I have read Part 61 where it states simulator time is counted as total aeronautical experience. But the whole sad thing about the this logging of simulator hours as hidden flight hours, is the potential for wholesale degrading of a pilots real flying experience.
I found an old 1950's DCA log book. The Instructions first page states:
Time recorded in the column "Ground Training" will be that time which is spent in Link Trainers or other approved ground training devices for instrument flying.
Total aeronautical Experience, at the foot of the page, is to be compiled as follows:-
Pilot in command - Total time so flown.
Dual Instruction - Total time so flown.
Co-Pilot - 50% of time so flown.
This total shall therefore equal the sum of columns 1,2,3,4,5,6,9 and 10 plus fifty percent of the individual totals for columns 7 and 8. (7 and 8 are copilot times Night and day)
Instrument Flight Time is time spent at the controls while in flight under actual or properly simulated instrument flight conditions and will be recorded in the "In-Flight" column, as well as being included in the appropriate column 1 to 10.
Interestingly, RAAF Pilot Log Books of that era also gave instructions for the logging of instrument flight time which was either simulated in flight or actual instrument flying in flight. "Actual" being in cloud. However a further column was required to be drawn in which was headed Link Trainer. Log books were required to be signed monthly by the flight commander and woe betide if a pilot made mistakes in his log book.
All this shows that 70 plus years of historical logging of hours in DCA and RAAF log books and which has stood the test of time, has now been plundered by CASA via Part 61 and we now see the ridiculous situation where ground training time (simulator or approved FTD) is legally logged as total aeronautical flying experience.
What next? Sweeping the hangar floor time to be included as part of total aeronautical experience
