How many IFR hours/1000 hours...

[nikaviator]

Hello....I aim to log 1000 hrs SEP cfi, or time build, whichever way (I have 60 M.E hours and will do more m.e, turbo prop etc after 1000 hrs SEP).

Question on my mind is, how many instrument hours should I aim to log within the 1000 SEP hrs to look good to future employers in a couple of years from now when things hopefully pick up?

When I am time building, should I try to fly cross country solely with reference to instrument and log instrument time if I fly with a safety pilot ,rather than just fly on my own andlog vfr? What should be the ratio instrument hours logged to the total hours logged?

Will really appreciate your reply on this, thank you!

[Tinstaafl]

Log whatever IF hours you happen to fly in IMC conditions. Some flights there will be none, some flights a high proportion of the time will entail IF. Don't log it if you didn't fly it. It's not exactly a job interview winner if you claim 'x' number of hours but fly with skill level appropriate to some fraction of that time. It's also suspicious if your claimed job history is known to involve lots of VFR and minimal IFR, or lots of IFR in mostly VMC, but your log shows a high proportion of IF in those flights.

My IF time as a proportion of my total time has varied all over the place, depending on what my job was at the time. Some would have frequent IF for extended periods, others almost none.

[bfisk]

What should be relevant -- your flight experience or the record of it? A logbook with 10,000 hours is worth nothing if you've learnt nothing during those 10,000 hours.

Try to do as much interesting flying as possible, challenge yourself (within reasonable limits of course), move on to bigger planes/twins, try to get a flying job, instructing etc. Burning holes in the sky for the sake of a piece of paper is completely and utterly useless.

Analogous, your certificate does not give you the ability to fly, the flight training it is based on, does. So you might want to reconsider the validity of your question...

[nikaviator]

Thanks so much for your advise, I really appreciate it, it makes sense that I can't actually aim for a certain time, as it depends on the varied experiences I get.

I intend to enjoy the journey to 1000 hours, combination of cfi, ga, safety pilot on single engine turboprops and all. I am also exploring what kind of planes can I legally act as a safety pilot and log time.

I am now planning to do cfi plus MEI on a diamond 42 as well , so that will give me more hours on it toward the 1000 hrs. I feel cfi will leave me wanting more after a while and I will get bored after a few months.

I really enjoy flying with reference to instrument and doing instrument approaches in various airports. I feel I am learning new stuff each time I fly a different IFR route cross country. Aside from that I enjoy taking extra lessons on unusual attitude recovery and aerobatics (when I can)

I would like to get different kind of experiences in flying, and fly in different countries. So far I've flown in 3 countries only, but I am hoping to add more. I needed the advise so as not to go wrong in just flying vfr without trying to get a certain amount of instrument hours as well.

Thanks!

[nikaviator]

@bfisk, I stand by my question.... my ability to fly got me the certificate, and rating in the first place. The log book is just a record of my instrument and vfr experience.

FAA requires a minimum of 75 instrument time for the minimum total of 1500 hrs for the issue of atp certificate, some countries require 100 hours.

I needed to know what goes on in the employers' mind when they look into a log book, will they be expecting any kind of minimum instrument hours that I needed to fly within a 1000 hours.

Mr. Tinstaffl got me thinking in the right direction. Anyways thanks for answering and the advise about flying different aircrafts pal

[grrowler]

Well as an example, and I admit the weather is generally good in oz, I have logged nearly 6000 hours (about 4500 IFR RPT flights), and have logged just over 200 hours actual IF time in aircraft. It's probably a little higher than this as sometimes I've probably forgotten to log a few minutes here and there, but generally in commercial operations, you tend to be under, over, or around the fluffy bits if possible.

I wouldn't worry too much about employers thinking you have too many or few IF hours. If you make the most of your 1000 hours to maximise your IF and other flying skills, you will prove to the airline that they are legit when they give you a sim ride.

[nikaviator]

thanks for the encouragement!

[IrishJetdriver]

Don't forget that if you're not pilot flying then you can't log the IF time. That applies to safety pilot and PNF in commercial operations.

For example, of my 7600hrs I have only logged 2500hrs IF.

As other posters have said, it is what you can show for your experience that counts. Make your CV interesting, it may help you stand out from the crowd.

[bfisk]

On another note, the JAA (EASA) system does not care about IMC time, only IFR time.

[nikaviator]

noted with thanks, that IF logging and IFR logging are quite different. Also that safety pilot or flying as a cfi teaching instrument flying to a student can't be logged as IF if the conditions are vmc.

My log book is a simple jeppesen one with 2 columns for instrument logging-actual instrument time and simulated (hood) instrument time.

One more question. If I file an IFR flight plan, and the weather happens to be vmc for most of the route, how do you suggest I log if I did a dme-vor approach for landing? Thanks!

[Tinstaafl]

Unless you used a view limiting device (hood or whatever) - and had a safety pilot to look out for you - you don't log any IF at all in VMC. It's not that hard to figure out for most jurisdictions: IF you fly by sole reference to the instruments THEN you log IF. No more, no less. For most people flying in NON-VMC is considered close enough. Doesn't matter what flight path you're trying to achieve or by what navigtional device even if it happens to be an instrument approach. If you're in VMC without a hood then it's not IF.

[B200Drvr]

As someone who has in the past been responsible for employing pilots, I think there is great advice on this thread. I looked for a ratio of about 10% of total time to be IF, however, here you have Grrowler, who has less than that and a perfectly honest explanation, just as you have IrishJetDriver, who has way more, but look at his name.
Employers are not stupid, If you have been flying in Dubai and 30% of your total time is IF, they are going to scrutinize your log book.
My advise would be to fly whatever you can whenever you can, and it will all even out in the end. The most important thing is to KEEP IT HONEST.

[nikaviator]

Thankyou, will keep all the tips in mind.....They are really helpful as you all cleared my doubts, and I am less stressed to find opportunites, safety pilots etc. to log more IF. Also I'll keep in mind as I continue to fly and gain more hours, that I should practice a lot of instrument approaches and sharpen my instrument and flying skills no matter vmc or imc as the simulator tests will be based on that mainly.

[Always Moving]

IMC

Fly as much IFR as you can and if possible IMC to IMC aproaches.
If you have to fly VFR fly in the system.
Do not lie in your logbook, it shows in the sim!

Fly smooth, keep your descend rates at 500feet/min, move the power little by little, if you can (ATC permitting) go from full power from takeoff to power off at landing and never increase the power,plan ahead.

Practice makes perfect

[bfisk]

On another note, about the previous post (wrt power settings.). Back when I was instructing in the seminole, I used to give people the challenge (when they were up for it): circuits with only 5 power changes (incl takeoff-power and idle for touchdown), and plan ahead the turns, configuration changes etc. After a couple of attempts, it seemed to smoothen out the flying considerably. No more chasing power

[ONCALL]

bfisk...great advise