what kind of flying counts toward total time

thehobbit

Well-Known Member
For an airplane single-engine rating. Except as provided in paragraph (i) of this section, a person who applies for a commercial pilot certificate with an airplane category and single-engine class rating must log at least 250 hours of flight time as a pilot that consists of at least:
(1) 100 hours in powered aircraft, of which 50 hours must be in airplanes.
(2) 100 hours of pilot-in-command flight time, which includes at least -


Does it have to be a registered aircraft? can flying a experimental aircraft with out a tail number count? what about ultralites? or balloons? what is the definition of flight?
 
My understanding of the FAR's, thus far, is unless it is specifically stated how it must be accomplished, then it is open to your own interpretation so long as it does not break any other FAR's.

As long as you meet the stated requirements, then the rest of the time can be from any other form of lift for which you are rated to log time. I see no mention of limitations excluding ultralights, experimentals or baloons.
 
Does it have to be a registered aircraft? can flying a experimental aircraft with out a tail number count? what about ultralites? or balloons? what is the definition of flight?

I am pretty sure that you can log it in whatever you want.

So 250TT, at least 50 in airplanes, and at least 100 PIC in which cat/class don't matter.

So I guess that the other 50 of "powered aircraft" time, could be in a balloon, or maybe even a self-launch sailplane.

For example - I have 330 hours total time. About 130 in airplanes, and 200 in sailplanes, with 60 PIC in airplanes, and 150 PIC in gliders.

So my sailplane PIC time covers the 100 PIC requirement.
 
Your answer is in FAR 1.1:

Flight time means:
(1) Pilot time that commences when an aircraft moves under its own power for the purpose of flight and ends when the aircraft comes to rest after landing; or
(2) For a glider without self-launch capability, pilot time that commences when the glider is towed for the purpose of flight and ends when the glider comes to rest after landing.
 
what about guys that float balloons into the air that are strapped to the ground by a cable? like when that give observation flights to people or what about hang gliders?
 
For the balloon, does the scenario you gave qualify as "flight?" If so, then yes, the time counts.

Do you need a pilot certificate to fly a hang glider? ;)
 
(1) Pilot time that commences when an aircraft moves under its own power for the purpose of flight and ends when the aircraft comes to rest after landing; or

Someone please tell me I'm not the only one who logs hobbs time, even if sitting on the ramp with the engine running.

EDIT: Actually, given that description, there should be no problem as long as you're not taking a nap in the plane while the engine spins.
 
Someone please tell me I'm not the only one who logs hobbs time, even if sitting on the ramp with the engine running.

EDIT: Actually, given that description, there should be no problem as long as you're not taking a nap in the plane while the engine spins.
Most people do this. If you want to feel better about yourself, do a break check right after you start up.
 
Most people do this. If you want to feel better about yourself, do a break check right after you start up.

Also, remember that when you move to larger equipment, it's possible or even likely that the hobbs won't run till you're off the squat switch. This means you'd do better NOT to log hobbs time.
 
Also, remember that when you move to larger equipment, it's possible or even likely that the hobbs won't run till you're off the squat switch. This means you'd do better NOT to log hobbs time.
Of course - I should have said most people in training aircraft do this.

As far as I know - all others do it by block time (which of course the training guys could do as well.)
 
going further down the rabbit hole do people who fly UAV aircraft log it as flight time? what constitutes a UAV? what about taking a lawn chair and tying some weather balloons on it register it with the faa as experimental home built and fly it in class g airspace, would that be loggable?
 
\Do you need a pilot certificate to fly a hang glider? ;)[/quote]

No but you don't need a pilot certificate to fly an ultralite either.
 
I'd leave all that drug smuggling time back and forth to Central America out of the 'total time' column of my logbook. :D
 
Does it have to be a registered aircraft? can flying a experimental aircraft with out a tail number count? what about ultralites?


I may be wrong:panic: but, most everything that legally flies in US airspace is registered in some form or other. All experimental aircraft are registered just like "real airplanes":D My RV-6 had an N number, and had to be inspected by the FAA (DAR) before I could fly it. The ultralight trike on my airpark is registered with an N number as well.
I think most ultralights were brought under the new light sport classification and had to be registered by a certain date
 
So, if you* only fly 2 hours of a 4 hour block, you* log 4 hours of flight time?

*you being the general public
I think I may be confusing different definitions of "block time." That's simply what we called it where I flew, and all it really meant was the FAR 1.1 definition of flight time. Block out when the wheels started moving under the plane's power, block in when they stopped.
 
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