider. He gets to log it as PIC if he's got a current sign-off 61.51(e)(4)(ii), and is undergoing training for a rating. 61.51(e)(4)(iii)

As far as I can tell, this regulation has been written this way at least since 1978.
If you are remembering it another way, it's probably a good demonstration of the Mandela effect.
https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/lif...fect-examples/