In article ,
Richard Ross wrote:
If an instrument rated saftey pilot files an IFR flight plan on a VMC day,
can the student inst. pilot legally log simulated instrument time while
under the hood?

The liability of the flight will rest entirely with the instrument rated
saftey pilot. However, for the purpose of logging simulated instrument
time,
is this legal?

Richard

Most definitely! In fact, this is how a number of instrument students
accumulate the necessary hours and experience prior to taking their
checkride. The FARs stipulate that you need a minimum of 15 hours of
of instruction from a CFII (thought I suspect there are few who have managed
to get away with only 15 hours from a CFII prior to taking their checkride).
The rest can be flying around under the hood with a safety pilot (who doesn't
even need to be instrument rated). I personally spent quite a few hours
shooting approaches with a safety pilot on board prior to my checkride. It
was excellent practice because I didn't have a CFII on board to "bail me out"
should I get all confused as to what the needles were trying to tell me.
(The job of the safety pilot is, of course, to make sure you don't bonk
into anything....).

-- Dane