On 18 Dec 2004 21:24:47 -0800, "5pguy" wrote:
My comments are related to US rules (Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations)
only.
Regs require IFR pilots to fly 6 approaches, a hold and follow a VOR
every 6 months to remain current.
Not quite. There is no requirement to "follow a VOR". You are probably
thinking of the requirement to intercept and track a course using
navigation systems. There is no requirement that the navigation system be
a VOR.
If you do this, you are allowed to have passengers while in IMC.
Not necessarily. The rules for carrying passengers are different from the
rules for acting as PIC under IFR. If you have not done at least three
takeoffs and landings in the preceding 90 days, you would not be allowed to
have passengers in IMC even if you are current instruments as you describe.
If you are outside "current"; meaning 6 months and 1 day since you last
fullfilled reg 61.57(c), then you can only fullfill this reg while in
VFR conditions.
Again, not quite. There is no requirement in the regs that currency must
be done in VFR conditions. You are probably confused by the fact that this
non-current pilot cannot act as PIC under IFR. This prohibition would be
true regardless of the weather conditions. However, there is no
requirement that this pilot be acting as PIC when fulfilling the currency
requirement for flying IFR.
So, if a pilot is "in and out" of IMC while doing their 6 approaches
and they are outside of the 6 month period and they have a safty pilot
aboard, that pilot is not flying within the regs.
Again, not quite. There is nothing in the regulations precluding the
safety pilot from being designated as PIC under these circumstances
(provided the SP is qualified to do so). If that is the case, there is no
regulation being broken.
This is what I was referring to for passengers. Your safty pilot is a
passenager, even thou they are PIC. That's my understanding.
Your understanding is incorrect. If anyone is a passenger, it would be the
pilot flying, not the non-flying PIC.
If you are outside of reg 61.57(c) (6 months, 6 approaches, hold and following the
VOR), then you must remain in VRF conditions.
Again, there is no FAR requiring this.
While talking to the insurance company, they informed me of the
following in general conversation... The safty pilot is PIC and if I
were taxing and dinged another aircraft, the safty pilot is
responsible. Also, I was told that the safty pilot must be "ok'd"
by us ( the insurance company) prior you your flight.
That is purely an insurance company regulation without basis in the FAR's.
My insurer does have an open pilot specification. Many do, some don't.
So, I contact my club. They then told me that I can not simply asking
another VFR pilot who is current to fly with me as a safty pilot. I
think
we were all told in IFR training, that any VFR current pilot of type
aircraft
was ok to use. The club said that I must get someone
from the club to be a safty piloty and yes, it must be cleared by
the club first. So I figured that if the club must ok it first,
then the insurance company must have cleared a list of safty pilots
for that club. Check it out with our insurance provider.
Again, these are club rules, or insurance company rules, without basis in
the FAR's.
As a matter of fact, if you are doing your instrument currency requirements
under VFR, then (under US FAR's), the safety pilot does NOT have to be
current. He merely has to be rated in category and class, and have a
current medical. He does NOT require, for example, a high-performance
endorsement; passenger carrying currency (3 takeoffs and landings within 90
days); tail wheel endorsement; etc.
--ron
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