Originally Posted by Centaurus
Is there any limit on the number of hours ICUS one can legally log? In Australia it seems to me that ICUS hours are regarded with some derision by chief pilots interviewing a pilot for a job. If you are looking for a job in Asia, ICUS hours are better regarded. I am aware of one first officer flying 737's logging left seat ICUS managed to score a command job in India on the 737.
No, there is no hard limit, unless of course a company (as is their want) may set their own threshold of how much ICUS they will accept in their own instance. ICUS is a useful tool to help someone employed within an organisation to achieve an experience level (that say an insurance company or a client may require) to commence command ops on a certain type or types, or even to achieve the required hours on a multi type to satisfy CASA's requirements of a few hours on type before certain operations.
The problem starts with many many ICUS hours, without the follow-up command experience on what amounts to a single pilot aircraft. This may mean that the pilot did not pass or continue to pass the checking regime that his/her previous company concerned may have. Or, this may also scream out loud to the CP "HEY MAN, I DID MY BIT TO SCREW THE INDUSTRY EVEN FURTHER AND PAID FOR MY (50/100/200+hrs) ICUS".
While I believe it has its place (in fact I have only recently helped someone achieve what they needed for a META), it is not the answer some are looking for.