Originally Posted by
megan
ICAO Annex 1 defines "Instrument flight time" as " Time during which a pilot is piloting an aircraft solely by reference to instruments and without external reference points". EASA on the other hand has a slightly different wording, but the intent is the exact same, "means the time during which a pilot is controlling an aircraft in flight solely by reference to instruments". FL370 IFR plan and gin clear day doesn't make the cut.
Indeed, however, under EASA rules there is absolutely no need to log Instrument time, however, there is an innate need to log IFR time. AMC1 FCL.050 a) 5) states quite clearly that time flown under instrument flight rules has to be logged, however, there is no mention of instrument flight time in regards to sole reference by instruments. If you then read on about the format of the EASA flight log, it shows only IFR time, but not time in sole reference to instruments, however, that can of course be logged at ones leisure in the remarks column, as it might be needed if one wants to pursue options outside of EASA regulations. In EASA instrument flight time is only relevant during training for a rating or license. But not to keep a license current, it is therefore completely irrelevant once the training has finished.
That is actually one of the things that didn't change in the change from JAR to EASA FCL.