Well, the question is can I remain PIC and log it as simulated instrument time.
What I'm getting at here, is that I am comfortable that the flying is perfectly safe. The practise is certainly useful. I would like to be able to log it, simply as a record that I did practise a necessary safety skill. It's my get out of jail free card should I inadvertently enter cloud. (Which I have no plan to do intentionally.) I would like to record practising this skill, just like I record it when I practise pfl's.
What I want to avoid is logging something that would cause me problems the next time I have my log book examined by the IAA.
Single pilot operations? I'm not sure I see the relevance. Yes the aircraft would only require one crew member, and it can only have one pilot in command. But I'm not aware of anything that says it can't be operated by two pilots. Obviously only REQUIRED crew members could log the time, but I can't see anything to say that two pilots, one in command, can't operate the aircraft.
Bose....for a start I'm not in the same country as you. But as you'll have gathered from the above, it's not the flying I'm concerned about. I'd like to log the time as a record of my practise, but don't want to cause myself problems.
My own thoughts on the legality of logging this as simulated instrument time go like this.
The aircraft would be Irish registered, and this requires a pilot with an IR if it's to be flown under IFR, irrespective of the weather conditions. I have no IR, therefore I can't fly IFR in VMC, so the flight must be under VFR.
In order to be VFR certain weather conditions must be met. No problem this conditions would be met, so I could fly VFR. Below 3000ft, I'd be insight of the surface, albeit choosing not to look at the surface, or above 3000ft I would simply need to be sufficient distance from cloud. (My licence has no requirement to remain in sight of the surface above 3000ft.)
I have the privileges and currency to fly as PIC and carry a passenger.
A lookout must be kept, and it would be kept. The question seems to boil down to must it be the pilot in command that makes the lookout, or can this be done my another competent pilot?
I can't think of anything else that would make the practise illegal, and no-one has yet suggested something which would make it illegal. Lots of opinion about the legality, but nothing saying that a particular requirement or rule has been broken.
I'm coming to the conclusion that it's fine to carry out this practise, and to log is as PIC, and simulated instrument conditions.