Originally Posted by
B2N2
Here’s one for you.
Student pilot - left seat
Pilot examiner - right seat
FAA inspector - back seat observing the Pilot examiner conduct a check-ride.
Here’s a second scenario:
Student pilot - left seat
Flight Instructor - right seat
Chief Flight Instructor(me)- back seat observing the Instructor.
You can bet your beans that I am PIC in the back seat in that scenario.
In case of accident or incident the FAA would consider the highest rated pilot in a position to interfere in the outcome of the flight as (partially) responsible.
* It is however not loggable time.
Are you though, if you’re just observing then surely the instructor would be PIC? My equivalent would be a line check, the training captain on the jump seat is the most senior pilot on board but are categorically just there as an observer, and the rules are very clear on that. Should we fail the outbound entirely, they could then jump in the LHS and train the RHS on the return, then they would be PIC.