The device you were in was in all likelihood not considered a simulator,
but rather a flight training device. Whats the difference? A LOT of
money and probably the presence of multi-axis motion. I should think
that the time in such a Flight Training Device would be loggable as
simulated instrument, and as instrument instruction, but not towards
day/night/specific type/category/class. The devices that the boys at
Continental, Delta, Flight Safety, etc use are true Simulators, and the
time in those devices is loggable as aircraft time if I have been told
correctly. The tabletop and non-motion devices are NOT simulators, but
flight training devices. The owner of one flight school I used to train
at was quite ****ed when he discovered that the 10,000 "Aerosim" PCATD
that he bought was only legally logabble for 10 hours of primary/initial
instrument instruction and was not able to be used for up to 20 hours
(as a sim), nor for proficiency . He wrongly thought he had bought a
"simulator". Unless your device meets the true definition of a
simulator, you may not be able to log it as "flight time"

There are certain AC's that clarify the issue, and while people say the
AC's are non-regulatory, they DO specify a means of acceptable
compliance with published rules. Not following the AC's puts the burden
on YOU to prove to the FAA that what you are doing is acceptable.

Dave

Bartscher wrote:
This is what it is NOT logged as: simulator, ASEL, day, night, actual
instrument, simulated instrument, PIC, total, etc etc etc...

This is what it IS logged as: flight training device AND only if you had an
instructor with you.

Hilton



I think I'll stand behind my comment about compounding my confusion by looking
to the internet for answers. To clarify my posting, I did have a qualified CFII
with me for the sim flight.

If I read FAR 61.51 right, I CAN log as Total Time (see 61.51 b-2-v) I CAN log
simulated instrument (see 61.51 b-3-iii). Also, 61.51 g-4 looks like it
confirms that simulated instrument can be logged in the sim if as you said, an
authorized instructor is present.

What is unclear is are the answers to my two original questions:

1) Does the sim time also get logged as ASEL? (61.51 b-1-iv implies to me that
I would log it as ASEL since the sim was set up as a single engine aircraft. I
would also log it as a simulator of course.)

2) Do I log anything in the day or night columns? (61.51 b-3 is unclear on this
because paragraphs i,ii,and iii are not mutually exclusive. Otherwise you
couldn't log both day and instrument.)

I'd appreciate anyone who can reference an FAR or a section of the AIM that
spells this out more clearly than what I've already found.

Thanks,
Eric Bartsch