On 01/22/07 12:17, Jim Macklin wrote:
You can agree who will be PIC all you want. That decision
will be important in court during a trial for insurance
coverage, etc. But for logging the time, unless you are the
sole manipulator, a CFI or an ATP in airline operations, you
can't log PIC unless you are flying. If all you are is a
safety pilot, you can't be PIC for the purpose of logging
the time. You can be pic for the purpose of deciding
whether Joe or Fred is legally required to pay from their
estate for the damages.


Unless you have an FAA legal counsel ruling to the contrary,
the FARs simply don't support your opinion.



FAR 1.1
Pilot in command means the person who:

(1) Has final authority and responsibility for the operation
and safety of the flight;

(2) Has been designated as pilot in command before or during
the flight; and

(3) Holds the appropriate category, class, and type rating,
if appropriate, for the conduct of the flight.

As for the definition of PIC: In the situation I mentioned before,
the pilot not flying meets all three of the definitions for Pilot
in Command you have listed above.