logging sim time

[MDPilot]

"Total Time" is something folks use to mean whatever they want it to and, based on seeing numerous discussion on the exact same subject, it was probably purposely invented to confuse people. It doesn't seem to have any other purpose.

Except when interviewing for a Part 121 job. I guarantee they are looking for "Flight Time" and if you try and slip by some simulator time in there, your interview will come to a crashing halt.

 

[MidlifeFlyer]

Except when interviewing for a Part 121 job. I guarantee they are looking for "Flight Time" and if you try and slip by some simulator time in there, your interview will come to a crashing halt.

I'm curious. Do they not tell you what they are asking for? Like this from Southwest:

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Southwest considers only Pilot time in fixed wing aircraft. This specifically excludes simulator, helicopter, WSO, RIO, FE, NAV, EWO etc. NO other time is counted.
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http://www.southwest.com/careers/pilots.html

They are also very clear on what they consider PIC time.

Try to slip some non-qualifying time past that and your interview =should= come to a screeching halt.

 

[ananoman]

sooo I can include sim time in dual received (which is pilot time), bu not flight time... correct?

For many reasons, you should only log Sim or FTD time as 'Sim' time in your log book.

I would not log 'Dual' or anything else. The reason is it just makes your life hell when you try to fill out an 8710 form. They are bad enough as it is.

If you need to log 'sim' time for a rating such as your instrument, commercial, ATP, etc. then all you need is the total you are allowed to substitute for flight time. By definition all time in a sim is 'dual', you can't even log the time unless an instructor signs your log book, so why bother with logging 'dual'? Same with 'instrument time', by definition FTD time is 'instrument training', you can't log landings, etc in a FTD, and they are not certified for VFR training or checking like a level C or D sim is (although they are great for practicing procedures).

It might feel good to write numbers in all those columns in you log book, but it will just make life more difficult later when you need to make sense of what you did on an 8710 or a job application.

 

[Derek_S]

Lately I have been using the sim at the school I teach in order to build up my instrument time to go to the regionals. Point of story, I only log it under sim and not dual, then I get an instructor to sign it which makes it obvious that it was dual. So I would log it as only sim time and just mentally add it with the total time when applying for the certificate or rating that is being sought.