Okay, this is it...

[Earl Williams]

...my last question about logging time (I promise!).

As I had mentioned in an earlier post, I'm working towards building the 250TT required for the Commercial rating. I'm also working part-time (office work...not as a pilot) for a 135 charter outfit and have been able to fly along with some of the test pilots on post-annual and post-maintenence check flights. Oftentimes, the test pilots allow me to fly the entire flight (with them sitting right seat). Since I'm not a commercial pilot yet, I didn't want to break any rules by doing this on my work time, and getting compensated, so I do it on days when I'm not working (thus, not getting paid).

Anyways, I assumed I could log all of this time, and count it towards my commercial total time, but I wasn't sure if I should elaborate about the flights in the "remarks" section of my logbook? Is it okay to disclose in my logbook what the flight was for? (such as "Post-annual flight to check customer aircraft auto-pilot system"...or something like that?). Or would doing so sound fishy with me not yet being a commercial pilot? I just don't want this to unkowingly come back to bite me in the a$$ in the future.

Thanks for any and all replies...I appreciate everyone's time.

Fly safe!
-Earl

 

[jergar999]

If those flights are conducted under CFR Part 91 you can certainly log the time as PIC, provided you are appropriately rated and endorsed for the aircraft flown.

 

[midlifeflyer]

provided you are appropriately rated and endorsed for the aircraft flown.

"Rated" yes, "Endorsed", no.

To log PIC, you do have to be rated for the aircraft, but you do not have to endorsed (as in the well-known example that you may log PIC in a high performance airplane before having a high performance endorsement.)

I know it's a tecchnicality, but it's this very difference that starts most of the logging arguments.

 

[TXCAP4228]

Are you paying your pro rata share of operating expenses?

 

[Earl Williams]

Paying my share

I'm not paying anything for these particular flights...yet I'm not getting paid for them either. The majority of the flights (part 91 for the company) must be done whenever a customer's A/C is done with its annual, or some service work.

I questioned whether I should be paying "my pro-rated share" (remembering the regulations that state accordingly for a Private Pilot) yet I was given an analogy that it's similiar to one having a friend, or family member, that has a plane, and you getting to fly it for free.

...sheesh...I HOPE I'm not wrong in assuming I don't need to pay pro-rated expenses on these flights.

 

[Cardinal]

If you walked out the ramp and stole a random airplane, flew it and parked it you haven't paid jack as far as operating expenses, but that doesn't make it a commercial operation. Grand theft would be the only violation here.

 

[midlifeflyer]

Re: Paying my share

...sheesh...I HOPE I'm not wrong in assuming I don't need to pay pro-rated expenses on these flights.

Don't worry about it.

 

[hangar7guy]

And one more thought

Are the aircraft involved single- or multi-engine? And if it's the latter -- are you multi-engine rated?

"7"

Oh, and one more thought: If the test pilots are appropriately rated (and current) CFIs, then the time could be logged as dual received. Provided, as DitchDriver mentioned, that it's a 91 flight and therefore not running afoul of the company's 135 ops specs.

 

[100LL... Again!]

In numerous enforcement actions, the FAA has considered getting free flight time as compensation.

A private pilot cannot do a ferry or test flight (alone in the aircraft)even if they are not paid, because they are performing a service, and the flight time is compensation. (Strictest interpretation).

Since the other pilot is there and is getting paid, it is likely that you are within the regs, if only slightly. Left or right seat does not matter.