Do you (other airline pilots) log instrument time?

Bumblebee

Bumblebee

Commodore
So far I have been trying to estimate the time we have been in actual. It hasn't been anything I have focused on very much. I do make sure to log it when I do an approach, mostly to remember what we did and to keep my IFR currency.

Am I going to need to display the time I've been in actual IFR conditions to a major? Is there any other reason to keep logging the actual?

Most of the time I'm focused on something else, rather than noting the times when we go in and out of clouds.

What do y'all do?
 
I estimate at the end of the leg. A good rule of thumb is that your instrument time should be approximately equal to your total time. As you move into jet flying, it may even be less than that.
 
B767Driver said:
I estimate at the end of the leg. A good rule of thumb is that your instrument time should be approximately equal to your total time. As you move into jet flying, it may even be less than that.
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What kind of jet are you flying? My total time has never been less than my instrument time. :)
 
I still log actual. I will estimate the total time we spent in actual conditions on the leg compared to the actual flight time. I figure if is less than 0.3 (about 20 minutes or so), then I won't bother logging it. That is true for flights where we depart at "night," then 20 minutes into the flight it stops being "night" time.

I'm pretty anal about my time logging and my logbook, but there is a point where you can just take it too far... nobody ever really knows how long you were in actual. Including yourself. :cool:

I did an instrument/total comparison, and right now my instrument time is about 7% of my total time. I think it is less than the standard "10%" due to the fact most of my flight time is jet on long legs up in the flight levels. When I was flying a turboprop, it was more like 10-15%.
 
My methods are remarkably similar to Chicaga's...

My comment to B767Driver didn't have to do with me disagreeing with his "techinque"...

Bob
 
Captain_Bob said:
I see...

Has the FAA issued a written clarification on the matter... ?

Why would you be OK with fudging... or "guesstimating" your IMC time that you deem to be an acceptable interpretation of the rules... and yet be totally against another's reasonable and logical interpretation of logging?

Bob
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I don't believe I've done any fudging. If anything, I've cheated myself out of a lot of time over the years. In fact, when I get my monthly flying summaries...if it says I flew 6 hour and 17 minute leg...I put 6.2 in my logbook, ie...I always round down. I don't give myself something I haven't earned.

Anyway...to me...the only reason you would put instrument time in your book is to show that you were controlling the airplane by reference to instruments. If you were the PNF...who cares? The PF is the one responsible for aircraft control under instrument conditions. And that's what instrument time in one's logbook should indicate.
 
Do you guys log actual time when you've got the AP on and you're in actual as the PF? If so, how do you justify it? [sarcasm] :)

I'm still logging all my time in the clouds, but I'm pretty low time. I figure once I get to the next job it'll be kind of silly to.
 
JEP said:
Dale, is that your humble abode in the avatar? ooks like it sits up on a nice hill.

That is All!!!!
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Yes it is! We are on top of Mt. Vandervere. (A little mountain near Grass Valley, CA. It is on the US Geological survey) Thanks for noticing!

If you are up this way (1.2 from SAC and 1.4 from Tahoe) please come visit, that deck is awesome for sunsets.
 
jtrain609 said:
Do you guys log actual time when you've got the AP on and you're in actual as the PF? If so, how do you justify it? [sarcasm] :)

I'm still logging all my time in the clouds, but I'm pretty low time. I figure once I get to the next job it'll be kind of silly to.
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Once I put on the AP I still monitor our condition at all times. If you don't, the AP could get you into trouble. Additionally, the interface with the AP is sometimes more difficult to manage than hand flying, such as the transition to the approach.

I know you put the question out as sarcasm, but I though I would respond anyway, because some may be wondering just that:)
 
bumblebee said:
Once I put on the AP I still monitor our condition at all times. If you don't, the AP could get you into trouble. Additionally, the interface with the AP is sometimes more difficult to manage than hand flying, such as the transition to the approach.

I know you put the question out as sarcasm, but I though I would respond anyway, because some may be wondering just that:)
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Perfect answer. The AP relieves no responsibility for the PF controlling flight path and airspeed.
 
B767Driver said:
Perfect answer. The AP relieves no responsibility for the PF controlling flight path and airspeed.
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BS! If you're not hand flyin' then you ain't got nothin'! And I'm talkin' raw data, none of this flight director crap!

(Said completely in jest, mind you)
 
Doug Taylor said:
I don't know either, but October 2005 I was afraid I'd be forced to find out! DOH! :)
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Me too! I haven't kept a log book since I got "the last job you'll ever have" and it was interesting trying to bring it all together. Luckily DBMS has a good flight time tracking page.


Kevin
 
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