On Fri, 3 Dec 2004 14:19:59 +0000 (UTC), (Paul
Tomblin) wrote:

I want to go fly some approaches (and a hold) on Sunday. I know from
experience that it's likely that the ceilings will be too high to do any
meaningful approaches in IMC, but high enough that I might be in IMC
during the vectors to the approach or at the hold. I figured I could take
along a safety pilot, and then when I break out on the approach tell him
he's acting PIC while I put on my foggles and complete the approach, and
then when we go back into the clouds on the missed take off the foggles
(or not) and become PIC again.

Has anybody else done this? Is it smart? Safe? Legal?

Why do you want the safety pilot to become PIC?

There is no requirement for him to do so.

I think the "smart" thing would be to have one PIC for the entire flight.

If the safety pilot is instrument rated and current, then it could be him.
If the safety pilot is not instrument rated and current, then you would
have to terminate your IFR clearance when you became legal VFR and resume
it when the weather conditions became less than legal VFR. It sounds like
an awful lot of coordination between you, your safety pilot and ATC.

So I've never done it; I don't believe it is smart; and I doubt you could
get the necessary coordination with ATC to make it legal if your safety
pilot is not instrument rated.

If it were me, I would just wear the foggles and use the safety pilot when
required by the regulations. Safety pilot logs nothing or SIC if he wishes
for that time when he is required.

You are the PIC for the flight, and log PIC and instrument time.


--ron