Stupid Question

When pilots quote how many hours they have logged, is this a personal log
that is kept, or is every hour you fly entered into a national registry and
formally kept?
Crash Lander

--
I'm not always right,
But I'm never wrong!

When pilots quote how many hours they have logged, is this a personal log
that is kept, or is every hour you fly entered into a national registry and
formally kept?

It is a personal log; no national registry is kept. It is required that
any flight time that you use towards currency requirements and ratings
be logged appropriately. It is not required that all time be logged,
though as a matter of practice most pilots probably log it all. There
are rules about how the log is kept (for example, the flight conditions
(day/night, instrument, simulated instrument), the administrative
conditions ("pilot in command, second in command, single engine/multi
engine) and other things. It's basically fairly simple, although
certain nuances of the rules keep Usenet participants busy posting when
they should be flying.

Jose
--
The monkey turns the crank and thinks he's making the music.
for Email, make the obvious change in the address.

Personal log, you buy them, there are many sizes, paper or
real leather bound. Many are now computerized. Many pilots
keep both types. Pilots are not required to log every hour
or minute, just those flights that are needed to prove some
experience, training or currency event.
see catalogs such as www.sportys.com or
http://www.aircraftspruce.com/
§ 61.51 Pilot logbooks.
(a) Training time and aeronautical experience. Each person
must document and record the following time in a manner
acceptable to the Administrator:

(1) Training and aeronautical experience used to meet the
requirements for a certificate, rating, or flight review of
this part.

(2) The aeronautical experience required for meeting the
recent flight experience requirements of this part.

(b) Logbook entries. For the purposes of meeting the
requirements of paragraph (a) of this section, each person
must enter the following information for each flight or
lesson logged:

(1) General-

(i) Date.

(ii) Total flight time or lesson time.

(iii) Location where the aircraft departed and arrived, or
for lessons in a flight simulator or flight training device,
the location where the lesson occurred.

(iv) Type and identification of aircraft, flight simulator,
or flight training device, as appropriate.

(v) The name of a safety pilot, if required by §91.109(b) of
this chapter.

(2) Type of pilot experience or training-

(i) Solo.

(ii) Pilot in command.

(iii) Second in command.

(iv) Flight and ground training received from an authorized
instructor.

(v) Training received in a flight simulator or flight
training device from an authorized instructor.

(3) Conditions of flight-

(i) Day or night.

(ii) Actual instrument.

(iii) Simulated instrument conditions in flight, a flight
simulator, or a flight training device.

(c) Logging of pilot time. The pilot time described in this
section may be used to:

(1) Apply for a certificate or rating issued under this part
or a privilege authorized under this part; or

(2) Satisfy the recent flight experience requirements of
this part.

(d) Logging of solo flight time. Except for a student pilot
performing the duties of pilot in command of an airship
requiring more than one pilot flight crewmember, a pilot may
log as solo flight time only that flight time when the pilot
is the sole occupant of the aircraft.

(e) Logging pilot-in-command flight time. (1) A sport,
recreational, private, or commercial pilot may log
pilot-in-command time only for that flight time during which
that person-

(i) Is the sole manipulator of the controls of an aircraft
for which the pilot is rated or has privileges;

(ii) Is the sole occupant of the aircraft; or

(iii) Except for a recreational pilot, is acting as pilot in
command of an aircraft on which more than one pilot is
required under the type certification of the aircraft or the
regulations under which the flight is conducted.

(2) An airline transport pilot may log as pilot-in-command
time all of the flight time while acting as pilot-in-command
of an operation requiring an airline transport pilot
certificate.

(3) An authorized instructor may log as pilot-in-command
time all flight time while acting as an authorized
instructor.

(4) A student pilot may log pilot-in-command time only when
the student pilot-

(i) Is the sole occupant of the aircraft or is performing
the duties of pilot of command of an airship requiring more
than one pilot flight crewmember;

(ii) Has a current solo flight endorsement as required under
§61.87 of this part; and

(iii) Is undergoing training for a pilot certificate or
rating.

