Originally Posted by
Clinton McKenzie
In the USA, FAR 1.1 defines PIC as the person who “has final authority and responsibility for the operation and safety of the flight; has been designated as pilot in command before or during the flight; and holds the appropriate category, class, and type rating—if appropriate—for the conduct of the flight.” I bolded "or during" for obvious reasons..
Since you bring up USA I'll add some comments based on my experience flying there/here.
FAA distinguishes between "logging PIC" and "acting as PIC". One person may be "sole manipulator of the controls" and another acting as pilot in command. Both may log PIC. E.g. a pilot who is rated single engine land is receiving tail wheel instruction but does not have a tail wheel endorsement. That pilot may log PIC for all the time they are sole manipulator of the controls because they are rated single engine land. That pilot cannot act as PIC because that requires a tail wheel endorsement.
When I receive a flight review I log all the time as PIC and all the time as instruction received. When I give a flight review I log all the time as PIC and all the time as instruction given. If the instructor demonstrated something during the flight review the applicant would not be "sole manipulator of the controls" for that demonstration and could not log that part of the time as PIC.
I suspect that FAA may be the only juridiction that allows more than one person to log PIC for a flight.
I found 217 references to "pilot in command" in 14 CFR part 61 -
https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-1...pter-D/part-61
14 CFR 61.51 covers pilot log books with logging PIC covered in section e)
https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-1.../section-61.51