cross-country time

[E_Dawg]

Well so we can all be on the same page here, I've cut and pasted the relevant FAR:

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(3) Cross-country time means --

(i) Except as provided in paragraphs (b)(3) (ii), (iii), (iv), and (v) of this section, time acquired during a flight --

(A) Conducted by a person who holds a pilot certificate;

(B) Conducted in an aircraft;

(C) That includes a landing at a point other than the point of departure; and

(D) That involves the use of dead reckoning, pilotage, electronic navigation aids, radio aids, or other navigation systems to navigate to the landing point.

(ii) For the purpose of meeting the aeronautical experience requirements (except for a rotorcraft category rating), for a private pilot certificate, a commercial pilot certificate, or an instrument rating, or for the purpose of exercising recreational pilot privileges (except in a rotorcraft) under §61.101(c), time acquired during a flight--

(A) Conducted in an appropriate aircraft;

(B) That includes a point of landing that was at least a straight-line distance of more than 50 nautical miles from the original point of departure; and

(C) That involves the use of dead reckoning, pilotage, electronic navigation aids, radio aids, or other navigation systems to navigate to the landing point.
-----

(i) A,B,C, and D apply to ALL flights that land anywhere other than your departure airport, regardless of distance.

However in section (ii) it says that if you are to count it towards a rating or certificate it must:
'include a point of landing that was at least a straight-line distance of more than 50 nautical miles from the original point of departure'

It says nothing of the leg distance, nor does it say you must fly directly to the 50nm airport. It simply says that you must include a point 50nm away as some stop in your journey.

Now,for what it's worth, all of my XC flights have had at least one leg of 50nm; however that is completely irrelevant becuase to log a flight as XC, all you have to do is include a point 50nm away from your original departure airport.

 

[pilot602]

[ QUOTE ]
Well so we can all be on the same page here, I've cut and pasted the relevant FAR:

-----
(3) Cross-country time means --

(i) Except as provided in paragraphs (b)(3) (ii), (iii), (iv), and (v) of this section, time acquired during a flight -- (snip)

[/ QUOTE ]

Yup. This pretty much nails it.

 

[CRJwannabe]

I agree that the regulation doesn't state that you should not stop on the way to this airport that is 50nm away, BUT, as I said before, our DE would not take lightly to your explanation if you logged it as XC if you stopped on the way. It seems cut and dry to us talking about it right now, but I would be very interested to hear what a DE would have to say about it. I will get back to you if I get a chance to talk to him specificaly about the issue. I think it comes down to interpretation of the regulation and while everyone's points make sense (and I agree in part), 10 DE's might have 10 different answers based on their experiences.

 

[mrivc211]

Here's a example that will hopefully answer your question.



What if you flew from LA to NY and made one stop that was 50 miles distance and the rest of the stops were mere 20 miles apart. Would that trip be considered a cross country? YES!
The the stops are irrelevant, all you simply have to have is one of the legs to be 50NM in length. Then the whole trip is considered cross country.

A group of us went buttt crack deep into this issue and all it did was confuse the helll out of us!

 

[stuckingfk]

[ QUOTE ]
What if you flew from LA to NY and made one stop that was 50 miles distance and the rest of the stops were mere 20 miles apart. Would that trip be considered a cross country? YES!The the stops are irrelevant, all you simply have to have is one of the legs to be 50NM in length. Then the whole trip is considered cross country.

[/ QUOTE ]

The way I read it as you wouldn't be able to log cross country until you did that 50 nm leg. Every thing after that would be logged cross country. So if you flew 400 miles without having a leg over 50 nm, you wouldn't log any CC time. If your next leg was over 50 nm, everything after that would be logged as cross country time including that first leg of over 50 nm.

So mrivc, your statement seems to be confusing. If you meant to say your first leg has to be 50 nm or more then you could log CC time the whole trip (and you are right), but your next sentence saying "all you simply have to have is one of the legs to be 50 nm in length," well it has to be your first leg, not just one of them.

 

[E_Dawg]

I think you guys are reading way too deeply into this. The FARs can be confusing... but if you just read what it says and take it literally, it's clear as glass:

You must INCLUDE one point of landing that must be at least a 50 miles from your original point of departure!!!
...and that's all there is to it.

That means that you could take off and land every 10 miles, and as long as a single stop was more than 50 miles FROM YOUR ---->ORIGINAL<---- DEPARTURE POINT... the whole trip can be put under the XC column.

But it will all come down to what the DE thinks

 

[mastermags]

[ QUOTE ]


So mrivc, your statement seems to be confusing. If you meant to say your first leg has to be 50 nm or more then you could log CC time the whole trip (and you are right), but your next sentence saying "all you simply have to have is one of the legs to be 50 nm in length," well it has to be your first leg, not just one of them.

[/ QUOTE ]

It doesnt say you have to have a leg of 50 NM... it says that one point of landing has to be a straight line distance of 50 NM from your point of departure.