Originally Posted by
westhawk
Under FAR 61.51, any time flown as the sole manipulator of the controls of an aircraft for which one is rated to act as PIC may be logged as PIC time. Many airlines and other employers have little interest in how much time one has spent manipulating the controls when they ask for an accounting of time spent "acting as the PIC". They want to know how many hours have been spent as the designated PIC. (part 1 definition) To "act as the PIC" is different than how the time is to be logged under 61.51.
Other operators, insurance companies, safety audit firms and the FAA itself make no distinction between the two definitions of "PIC time" for reporting purposes.
This presents somewhat of a quandary for certain FAA certificated pilots preparing themselves for submitting airline applications. To qualify for certain FAA issued certificates and ratings that specify minimum PIC times, any time spent in flight as "sole manipulator" may be logged as PIC as per 61.51. As stated previously, this same standard is commonly used by many other organizations with regard to reporting.
But then when the airline applicant goes to report their PIC time on an airline application, the airline specifies that for the purpose of the application, "PIC time means time during which the pilot was 'designated' or 'assigned' as 'THE PIC'." (there can only be one at a time!) So now the applicant has to go back and determine how much of their logged "PIC time" occurred when they were actually "THE PIC" The airline isn't interested in that 61.51 "sole manipulator" brand of "PIC time".
So here's what I suggest potential airline candidates do about logging PIC time. Do both! Log PIC according to 61.51 AND separately log time spent as "THE PIC". (part 1 definition) A separate column in the logbook or just asterisk the part 1 PIC time so it can be separated from the "sole manipulator" PIC time and added up at any time.
So to summarize, PIC time may be logged as long as it meets the stipulations of part 61.51. Some airlines and other operators may only be interested in how much of that time was spent "as "THE PIC". (part 1 definition)
I hope that helps.
Nice summary
westhawk on a subject that understandably causes great confusion, and your recommendation to carry a breakdown of "Manipulator" vs operational "Signed for the aircraft/listed on the flight plan" PIC times is right on.
Some other entities that will only recognize Operational PIC (for lack of a better term) include many non-FAA Aviation Authorities. For those who ever go on to do a license conversion abroad in addition to that country's written testing it's the norm to provide a flight time breakdown and in some cases submit logbooks/or copies for their approval. Because most non-FAA Authorities don't have a similar version of 61.51 "manipulator" PIC time, keeping it in a separate column and submitting only operational PIC time is recommended. For any employer abroad, same deal.
Another difference between FAA time-logging vs. Others abroad is what constitutes Instrument Time. Again, from 61.51:
In other words, Instrument Time is that which is flown in IMC (actual or simulated, solely by reference to the instruments). FAA Instrument Time is like Night hours, a description of conditions of flight. As a general rule of thumb in an FAA logbook using the FAA's criteria, Instrument Time (actual IMC) usually (not to say always) represents about 10% to 20% of Total Flight Time unless at some point the pilot spent an inordinate amount of hours operating at low altitudes in regions where IMC conditions can prevail for weeks or a season.
However, outside of FAA-land most pilots are logging as Instrument Time 100% of all hours operating on an IFR flight plan, even if it was entirely conducted in VMC. Logbooks where 70% or 80% of Total Time is categorized as Instrument Time aren't uncommon, with professional crews logging 100% of flight time as Instrument Time even if between Dubai and Perth they only spotted 2 clouds 30,000' below them 50 miles away. Is it wrong?..not for their Authority's logging criteria, but for all that Instrument Time in the logbook what the FAA actually wants to know (experience operating in IMC) is invisible. For reference for Authorities/employers abroad, in an FAA logbook one could also keep an additional, "operational" Instrument Time column showing all hours flown while on an IFR fight plan.