UK citizen discovery flight in Florida - can I log the hours?

[HennersB]

Hello all,

I'm a novice with just 1 hour in my logbook currently, and visiting Fort Lauderdale from my country of residence, England UK next week.

I haven't completed TSA registration at this time, but I've been offered a 'discovery flight' around Fort Lauderdale next week.

Just to check - can I record this flight in my logbook?

I'm trying to get as much experience and log as many hours as possible, hoping to get to the airlines in the future.

Many thanks in advance!

Cheers,

Henry

[eckhard]

Hi Henry,

I guess you’re relatively new to the flying game?
You have asked a good question and I’ll try to answer it in a simple way.

There is a difference in what you record in your log-book and what you claim as experience when you apply for a licence or rating.

Essentially, as your log-book is your personal record, you are entitled to record whatever you like. If you want to use it as a kind of diary, to provide a source of happy memories later in life (ask me how I know), then you can write in any experience, stick photos in, get your booked stamped by any suitable authority, etc.

What you can’t do is claim non-relative experience when you come to fill in an application form for a pilot’s certificate, be it a licence or additional rating. For example, when you apply for a PPL, you must be careful only to claim those hours that have been flown with a qualified flight instructor and which have been accrued whilst following an approved syllabus. There may be exceptions to this but you get the general idea.

Of course, it makes your life easy if you only record those flights which you know will be suitable for claiming as relevant experience later on. That will avoid having to sift through your log-book and exclude non-qualifying flights. Another way of avoiding problems is to log those flights as “other”, or “passenger” and be careful not to include them in your page totals.

Some people get a bit excited if they think that you are logging invalid flight-time. They will even say, “it’s illegal to log that!” Smile politely and remind them that you’re not planning to claim that flight as relevant experience; you’re simply recording it for posterity.

For your flight in Florida, ask the pilot if he/she has an instructor rating and whether or not the flight is being performed through a flight school.

Hope this helps and good luck with your training!

Cheers,
Eckhard
28,000 hrs (most of them “legal”, all of them fun)

[Check Airman]

If you’re with an instructor, yes.

[misd-agin]

If you’re with an instructor, yes.

You probably need to be getting actual flight instruction. I'd be surprised if the FAA approved logging of flight time if you're a passenger but the pilot is a CFI.

[Check Airman]

You probably need to be getting actual flight instruction. I'd be surprised if the FAA approved logging of flight time if you're a passenger but the pilot is a CFI.

He can get instruction on that flight. If he wants to play it safe, he can wait until the TSA check is complete to do the flight. I’d have to go look it up though.

OP, ask the flight school. Enjoy it. The weather in FL is nice at this time of the year.

[MarkerInbound]

The TSA requirement may be the hold up. TSA allows “discovery flights” for “marketing purposes” without the background check but the student must have completed the Alien Flight Student Program application before any real training takes place. The instructor might be a bit leery to put their name and number in a logbook for anything more than a demo flight until it’s verified the TSA paperwork is complete.

[Check Airman]

The TSA requirement may be the hold up. TSA allows “discovery flights” for “marketing purposes” without the background check but the student must have completed the Alien Flight Student Program application before any real training takes place. The instructor might be a bit leery to put their name and number in a logbook for anything more than a demo flight until it’s verified the TSA paperwork is complete.

Ah. That sounds correct. I haven’t done it in a while. I used to just log it as an intro flight. No reason not to let the student get credit for the flight if he’s paid for it.