I hold an EASA PPL(A) and am looking to build ~50 hours PIC this year. Due to current limitations, I need another qualified pilot in the sear next to me for the time being.
I can take up to 60 days off work this year, so I’m considering structured hour-building abroad (Southern or Eastern Europe) during the summer.
Some operators advertise “free safety pilot” arrangements, which I find hard to square with the fact that only one pilot logs PIC. Others can only offer an instructor at full FI rates.
I’m trying to understand what makes sense here:
- Are “free safety pilot” schemes legitimate, and if so, how do they usually work?
- Any experience with long-block cross-country hour building under similar constraints?
In parallel, I’m also looking for a flying buddy interested in doing 2–4 weeks of XC hour building together next year.
Interested in hearing how others have approached this.