How to log Flight time (PIC, Co-Pilot, Night, Single/Multi Pilot, etc)

PILOTLOG logs flight time in 2 groups:

Function time 

Condition time

Notes

• Do not confuse "Sim.Instr" with simulator flying or Instructor flying.  Both are irrelevant!

• If your logbook or the selected report shows a breakdown for Night time over function (PIC Day / Night, Co-Pilot Day / Night, etc), PILOTLOG will automatically allocate the night time to any logged functions, starting with PIC.

• We recommend to always logging function time, also for simulator sessions, while condition time should only be logged on real flights.

User defined time fields

You can add more time fields yourself.  There are 4 user time fields on the Settings - Flight Logging page, that you can use for special function or condition times, like Navigator, Flight Engineer, NVG (Night Vision Googles), Rescue, S&W (Sling & Winch), etc.

Do NOT set-up a special field for the following :

• Aerobatics
• Single / Multi Engine
• Single / Multi Pilot
• TMG (Touring Motor Glider)
• PICUS, SPIC, P2X
• SOLO

You can set-up another 3 special fields on the Settings - Other Settings fields.  However, these fields are for other purposes, such as Gate information, Winch operations, or other stuff you want to track.

Night Time

The following article explains how to set-up the software for automatic night time calculation, automatic cross-country logging, and automatic function time loading :

• How to auto-load Function & Condition time

Solo Time

SOLO must be logged as PIC function time.  Read more about SOLO in the following solution :  

• How to log SOLO time

PICus Time

First Officers can log Pilot-in-Command Under Supervision when they take the left-seat in cruise, or when the are PF in the right seat (as per your aviation authority regulations). PILOTLOG comes with a dedicated field to log PICus hours.

• How to automatically log PICUS when PF?

SPIC Time

There is a separate field for PICus.  SPIC can be logged as PIC function time. Read more in the following solution:

• How to log SPIC / PICus

P2X Time

Second Officers require a certain number of P2X hours to become First-Officer.  Second Officers can log P2X time when they take the right seat as PM or PF.

PILOTLOG does not have a dedicated time field for P2X hours.  P2X time shall be logged as SIC function time and by selecting the "P2X" tag as Type of Operation :

Single / Multi Pilot

There are no separate time fields to log single/multi pilot time. This data is taken straight from your aircraft properties on the Tables - Aircraft page ! 

e.g.   you log 30 minutes Total Time on a Cessna 172, then PILOTLOG will automatically consider this as Single Pilot time.

Some commuter companies schedule a two-men flight crew on a single pilot rated aircraft.  You can then simply modify the properties for that particular aircraft.  However, changing the properties will affect all flights ever done with that aircraft registration.  Should you want to log some flights as single pilot time and some flights as multi pilot crew on the same aircraft registration, then follow this solution :

• How to log Multi Pilot time on a Single Pilot aircraft

Single / Multi Engine

There are no separate time fields to log single/multi engine hours. This data is taken straight from your aircraft properties on the Tables - Aircraft page ! 

e.g.   you log a 2 hour flight on an Airbus 320 or an Agusta Helicopter, then PILOTLOG will automatically consider this as Multi Engine time.

Aerobatics

There is no separate time field to log aerobatics. This data is taken straight from your aircraft properties on the Tables - Aircraft page ! 

If the aircraft is set to Aerobatics, all flight hours on that particular aircraft registration are automatically considered aerobatic time.

In case you fly this aircraft both as 'normal flight' and 'aerobatic flight' and you want to keep things split, then :

• On the Tables - Aircraft page, clear the aerobatics checkbox 
• On the Settings - Flight Logging page, set-up a user time field called 'aerobatics'
• Manually insert flight time in that user field whenever you perform aerobatics

Aerobatic experience logged with a user defined time field is viewed in reports T001, T002 and G015. Aerobatic time associated with the aircraft is shown in report T001, T002 and G014. If you want to print aerobatic time in your logbook, you need to create a user definable field, and then select this field from the Logbook – Logbook Columns page.

Relief Time / Supernumerary

If you operate long haul with augmented Flight Crew, you may have to log Relief Time. Relief time is the time that you were not at the controls.

• How to log Relief Pilot / Supernumerary ?

Actual Instrument Time

You can record time in IMC weather conditions as Actual Instrument time. Typically, this is around 10% of the total flight time, but it can be more depending on your type of flight operation. 

You can enable autoload from the Settings - Flight Logging page.  The app auto-fills actual instrument time as a percentage of on Flight time (air time), or Total time (block time) when takeoff and landing hours are not logged.

MCC Conversion Training

Student pilots may have to log Multi Crew Cooperation training.

PILOTLOG does not have a dedicated time field for MCC hours.  MCC time shall be logged as PIC or SIC function time (as appropriate) and by selecting the "MCC" tag as Type of Operation :

FAR 91 / FAR 117 / FAR 121 / FAR 135

Pilots operating under FAA regulations may want to log type of FAR.

PILOTLOG does not have a dedicated time field for different FAR hours.  Log your flight hours as PIC, SIC or DUAL time and select the appropriate "FAR" tag as Type of Operation :

Additional Info

• How to autoload Function & Condition Time
• Official State Regulations - Recording of Flight Hours