Question: Commercial license and flight simulator use:

[FlyingToIST]

The 61.129 (a) specifies that a commercial candidate has to have 250 hours of flight time as the aeronatical experience. 61.129(a)(1) says that only 100 hours of it should be in powered aircraft.

61.129 (i) Permits the use of flight simulators for 50 hours in the sim. This portion is pretty self explanatory as well.

Flight time per 1.1 is defined as pilot time that commences when an aircraft moves under its own power for the purpose of flight.

So, we are interpreting all this as you can have 50 hrs of simulator time for your commercial but this will still not count towards your 250 hrs requirement of commercial pilot aeronautical experience. Am I correct in that interpretation?

Thanks..

 

[gsrcrsx68]

(i) Credit a maximum of 50 hours toward the total aeronautical experience requirements for an airplane or powered-lift rating, provided the aeronautical experience was obtained from an authorized instructor in a flight simulator or flight training device that represents that class of airplane or powered-lift category and type, if applicable, appropriate to the rating sought; and

The 61.129 (a) specifies that a commercial candidate has to have 250 hours of flight time as the aeronatical experience.

That is the aeronautical experience requirement. It allows for 50 hours of credit towrds the aeronautical experience requirement, not to one of the subparts.

 

[timeoff]

The DE for my instrument ride told me that I could count 50 hours of FTD/sim towards the commercial mins.

 

[avbug]

A

FlyingTOisT,

A little more careful reading will render as follows:

§ 61.129 Aeronautical experience.
(a) For an airplane single-engine rating. Except as provided in paragraph (i) of this section, a person who applies for a commercial pilot certificate with an airplane category and single-engine class rating must log at least 250 hours of flight time as a pilot that consists of at least:...

The opening paragraph for 61.129 immediately provides the provision that paragraph (i) is the exception to the aeronautical experience requirements of flight time.

61.129(i) provides the following:

(i) Permitted credit for use of a flight simulator or flight training device.
(1) Except as provided in paragraph (i)(2) of this section, an applicant who has not accomplished the training required by this section in a course conducted by a training center certificated under part 142 of this chapter may:
(i) Credit a maximum of 50 hours toward the total aeronautical experience requirements for an airplane or powered-lift rating, provided the aeronautical experience was obtained from an authorized instructor in a flight simulator or flight training device that represents that class of airplane or powered-lift category and type, if applicable, appropriate to the rating sought; and...

Your question is w(h)eather the 50 hours of simulator time may be credited toward the total 250 hour requirement for the commercial certificate, and the answer, spelled out clearly in the regulation is YES.