CFIs and Professionals: What advice to new pilots concerning PIC logging?

[JimNtexas]

First: I AM NOT ASKING YOU TO DEBATE PIC LOGGING!

On another forum that caters mostly to student and private pilots there was a long discussion about the many ways one can log PIC time allowed by Part 61. I understanding the difference between logging PIC and being PIC. Part 61 is what it is, no matter what anyone thinks of it.

I made the suggestion that pilots ought to read the FAR 1 definition of 'pilot in command'.

I suggested that pilots, especially those pilots who might want to work as a professional pilot at some point in the future, ought to log FAR 1 PIC separately from 'sole manipulator' type Part 61 PIC time.

I suggested that 'sole manipulator PIC' is frowned on by some pilot hiring entities.

My rational was that Part 61 allows a lot of different types of flights to be counted as PIC time for the purposes of some FAA certificates, whereas many aviation employers want applicants to report as PIC time only those flights in which the applicant 'signed for the airplane', i.e. FAR 1 time.

Several participants told me that 'sole manipulator' time was nothing to worry about, and that I was just scaring pilots away from logging legitimate PIC time.

The purpose of this post is to ask instructors and professional pilots here this question: 'What advice, if any, do you give students and low time pilots interested in professional flying concerning how to log PIC time?'

 

[rettofly]

Nothing wrong with having two PIC columns in the logbook... One for "I signed for the airplane" and one for "sole manipulator". It worked for me.

 

[brokeflyer]

What advice, if any, do you give students and low time pilots interested in professional flying concerning how to log PIC time?'

close logbook....quit flying....go to medical/law school or both.....sleep in a bed made of $100 bills....buy airplane....log all flying as PIC.

 

[Tired Soul]

I recommend them to only log the time they are the PIC.
Take the 'sole manipulator of' time as extra experience but don't log it.
It just clusters the whole thing by logging PIC in 3 different ways, legal or not.
The question of much PIC time you have should be answered by how much experience you have being in charge of the airplane, not holding the stick-time.

Same as not logging mercy-flights in KingAir's Meridian's, PC12 or anything else you have received no formal training for.
Legal or not it just doesn't look right.