I have flown for 2 Large EMS companys in the USA and meet a lot of VFR 135 pilots that will practice instrument approaches with medical crew on board on way home (no Patient on board). Which is good to try to stay up to speed with IIMC Emergency Practice. But I try to explain that as per FAA Part 91 Regs you have to have a safety pilot rated on board with duals , If you plan to log it as an approach/currency etc, especially if you let it show on company records(Duty Flight Records , Golden Hour or 411 etc for FAA.
I do understand we all do it , with crew looking out etc, to just go thru the motions, but remember if you log it somewhere that records it for FAA oversight they will ding you if you are doing it with crew and no qualified safety pilot.
You will be surprised at how many high time pilots and managers think it is fine just to use the crew as observers and go practice approaches on your way home after a patient flight. Like I said we all do it, but dont log it, cos its not legal to do so.
All fine until something goes wrong. You could have something completely unrelated go wrong and it may be noted that you were conducting IFR Practice Approach at time ,( Especially if crew dont like you they will say you were practicing an instrument approach at the time you had a bird strike or near miss or struck by asteroid....
)
Also if you are doing it with vectors from approach or PAR etc. FAA will put it down to the fact you were doing something you were not legally able to do at time of incident.
you get the drift
