Excuse me for my very, very muddled question, but here goes. hope my rotorheads can help me out!!
I am commercially rated in airplanes, but want to add commercial rotorcraft. I want to do this by using the 10 hours with authorized instructor instead of the 10 hours solo, which I've quoted below. (Which is the new addition to the reg btw) This might be a dumb question that I'm just not seeing, but when do I assume PIC duties and start logging this PIC time? Would this be after I actually solo the machine, because technically the way I think it is written is you can get your commercial add-on without even having to solo. Though this isn't the same if I wanted to do the private add-on first, because it still specifies solo time. I've attached both requirements below. If I can break down this question even further, just let me know and I'll try. I'm sorry for this mess of a question I've created.
COMMERCIAL REQ'TS
(c) For a helicopter rating. Except as provided in paragraph (i) of this section, a person who applies for a commercial pilot certificate with a rotorcraft category and helicopter class rating must log at least 150 hours of flight time as a pilot that consists of at least:
(1) 100 hours in powered aircraft, of which 50 hours must be in helicopters.
(2) 100 hours of pilot-in-command flight time, which includes at least—
(i) 35 hours in helicopters; and
(ii) 10 hours in cross-country flight in helicopters.
(3) 20 hours of training on the areas of operation listed in §61.127(b)(3) of this part that includes at least—
(i) Five hours on the control and maneuvering of a helicopter solely by reference to instruments using a view-limiting device including attitude instrument flying, partial panel skills, recovery from unusual flight attitudes, and intercepting and tracking navigational systems. This aeronautical experience may be performed in an aircraft, flight simulator, flight training device, or an aviation training device;
(ii) One 2-hour cross country flight in a helicopter in daytime conditions that consists of a total straight-line distance of more than 50 nautical miles from the original point of departure;
(iii) One 2-hour cross country flight in a helicopter in nighttime conditions that consists of a total straight-line distance of more than 50 nautical miles from the original point of departure; and
(iv) Three hours in a helicopter with an authorized instructor in preparation for the practical test within the preceding 2 calendar months from the month of the test.
(ii) 5 hours in night VFR conditions with 10 takeoffs and 10 landings (with each landing involving a flight in the traffic pattern).
PRIVATE REQ'TS
Private Pilot-
(c) For a helicopter rating. Except as provided in paragraph (k) of this section, a person who applies for a private pilot certificate with rotorcraft category and helicopter class rating must log at least 40 hours of flight time that includes at least 20 hours of flight training from an authorized instructor and 10 hours of solo flight training in the areas of operation listed in §61.107(b)(3) of this part, and the training must include at least—
(1) 3 hours of cross-country flight training in a helicopter;
(2) Except as provided in §61.110 of this part, 3 hours of night flight training in a helicopter that includes—
(i) One cross-country flight of over 50 nautical miles total distance; and
(ii) 10 takeoffs and 10 landings to a full stop (with each landing involving a flight in the traffic pattern) at an airport.
(3) 3 hours of flight training with an authorized instructor in a helicopter in preparation for the practical test, which must have been performed within the preceding 2 calendar months from the month of the test; and
(4) 10 hours of solo flight time in a helicopter, consisting of at least—
(i) 3 hours cross-country time;
(ii) One solo cross country flight of 100 nautical miles total distance, with landings at three points, and one segment of the flight being a straight-line distance of more than 25 nautical miles between the takeoff and landing locations; and
(iii) Three takeoffs and three landings to a full stop (with each landing involving a flight in the traffic pattern) at an airport with an operating control tower.
I am commercially rated in airplanes, but want to add commercial rotorcraft. I want to do this by using the 10 hours with authorized instructor instead of the 10 hours solo, which I've quoted below. (Which is the new addition to the reg btw) This might be a dumb question that I'm just not seeing, but when do I assume PIC duties and start logging this PIC time? Would this be after I actually solo the machine, because technically the way I think it is written is you can get your commercial add-on without even having to solo. Though this isn't the same if I wanted to do the private add-on first, because it still specifies solo time. I've attached both requirements below. If I can break down this question even further, just let me know and I'll try. I'm sorry for this mess of a question I've created.
COMMERCIAL REQ'TS
(c) For a helicopter rating. Except as provided in paragraph (i) of this section, a person who applies for a commercial pilot certificate with a rotorcraft category and helicopter class rating must log at least 150 hours of flight time as a pilot that consists of at least:
(1) 100 hours in powered aircraft, of which 50 hours must be in helicopters.
(2) 100 hours of pilot-in-command flight time, which includes at least—
(i) 35 hours in helicopters; and
(ii) 10 hours in cross-country flight in helicopters.
(3) 20 hours of training on the areas of operation listed in §61.127(b)(3) of this part that includes at least—
(i) Five hours on the control and maneuvering of a helicopter solely by reference to instruments using a view-limiting device including attitude instrument flying, partial panel skills, recovery from unusual flight attitudes, and intercepting and tracking navigational systems. This aeronautical experience may be performed in an aircraft, flight simulator, flight training device, or an aviation training device;
(ii) One 2-hour cross country flight in a helicopter in daytime conditions that consists of a total straight-line distance of more than 50 nautical miles from the original point of departure;
(iii) One 2-hour cross country flight in a helicopter in nighttime conditions that consists of a total straight-line distance of more than 50 nautical miles from the original point of departure; and
(iv) Three hours in a helicopter with an authorized instructor in preparation for the practical test within the preceding 2 calendar months from the month of the test.
(i) One cross-country flight with landings at a minimum of three points, with one segment consisting of a straight-line distance of at least 50 nautical miles from the original point of departure; and
(ii) 5 hours in night VFR conditions with 10 takeoffs and 10 landings (with each landing involving a flight in the traffic pattern).
PRIVATE REQ'TS
Private Pilot-
(c) For a helicopter rating. Except as provided in paragraph (k) of this section, a person who applies for a private pilot certificate with rotorcraft category and helicopter class rating must log at least 40 hours of flight time that includes at least 20 hours of flight training from an authorized instructor and 10 hours of solo flight training in the areas of operation listed in §61.107(b)(3) of this part, and the training must include at least—
(1) 3 hours of cross-country flight training in a helicopter;
(2) Except as provided in §61.110 of this part, 3 hours of night flight training in a helicopter that includes—
(i) One cross-country flight of over 50 nautical miles total distance; and
(ii) 10 takeoffs and 10 landings to a full stop (with each landing involving a flight in the traffic pattern) at an airport.
(3) 3 hours of flight training with an authorized instructor in a helicopter in preparation for the practical test, which must have been performed within the preceding 2 calendar months from the month of the test; and
(4) 10 hours of solo flight time in a helicopter, consisting of at least—
(i) 3 hours cross-country time;
(ii) One solo cross country flight of 100 nautical miles total distance, with landings at three points, and one segment of the flight being a straight-line distance of more than 25 nautical miles between the takeoff and landing locations; and
(iii) Three takeoffs and three landings to a full stop (with each landing involving a flight in the traffic pattern) at an airport with an operating control tower.
