Commercial

[Flyin Tony]

I should have my commercial in the next 2 weeks. I will be doing it at a part 61 school.
My question is about the X-country req.
61.127 One cross-country flight not less then 300NM total distance and ect. ect.
And most of all it says solo, and the 5 hours of night solo and 5 hours of day solo I think
Can I go flying with my Dad during this time? Because if so I already have the time
sorry if this thing has been ran into the ground

thanks for all the help Tony

 

[TRLpilot]

technically i think not. flying with your dad would not be solo. buy your dad a six pack and tell him to keep quiet when the faa does their background check, and questions your family and neighbors.

 

[avbug]

How many people are in the airplane when flying solo? Let's cound them.

ONE!

No, no. Wait! Let's count them again.

ONE!

Wierd. I mean that's really strange. Last time I counted the number of people on a solo flight, I could have sworn it was five or six. Let's try that one more time. Here goes...

ONE!

Well, it's hard to argue; the math speaks for itself. There we have it. One, one wonderful solo pilot. Haaaa, haaa, haaa. I love to count. I just wish there were more to count! One, wonderful time, one more time. One! One! One, wonderful pilot! Haaa, haaa, haaa.

But surely that can't be the end...if only your father were, I dunno...invisible?

You didn't really ask if your father can accompany you on a solo flight, did you?

 

[midlifeflyer]

Let's try 61.61(d)

==============================
Logging of solo flight time. Except for a student pilot performing the duties of pilot in command of an airship requiring more than one pilot flight crewmember, a pilot may log as solo flight time only that flight time when the pilot is the sole occupant of the aircraft.
==============================

I think there's an interpretive gloss that says that "sole occupant" means "sole human occupant, so you can take your goldfish with you.

I can understand AvBug's consternation. The number of times this question comes up is absolutely incredible.

And the number of serious "who will know" responses scary (I'm =not= referring to your post TRL) . After all, if someone is willing to violate such a simple rule on the way toward becoming a professional pilot just because it's a teeny weeny bit inconvenient...

 

[Jedi_Cheese]

I need to ask it, does grandma count? She's half dead anyway...

 

[TonyC]

What if his Dad was a nobody?

 

[JeffSKDTW]

The number of times this question comes up is absolutely incredible.

You never thought you'd have to put that one in your personal FAQ, did ya?

 

[Flyin Tony]

Dam* did I get bashed on this one. I dont know what to say LOL. You guys got me!

 

[DX Rick]

Just remember...

When the DE asks you "who road with you on your long solo cross country?"......answer is "No one"

 

[midlifeflyer]

You never thought you'd have to put that one in your personal FAQ, did ya?

I've been avoiding it on general principles.

 

[TRLpilot]

pilot + principles = no pft

pilot + principles = no dirt-cheap compensation (aka. whoring)

i think everyone can agree that we need less pilots and more principles in this world!

 

[avbug]

If there were more principals, I'd just get sent to their offices more often.

I don't even drive by a school, any more.

 

[JeffSKDTW]

I don't even drive by a school, any more.

Not since the Restraining Order.

 

[Flyin Tony]

I just got off the Phone with Riverside FSDO and a DE there said that you can carry a passanger! So looks like I dont have to fly the 250 X-country again. Also my CFI and everyone at the airport said yes that It was ok that my Dad went.

 

[midlifeflyer]

I just got off the Phone with Riverside FSDO and a DE there said that you can carry a passenger! So looks like I don't have to fly the 250 X-country again. Also my CFI and everyone at the airport said yes that It was ok that my Dad went.

Great. An entire FSDO area that violates the rules. <sigh>

One thing to =really= watch out for. If you do it don't tell =anyone=. You could be an ATP 10 years from now flying for the airlines and someone finds out and you lose all of your certificates and ratings back to the day before you received the commercial. Not because you did anything wrong, but because you just didn't meet a basic qualification for the certificate.