(f) Logging second-in-command flight time. A person may log
second-in-command time only for that flight time during
which that person:

(1) Is qualified in accordance with the second-in-command
requirements of §61.55 of this part, and occupies a
crewmember station in an aircraft that requires more than
one pilot by the aircraft's type certificate; or

(2) Holds the appropriate category, class, and instrument
rating (if an instrument rating is required for the flight)
for the aircraft being flown, and more than one pilot is
required under the type certification of the aircraft or the
regulations under which the flight is being conducted.

(g) Logging instrument flight time. (1) A person may log
instrument time only for that flight time when the person
operates the aircraft solely by reference to instruments
under actual or simulated instrument flight conditions.

(2) An authorized instructor may log instrument time when
conducting instrument flight instruction in actual
instrument flight conditions.

(3) For the purposes of logging instrument time to meet the
recent instrument experience requirements of §61.57(c) of
this part, the following information must be recorded in the
person's logbook-

(i) The location and type of each instrument approach
accomplished; and

(ii) The name of the safety pilot, if required.

(4) A flight simulator or approved flight training device
may be used by a person to log instrument time, provided an
authorized instructor is present during the simulated
flight.

(h) Logging training time. (1) A person may log training
time when that person receives training from an authorized
instructor in an aircraft, flight simulator, or flight
training device.

(2) The training time must be logged in a logbook and must:

(i) Be endorsed in a legible manner by the authorized
instructor; and

(ii) Include a description of the training given, the length
of the training lesson, and the authorized instructor's
signature, certificate number, and certificate expiration
date.

(i) Presentation of required documents. (1) Persons must
present their pilot certificate, medical certificate,
logbook, or any other record required by this part for
inspection upon a reasonable request by-

(i) The Administrator;

(ii) An authorized representative from the National
Transportation Safety Board; or

(iii) Any Federal, State, or local law enforcement officer.

(2) A student pilot must carry the following items in the
aircraft on all solo cross-country flights as evidence of
the required authorized instructor clearances and
endorsements-

(i) Pilot logbook;

(ii) Student pilot certificate; and

(iii) Any other record required by this section.

(3) A sport pilot must carry his or her logbook or other
evidence of required authorized instructor endorsements on
all flights.

(4) A recreational pilot must carry his or her logbook with
the required authorized instructor endorsements on all solo
flights-

(i) That exceed 50 nautical miles from the airport at which
training was received;

(ii) Within airspace that requires communication with air
traffic control;

(iii) Conducted between sunset and sunrise; or

(iv) In an aircraft for which the pilot does not hold an
appropriate category or class rating.

(5) A flight instructor with a sport pilot rating must carry
his or her logbook or other evidence of required authorized
instructor endorsements on all flights when providing flight
training.

[Doc. No. 25910, 62 FR 16298, Apr. 4, 1997; Amdt. 61-103, 62
FR 40897, July 30, 1997; Amdt. 61-104, 63 FR 20286, Apr. 23,
1998; Amdt. 61-110, 69 FR 44865, July 27, 2004]




--
James H. Macklin
ATP,CFI,A&P


"Crash Lander" wrote in message
...
| When pilots quote how many hours they have logged, is this
a personal log
| that is kept, or is every hour you fly entered into a
national registry and
| formally kept?
| Crash Lander
|
| --
| I'm not always right,
| But I'm never wrong!
|
|

I'm surprised. I never knew how it all worked. That leaves the whole
'minimum number of hours required' thing a bit open to fudging doesn't it?
Crash Lander

--
I'm not always right,
But I'm never wrong!
"Jose" wrote in message
m...
When pilots quote how many hours they have logged, is this a personal log
that is kept, or is every hour you fly entered into a national registry
and formally kept?

