The aircraft has to have dual controls and the safety pilot has to be appropriately qualified.
If the flight is a mix of VMC and IMC then the safety pilot has to be capable of taking control at any stage. If not qualified to fly in IMC then what is the pilot under the hood going to do?..........take the hood off and put it back on as soon as you enter or leave IMC?
A pilot is required to maintain an adequate lookout for 100% of the flight time there is no relaxation in the law for flight in IMC!
If the safety pilot was not qualified for flight in IMC then they would be required to take control and avoid flight in IMC. i.e. the flight would never enter IMC.
To say "we will take the hood off if we enter IMC" leaves the question of who is flying the aircraft while one pilot is removing the hood etc etc.
If you need the practice i.e. you are not suficiently up to speed then there is also the question of should you enter IMC at all unless the safety pilot can take over and happily fly in IMC from the right seat.
Regards,
DFC
Last edited by DFC; 11th November 2007 at 11:08.