 

[Flyin Tony]

I dont know if it matters but my dad is a pilot but has not flown in 16 years. I know the DE asked me that but i didnt think that that matters at all.

 

[Jedi_Cheese]

I obey the rule of the logbook has written in it what happened on the flight and anything else is sort of fuzzy... *until the laywer cuts me a deal* It's some of the best advice I ever got. And I am not exactly wordy in the entries.

 

[igneousy2]

61 Faq

This is from the FAR 61 FAQ that the FAA publishes. It's not "official" but it's as close as you can get.

UPDATE YOUR FAQs at:​

Part 61 FAQs at: http://www1.faa.gov/avr/afs/afs800/docs/pt61FAQ.doc



Part 141 FAQsat: http://www1.faa.gov/avr/afs/afs800/docs/pt141FAQ.doc



Additional document and linkage for the “Aeronautical Experience Check List” which is a file that contains an aeronautical experience checklist to assist in checking an applicant’s FAA Form 8710‑1-Airman Certificate and/or Ratings: http://www.faa.gov/avr/afs/afs800/docs/aero-exp.doc



THE SOURCE OF ANSWERS IS JOHN LYNCH, CERTIFICATION AND FLIGHT TRAINING BRANCH, AFS-840, WASHINGTON, DC UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED



Disclaimer Statement: The answers provided to the questions in this website are not legal interpretations. Only the FAA's Office of Chief Counsel and Regional Chief Counsel provide legal interpretations. The FAA's Office of Chief Counsel does not review this website nor does it disseminate legal interpretations through it. However, there are some answers provided in this website where the FAA Office of Chief Counsel's legal interpretations have been reprinted.



The answers in this website address Frequently Asked Questions on 14 CFR Part 61 and represents FAA Flight Standards Service policy as it relates to this regulation. The answers are as result of questions asked by FAA Flight Standards Service’s Regional Offices, District Offices, and from concerned people from the public. The answers provide for standardization

QUESTION: Must the solo cross country described in 61.129(a)(4) be as “sole occupant” as defined in 61.51(d) --i.e., alone in the aircraft? Suppose a person did a cross country trip as a PVT that fulfills the rule in every other respect, except s/he was carrying non-pilot passengers --his/her children, for example. Wasn't that pilot “alone” for all practical purposes (decision-making, flight planning and execution, etc.). Might not it be argued that such experience is actually more valuable than being physically alone in the airplane, since it adds to the mix elements of responsibility and pressure --and the implied the ability to manage those factors-- that wouldn't otherwise be there?



ANSWER: Ref§ 61.129(a)(4); It reads “solo” and we intended it to be “solo.”

{Q&A-8}




QUESTION:§ 61.129(a)(4) Aeronautical Experience for the Commercial Pilot Certificate states that “10 hours as solo flight in a single-engine...” is required. In the past “solo” flight was not required at the commercial level. The Preamble states on page 73 that “...HAI objects to the requirements in proposed 61.129(a)(4)...for supervised PILOT IN COMMAND on the areas of operation listed in 61.127.” QUESTION: Does a Private Pilot need to be the “sole occupant” in the airplane to meet the requirements of 61.129(a)(4), or can they carry passengers which the preamble seems to imply by the wording “pilot in command”.



ANSWER: Ref. § 61.129(a)(4); Per § 61.129(a)(4) it reads solo and we intended it to say “solo.” As it relates to § 61.129(a)(4), no the person cannot take a non-pilot person along on the flight.

{Q&A-53}





That's good enough for me.

Later

 

[midlifeflyer]

This is from the FAR 61 FAQ that the FAA publishes. It's not "official" but it's as close as you can get.

It's also part of the FAA's attempt to standardize how FSDOs and DPEs treat the regs. So the DPE who told Tony it's okay should be scheduled for some recurrent training.

 

[Flyin Tony]

Im going with what you guys say. The FSDO down here is full of crack heads. I did call the AOPA and they said the same thing as you guys said.
thanks for the help
Tony