Question on logging IFR and IF time - how boring

[XiRho]

Hi guys,

Wasn't sure which forum to put this in but decided to go for this one since I want the opinions of people in the commercial and to-be-commercial world.

What way should IFR and IF time be logged? My logbook has columns for both, instructions at the front indicate IF is to be logged any time spent flying with sole reference to instruments.

Up until this point I have been following that, and logging any time under an IFR flight plan (-0.2 for ground/taxi time) as IFR, and have only been logging time as IF when actually in cloud (or when simulated for training/testing - I have no column for simulated).

Would people agree that this is the correct way to log this? What does everyone else do, is there a better/easier way? (as opposed to trying to note during flight how long was actually spent in IMC).

Does any of this change under EASA? I noticed some changed in PART FCL which I think specified a need to log IFR only.

Thanks!

[Tinstaafl]

What you're doing to log IF is what I've been doing for nearly 30 years. I don't worry about logging the IF if I only fly through relatively few bits of cloud.


NB: I don't log IFR time.

[lasseb]

Has there ever been a requirement under JAR/EASA to log IF time ??
Not to my knowledge. And IFR time is block-to-block. You don't deduct taxi time.

[Tinstaafl]

Lasseb, I think you have it backwards. The requirements are for IF time for the various licences & ratings that require it, not IFR time. That's according to the UK's 'LASORS' document.

[XiRho]

I am not honestly sure what exactly is required and should be logged in regards to IF/ IFR, which is why I have logged both until now. I heard there was a 4/1 IFR/IF conversion factor but I also heard that that was being scrubbed.

And with regard to deducting time for taxi etc, I should have elaborated there to explain that I currently fly from an uncontrolled airfield and activate and IFR flight plan with the local ATSU about 5 minutes into flight. Perhaps it could all be logged but I am comfortable with logging it this way for the time being.