Building Hours

Off In The Jungle

Off In The Jungle

Well-Known Member
Hey Folks,

For you REG heads, a question...

I am needing some ME time. I have around 2200 hours, 1800 of which are XC and 2100 are PIC. I only have 14 hours of ME time.

I want to get the time expeditiously, and have some cash to do so. If i split the time with someone I could make it go twice as far, say 100 hours. Flight instructing is not an option at this point, as it would be as expensive to get all my rating as it would be just to by a block of time.

So here is the question: As I understand it, if I split the time and do safety pilot stuff with someone else, that will count as PIC, minus the take-offs and landings and taxi-for the part I am the safety pilot, and when flying I would count everything. Is this correct?

Also, as I understand it, any time logged acting as a safety pilot does not count as XC and cannot be used towards a certificate. Is this correct?

I am short 65 hours of night for my ATP mins, and from what I gather, none of the time acting as a safety pilot would be eligible to go towards those minimums. Is this how other see it too?

Thanks!
 
Essentially, yes to all. I know it does not count towards XC time. IDK if it can or cannot be used towards a certificate, but it sounds like you don't need the time towards a certificate anyways. However, safety pilot time is sometimes looked down on when applying for a job. If you can, I would highly recommend finding someone with a brand new MEI ticket that wants to split time. Then you don't have to worry about any of the above.

As an aside, do you already have your CFI? Because adding on your MEI should be a breeze, and would definitely save you some trouble and money.
 
No I do not have my CFI, so that would take a lot of resources. As for a MEI, along for the ride for 100 hours, would not that be questionable as well? It would seem to be a shady way to build time if I was combing a logbook.

Night time is something I do specifically lack for my ATP requirement.
 
Maybe find someone to split time and be the safety pilot (and you log everything as pilot flying?).

Finding a fresh MEI is probably your best bet though. Plenty of them out there that need the time as much as you do I'm sure.

But if you are going to time build 100 hours anyway, why not just get your MEI? Do the ride with the Feds and it will cost you exactly $300 more than what you propose anyway (cost of the FOI & CFI written)
 
drunkenbeagle said:
But if you are going to time build 100 hours anyway, why not just get your MEI? Do the ride with the Feds and it will cost you exactly $300 more than what you propose anyway (cost of the FOI & CFI written)
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It might be a bit more than that, because it will require an instructor's endorsement. The instructor ratings are mostly ground work, so maybe 10 hrs ground time if you're already up to speed on all the information. You could probably get those hours and pay a DPE for $1000, but look at the benefit you could get from that.

If you are only a safety pilot for 50 hrs of block time, you can't log any time while the PIC is flying by visual reference -- taxi, takeoff, landing pattern, or just joy riding. How much time you'd spent with the hood up is debatable, but even if you skip all the joy riding, never fly a visual approach or a landing pattern, you'd still have at least .2-.3 of every flight you can't log as a safety pilot. If you fly 25 two hour flights, you'll log 1.75ish for each flight (which is a still a long time to be under the hood, day after day). 1.75 * 25 = 43.75 hrs. Bottom line, for a 100 hr block split as a safety pilot, you'll get roughly 94 hrs if you're really adamant about wearing the hood, and less if you're anything other than a hood Nazi.

If you get your MEI as your first 5 hrs, you'll be able to log the entire 100 hrs as 50 PIC and 50 PIC/dual given. So the question becomes, does the price of your MEI offset the 6+ hrs you'll loose as a safety pilot (if that's the only benefit you'll ever get from having the MEI ticket). If you spend $1000 on your MEI and get 6 hrs return on that investment, then you've paid $167/hr for those remaining hours, and you have your MEI to boot. Additionally, you'll be able to log all your cross-country time while acting as a CFI.
 
By the time you have racked up 2200 hours, I would imagine you must know some MEI's that owe you a favor ;)

Agree with Nihon_ni, if you are gonna drop that kind of cash, the MEI is something you might as well do. Best case, you get PAID for doing at least some of those 100 hours as dual given.

And other than the FOI, most of the stuff you are going to need to know for a CFI ride will be stuff you'll need to know for an interview anyway. DPE isn't likely to be an expense - a first CFI ride needs to go through the FSDO anyway (they may refer you to a DPE anyway)
 
Well let's tack on this question...

CMEL, IFR Safety pilot. Goes under the hood from point A to point B. Flight takes 3.0

What if the other pilot lets the safety pilot do a takeoff, then the safety pilot goes under the hood while the real pilot does another take off, and then continue to destination, safety pilot gets 1 landing, then real pilot gets 1 landing. Can that still be XC?
 
I would call that cheating! ;) Technically, that should probably be logged as Pilot A takes off, does a lap, lands, (other pilot logs nothing), end entry, new entry, Pilot B takes off, Pilot A goes under hood, we're flying, we're flying, Pilot A lifts hood, Pilot B lands, end entry, etc.
 
I knew that safety pilot time doesn't go towards XC, but I didn't know that the time is not applicable to a certificate...? I haven't participated in any safety pilot time building, but why are a bunch of low-time people interested in safety pilot time if it can't be applied to a certificate? Is it because they're grinding for 500 TT to meet some hiring minimum or something?

Kind of a let down..I was hoping to be able to use a little safety pilot time to reach 250.
 
BaronPete said:
I knew that safety pilot time doesn't go towards XC, but I didn't know that the time is not applicable to a certificate...? I haven't participated in any safety pilot time building, but why are a bunch of low-time people interested in safety pilot time if it can't be applied to a certificate? Is it because they're grinding for 500 TT to meet some hiring minimum or something?

Kind of a let down..I was hoping to be able to use a little safety pilot time to reach 250.
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This ticks me off to no end.

Total time is total time.
 
Off In The Jungle said:
I am short 65 hours of night for my ATP mins, and from what I gather, none of the time acting as a safety pilot would be eligible to go towards those minimums. Is this how other see it too?
Click to expand...

I know this post is old but... If the flight in question is happening during the night, why wouldn't both the PIC and safety pilot log night time? Whats would the safety pilot log? Daytime? That doesn't sound right at all...
 
Off In The Jungle said:
Hey Folks,

For you REG heads, a question...

I am needing some ME time. I have around 2200 hours, 1800 of which are XC and 2100 are PIC. I only have 14 hours of ME time.
Click to expand...
I know this is an old post, but my employer has hired guys with similar amount of ME time into Navajos. Most have gone on to upgrade into Metros.

It's a paycheck, albeit not a huge one. Or you could just pay for it.....
 
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