Instrument Rating - 50 hours cross country

[Selfmade92]

Haven't been able to find something on that topic.

Since I am going over from like ~ 5h-ish X-Country PIC from my Private... and I am required to have 50h Cross Country - PIC for my Instrument, can I have friends with me in the plane?

I mean I could do these Cross Country flights on the side right?

As long as I have the 50h cross country I am fine, doesn't matter how I achieve them?

 

[BarbieDreamPilot]

Sure. Not sure what you mean as "on the side", but yeah just be sure you satisfy the requirements of 61.65(d)

(1) Except as provided in paragraph (g) of this section, 50 hours of cross-country flight time as pilot in command, of which 10 hours must have been in an airplane

 

[Selfmade92]

Basically taking a friend for a $100 Burger splitting costs evenly of the aircraft, fly 50ish NM and go back.

edit: i'll be PIC friend is not a pilot, just a friend

 

[msmspilot]

Yes, that's how probably 95% of us did it. Just remember, if budgets are tight, you'll get 5-8 hours cross country in your instrument training.

 

[Selfmade92]

Alright thanks! Was kinda stuck on the "no passengers for flight training" from my private stuff, but back then i didn't have that precious Certificate

 

[msmspilot]

Alright thanks! Was kinda stuck on the "no passengers for flight training" from my private stuff, but back then i didn't have that precious Certificate

Yeah, you got the certificate. Go use it; take friends along. Just remember that take off, straight and level, and landing are plenty exciting for most people. You don't want to scare anyone from flying with you by doing all the cool stuff you learned, like stalls.

 

[sgree02]

Haven't been able to find something on that topic.

Since I am going over from like ~ 5h-ish X-Country PIC from my Private... and I am required to have 50h Cross Country - PIC for my Instrument, can I have friends with me in the plane?

I mean I could do these Cross Country flights on the side right?

As long as I have the 50h cross country I am fine, doesn't matter how I achieve them?

There is the option of enrolling in an instrument course at a part 141 school, that way you don't need the 50 hours PIC X-Country - not saying that flying 50 hours with you making the PIC decisions is a bad thing, it's good experience. My significant other owns a 61/141ight school and we train most pvt as 61 and then go into instrument as 141.

 

[MidlifeFlyer]

Alright thanks! Was kinda stuck on the "no passengers for flight training" from my private stuff, but back then i didn't have that precious Certificate

From an FAA standpoint, there are very few "no passenger" rules for plain vanilla Part 91 flights and they all make it very clear in the applicable regulations:

• Student pilots. [61.89(a)(1)]
• Where the word "solo" appears for a requirement. [e.g. 61.129(a)(4)]
• When not passenger current. [e.g. 61.57]​

Do you see any of those in the 50 hour cross country PIC requirement for the instrument rating?

 

[msmspilot]

Alright thanks! Was kinda stuck on the "no passengers for flight training" from my private stuff, but back then i didn't have that precious Certificate

To piggyback on MidlifeFlyer, something he quoted and said gave me another thought. Your statement about "no passengers for flight training" could be read as no passengers while solo (which is true) or no passengers on a training flight (which is not true).

I know it doesn't affect you now, but for anyone else following this, if you want to take a friend along, just check with your instructor and check the weight and balance first. Some lessons are better for a friend to come along than others, but there's no legal restriction. Unless it's a solo flight as a student pilot.