bingofuel,
The safety pilot need not be relegated to the status of a passenger for EASA purposes if he acts as pilot-in-command. He is required to so act if the simulated flight is done under IFR (in VMC only—
Walker 2011) if the other pilot does not hold a valid instrument rating.
Meikleour,
Under the circumstances described in the Speranza and Walker interpretations that is correct. However, once 14 CFR 91.109(c) [requirement for a safety pilot during simulated instrument flight] becomes applicable then two pilots may log pilot-in-command under 14 CFR 61.51. See the interpretation to Danny Creech, 8 Aug 2013 [
pdf], for flight in a single-pilot aeroplane operated in VMC:
Mr.
Gebhart's letter presented a scenario in which two pilots are flying during VMC
conditions in an aircraft for which both pilots have appropriate ratings. Pilot A flies the
aircraft and Pilot B acts as the pilot-in-command. We informed Mr. Gebhart that in this
scenario Pilot A may log the entire flight as PIC flight time "because that pilot was the sole
manipulator of the controls for the entire flight." Additionally, Pilot B may log PIC time for
the time during which Pilot B acted as the safety pilot for Pilot A's simulated instrument
flight "because Pilot B was a required flight crewmember for that portion of the flight"
under 14 C.F.R. § 91.109(c).
In the scenario you present Pilot A may log the entire flight as PIC time as that pilot is the
sole manipulator of the controls for the entire flight.
Assuming that Pilot B is acting as PIC for the flight, Pilot B may log any portion of the
flight during which Pilot A operated in simulated instrument flight and Pilot B acted as the
safety pilot because Pilot B's presence is required for that portion of the flight under
§91.109(c).