Need advice on logging lost hours

[upndsky]

A fellow flight instructor and myself are faced with a small dillema (sp?). Before we decided to become professional pilots, we had other careers. I've been flying for 15 years, but until recently, logging hours wasn't that big of a concern. I was perfectly happy there until the company got sold. That's when I decided to pursue my lifelong goal of being an airline pilot.

I have about 400 hours in a Cessna 182 with the hours logged in it coming directly from the tach. The plane didn't have a Hobbs meter. As we all know, a tach isn't an accurate gauge of flight time. I've heard of several formulas to convert tach time to flight time, the most popular being to multiply the time by 1.2. My friend is in a similar scenario, having logged several hundred hours in a C-140.

Using the above formula, there are 80 hours out there that would put me just a few hours short of a Part 135 job that I've been promised.

The question is this: Should I make an adjustment in my logbook to retrieve those hours or should I just suck it up? My concern is that it may take a couple of months to make up those "lost" hours by wich time this Part 135 opportunity may be gone. At the same time, I don't want it to appear that I'm "padding" my logbook. I don't want to raise flags at a future job interview.

Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[bobbysamd]

An idea and a thought

Order a copy of your airman's file from the FAA, www.faa.gov . The 8710s that were filed when you applied for your certificates will be there. The hours on the 8710s are proof positive that you met the hour and experience requirements for your certificates. You can use these times to document your experience.

Frankly, if it were me, I'd just suck it up and not risk insinuations of logbook padding. The job offer is important, but the bigger picture is your integrity. Honesty is indeed the best policy, especially regarding logbooks.

Good luck getting the job and changing careers.

 

[upndsky]

Thanks for the reply.

Getting a copy of my latest 8710 isn't going to help. I got all my ratings 10 years ago. That's how I ended up in a different business in the first place... no one was hiring in the early '90s. Can you say deja vu?

Even though I can use the hours, I agree with your suggestion to suck it up. I'm proud that my logbook is free from Parker Pen time and I want to make sure it appears that way.

 

[bobbysamd]

Deja vu all over again

Apologies to Yogi Berra.

Yes, sir, I certainly can say deja vu. I was there, virtually, with you, and wound up in a different business, too. Times today are not that different from ten-eleven years ago, except the commuters aren't demanding 1500-500 multi and an ATP.

Once again, good luck with your plans.