What is a 'cross-country'?

[Evo7]

Aerbabe asked recently (and nobody replied), but does anyone know what the (official) definition of a cross-country is? As in, say, the requirements for an IMC (which requires 25 hours post-PPL which must include 10 hours P1 of which 5 must be cross country - the rest is IMC training). I can't find a definition anywhere. Guess it's somewhere in the fuzzy area between 'solo in the local area' and 'solo navex', but where....?

Trying to work out how much money I'm going to spend this year - :eek: :eek: :mad: :( :( :( - and don't want to find another 500 quid because some of those post-PPL jollies were too short...

[AerBabe]

Thanks for reposting this Evo, I'd got bogged down in other things and put it to one side.
I've been told that definition is something along the lines of 'any flight more than ...nm from the airfield'
Come on guys... someone must know!

BTW... sorry I missed you on Sat :(

[Julian]

I believe, and I am sure someone will correct if wrong, it must be a minimum of 50nm from departure to desitination(ie. takeoff to landing).

Any other offers?

[Whirlybird]

I remember being told it's any flight of more than 3 nm from the airfield. Yes, I did say THREE. I find it hard to believe too, but that was what I heard.

[DesiPilot]

Dear Evo7 and AerBabe,

As WhirlyBird mentioned under JAA 3 nm is the minimum for logging cross country requirements.
If you look in the new LASORS book in section A, Appendix A it gives you the defination of Cross Country flight.
Cross-Country Flight: Any flight during the course of which the aircraft is more than 3nm from the aerodrome of departure

Julian,

You are right too. Under FAA rules the cross country time is counted only if the aircraft is 50 nm from the point of departure and the wheels must touch down at another airport minimum 50 nm away. So if you were to go for a jolly for 100 nm and come back without a touch and go or landing, you cannot count it towards cross country time.

[Evo7]

Thanks all - sounds like I can probably count my circuits... ;) :)

[AerBabe]

:eek:

[flyboy6876]

Well, following on, what classifies as a cross country in Australia. Anyone out there got the figures?

[yogibear]

Hey all,

Well back in Safrica when I was doing my PPL(H) our cross-country part of the course was defined as a flight of 25 nm with at least one touch-down at an airfield other than your 'home' airfield. Not sure about here as am still doing some circuits etc for converting Safrican lisence to UK :rolleyes:

Cheers

Mark.

[FlyingForFun]

Evo - don't joke about counting circuits. The published circuits at some airfields (and I'm not thinking about a certain airfield in North London about which there's another thread currently running, honest!) would probably count! :eek: :D :eek:

FFF
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[englishal]

Yep, remember this thread if you are ever considering any FAA ratings. FAA IR requires 50 hrs of X/C PIC, and as DP stated, these have to be over 50nm from point of departure to point of destination.

EA

[poetpilot]

...all of which would seem to invalidate my claim for one of the shortest "x-countrys" ever.... Though I'm sure a few have made similar trips....

Ash House Farm to Ash Croft Farm in Cheshire. Total air time less than a minute. Take off from one field, turn left and you're onto finals for the other. (Or right turn on the return trip).

Both pukka airstrips, separately owned and administrated.

Had to log it as 5 mins to count for taxi time, engine checks etc.

S'pose you could do it a few thousand times if you really wanted to clock up some x-c time but had left youre map at home

;)

[tacpot]

Definitely a X-Country flight - if you turned right instead of left you could be gone for days :D

[Noggin]

Cross Country is defined in the ANO Schedule 8 as being a flight that goes more than 3 miles from the point of departure. This definition is solely for the purpose of Schedule 8 and relates to the privileges of FIs; an AFI or FI(R) has restrictions relating to solo cross countries.

For the purposes of licence issue a Cross Country is defined in CAP 53/54 as an organised route either A to B or A to A with one or more planned turning points, that is why licence applicants are required to log the turning points.

For counting your total cross country time, there is no reason why the Schedule 8 definition shouldn't be used as it is the only legal definition.