X-country as "Pilot in Command" includes IFR flights?

[DTTogaLI]

One of the requirements for the fATPL licence:

"50 hours of cross-country flight as Pilot in Command"

It includes both VFR and IFR x-country flights?

[selfin]

No such thing as a "fATPL licence." Suggest you read JAR-FCL 1 or 2 as appropriate, if your question pertains to JAA licences.

JAR–FCL 1.001 (amdt 7) defines cross-country as "A flight between a point of departure and a point of arrival following a pre –planned route using standard navigation procedures."

JAR-FCL 1 Amendments 1-5 offer no definition. UK-granted JAA licences conform to only as far as Amdt. 5.

[sapperkenno]

selfin: Is there a distance requirement in JAA land?? Only, a x-country must be to a different airport at least 50nm straight-line distance from the departure airport here in the USA (to be counted towards any qualifications ie, Commercial, Instrument.)
A common thing here, is that some people log point-to-point (ie, a flight away to another field with a landing/touch'n'go) which doesn't mean much as far as aeronautical experience goes (although for ATP here, it doesn't specify distance) and log "cross-country" as those land-aways further than 50nm.

I'm only asking, as I'm a Brit PPL-er who is likely to return "home" and wants to know what's what!

Please don't send me away to my room to read JAR-FCL etc, just wondered if you knew off the top of your head.
Thanks,
Spr K (retd.)

[selfin]

The UK (ANO 2005 as amdt) provides no interpretation for JAA licensing purposes. The definition standing in the latest edition of JAR-FCL 1 is irrelevant for UK-granted JAA licences and no distance requirement exists.

Under the US regulations the distance to which you are referring is (14 CFR 61.1(b)(3)) "at least a straight-line distance of more than 50 nautical miles".

[Whirlygig]

In the UK, cross-country is generally regarding as anything outside the circuit i.e. > 3nm from the airfield.

As for VFR/IFR - as pointed out there is no such thing as an fATPL licence; it is a CPL licence with an Instrument Rating (which is a rating, not a licence). For the CPL in the UK, the cross-country must be 20 hours VFR.

However, the requirements for issue of the IR are not specific so therefore, could be either. Check and download LASORS for free (for UK only).

Cheers

Whirls