"Bob" wrote in message
...
1) I keep my plane in a hangar at an airport more than 50
nm from the airport nearest my home. I decide to fly it
home for a week (1 hr), and tie it down. I fly locally for
that week (5 hrs), then back to my hangar airport (1 hr).
How much of that can I log as XC time usable for a rating?


You can log whatever you think of as a flight.

2) I decide to take a long multi-day trip. Most days I fly
far more than 50 nm (25 hrs). Some days I fly "locally" to
see the sights and return to the same airport (10 hrs) that
is more than 50 nm from home. Some days I make only a
little progress and land less than 50 nm from the airport of
the previous day, but much farther than 50 nm from my hangar
airport (5hrs). How much of that can I log as XC time
usable for a rating?

None of it. If you don't land at another airport, it is not a cross country.
If the other airport is not a straight line distance of 50 nm from the
airport of departure, it doesn't count for most ratings. Theoretically, it
is possible to fly the 150 nm cross country with landings at three airports
for private pilot without ever getting more than 50 nm from the original
airport of departure, but that is a little ridiculous.