It is a personal log; no national registry is kept. It is required that
any flight time that you use towards currency requirements and ratings be
logged appropriately. It is not required that all time be logged, though
as a matter of practice most pilots probably log it all. There are rules
about how the log is kept (for example, the flight conditions (day/night,
instrument, simulated instrument), the administrative conditions ("pilot
in command, second in command, single engine/multi engine) and other
things. It's basically fairly simple, although certain nuances of the
rules keep Usenet participants busy posting when they should be flying.


Jose
--
The monkey turns the crank and thinks he's making the music.
for Email, make the obvious change in the address.

Yes, but fraud can get you in legal trouble with the feds
and professional pilots easily recognize phony hours [like
the guy who came looking for a job and claimed 1200 hours
total time and 400 hours actual instrument.] If you have
time listed that doesn't make sense, no body will trust you.



--
James H. Macklin
ATP,CFI,A&P

"Crash Lander" wrote in message
...
| I'm surprised. I never knew how it all worked. That leaves
the whole
| 'minimum number of hours required' thing a bit open to
fudging doesn't it?
| Crash Lander
|
| --
| I'm not always right,
| But I'm never wrong!
| "Jose" wrote in message
| m...
| When pilots quote how many hours they have logged, is
this a personal log
| that is kept, or is every hour you fly entered into a
national registry
| and formally kept?
|
| It is a personal log; no national registry is kept. It
is required that
| any flight time that you use towards currency
requirements and ratings be
| logged appropriately. It is not required that all time
be logged, though
| as a matter of practice most pilots probably log it all.
There are rules
| about how the log is kept (for example, the flight
conditions (day/night,
| instrument, simulated instrument), the administrative
conditions ("pilot
| in command, second in command, single engine/multi
engine) and other
| things. It's basically fairly simple, although certain
nuances of the
| rules keep Usenet participants busy posting when they
should be flying.
|
|
| Jose
| --
| The monkey turns the crank and thinks he's making the
music.
| for Email, make the obvious change in the address.
|
|

In article ,
says...
I'm surprised. I never knew how it all worked. That leaves the whole
'minimum number of hours required' thing a bit open to fudging doesn't it?
Crash Lander

Yes. I have a flight that I never logged - and probably never will. I
have my reasons.

However logging extra hours - well - while you're doing your training,
you'll be doing so presumably with the one organisation. So this is
easily cross-checked (as well as very foolhardy IMO). Indeed it will be
the only easy way to rebuild your logbook if you lose it.

--
Duncan

"Jose" wrote in message
m...
When pilots quote how many hours they have logged, is this a personal log
that is kept, or is every hour you fly entered into a national registry
and formally kept?

It is a personal log; no national registry is kept.

There is no public national registry per se. However, the FAA does track
each active pilot's flight hours, in that they are receiving regular reports
from the pilots when they apply for new certificates (including renewal of
the medical).

That may be irrelevant for the purpose of the original poster's intent
(since the FAA is still just trusting the pilot to report accurate numbers),
but it seems worth pointing out anyway.

Crash,

That leaves the whole
'minimum number of hours required' thing a bit open to fudging doesn't it?


Yep. But if you get caught having fudged, watch your insurance party with
joy - and refuse payment.

--
Thomas Borchert (EDDH)

It is also grounds to revoke all certificates held.



"Thomas Borchert" wrote in
message ...
| Crash,
|
| That leaves the whole
| 'minimum number of hours required' thing a bit open to
fudging doesn't it?
|
|
| Yep. But if you get caught having fudged, watch your
insurance party with
| joy - and refuse payment.
|
| --
| Thomas Borchert (EDDH)
|

"Crash Lander" wrote in message
...
When pilots quote how many hours they have logged, is this a personal log
that is kept, or is every hour you fly entered into a national registry
and formally kept?

It's a personal log. But if the FAA has reason to be suspicious, they may
often be able to cross-check. Almost everyone does their primary training in
either rented or military planes; in either case, there's an independent
record of the planes' usage. At more advanced levels, pilots who fly for
airliners or some other commerical operators will likewise generate an
independent record of their flight hours. In between, though, there are
pilots who use their own planes for personal flying; those flight hours
would be harder to verify.

--Gary