Unfortunately, no.
As John Lynch stated in Q&A-98[ QUOTE ]
The time logged in a flight simulator or flight training device cannot be credited toward meeting the cross-country aeronautical experience. § 61.1(b)(3) states in part, “time acquired during a FLIGHT. . .” and “. . . Conducted in an appropriate AIRCRAFT” Consequently, the time logged in a flight simulator or flight training device cannot be credited toward meeting the cross-country aeronautical experience.
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QUESTION: Don't have a specific example, but can you give me the low down on how flight simulator and flight training device time can be logged (flight time, pic, sic, night, x-c, etc.) in a persons log book.
ANSWER: Ref. § 61.51(b)(1)(iv), (b)(3)(iii), (g)(4), and (h)(1) and § 61.51(a)(1) and (2); Keep in mind that logging time is only required for the purposes stated in § 61.51(a)(1) and (2), i.e., experience used to meet the requirements for a certificate, rating, or flight review and meeting the recent flight experience requirements.
I also direct you to the definition of “flight training” as per § 61.1(b)(6) which states: “Flight training means that training, other than ground training, received from an authorized instructor in flight in an aircraft.” (Emphasis added: “in flight in an aircraft”). Furthermore, § 61.51(h)(1) addresses logging of training time as “A person may log training time when that person receives training from an authorized instructor in an aircraft, flight simulator, or flight training device.”
However, time in a flight simulator or flight training device cannot be logged as “flight time” or as “PIC flight time” or as “SIC time” or as “night time” or as “daytime” or as “cross-country time” or as time in an “aircraft category, class, or type.” Time in a flight simulator or flight training device can only be logged in the columns noted as “Flight Simulator or Flight Training Device” time and “Dual Received” time. And in most logbooks, the person has to write in the notation “FS/FTD” as a heading on one of the extra columns. And in some logbooks they do have a column noted as “Synthetic Trainer.”
The FARs specifically permit time in a flight simulator or flight training device can be credited in lieu of the required flight time towards meeting the total aeronautical experience or recency of experience. [See § 61.57(c)(1) and (d)(1)(ii), § 61.58(e), § 61.65(e), § 61.109(i), § 61.129(i), § 61.157(i), § 61.187(c)(2), etc.] However, this is not flight time and cannot be logged as flight time. For example, an ATP applicant with 1,475 hours total time as a pilot in aircraft that includes at least 500 hours cross-country and 100 hours night, but only 50 hours instrument flight time would meet minimum aeronautical experience using 25 hours instrument training in a flight simulator or flight training device (FTD) in accordance with § 61.156(a)(3)(iii). Though the 25 hours in the sim/FTD can not logged as flight time, it may be used in lieu of flight time for the minimum aeronautical experience requirement of 1,500 hours total time. But, this is only because it is allowed under § 61.156(a)(3)(iii).
Now, the way it would be interpreted and should be logged on the FAA Form 8710-1 application is to list the time in the “Instruction Received” and “Instrument” columns and in the line for “Training Device” or “Simulator” in the appropriate boxes. When the time is computed to insure the applicant meets the appropriate aeronautical experience requirements for the airman certificate and rating sought, the time listed in the “Instruction Received” column and “Training Device” or “Simulator” boxes, as appropriate, would be accepted in lieu of the required flight time experience required to the limit allowed, as in the example above.
{Q&A-320}
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