Splitting Multi PIC time? legit or not?

[bobbysamd]

Legal x-c time v. not logging it

For Part 135 qualification purposes, the cross country time may be basic point-to-point cross country: any flight involving a landing at another airport that you didn't bump into by accident, no matter what the distance. So you've got all these hours of flying to the airport with the great restaurant that's 10 NM away. Do you bother to log them?

But consider this scenario: You are a young CFI working at an FBO that does some night cargo operations. The FBO operator knows you, likes you, and is confident in your piloting skills. One of the regular pilots is going on vacation and you're offered the job of subbing. If all you count is the 50+ NM type of cross country, you're just shy of meeting the overall Part 135 cross country requirements, and you're really far off on the night cross country requirement. If you count point-to-point cross country, you meet them. The employer in this situation doesn't care that the cross country time was to the airport 5 NM away; she only cares that the local FSDO won't come banging on the door with a 135 violation . . . . .

And the pilot in question got the chance because he/she met the requirements, fair and square (And took a 135 ride with the FAA, who would have checked his/her credentials and issued him/her a 135 letter!). As opposed to logging multi time questionably.

I would, and did, log this kind of cross-country time. As long as it meets the definition, i.e. is legal, logged accurately, and follows the spirit of the reg, there's nothing wrong with it. One rung on the ladder for many career pilots is ferrying aircraft for customers, friends and others. I ferried aircraft many a time in CAP, and logged all my time. Employers will see that you have cross-country time, but will be more interested in how much was IFR.

There are freight pilots in California who fly cross-country, but on very short flights. Many of them graduate to the bigger iron in time without problems.

Cross-country time seems to be a less sensitive issue than building that all-important and hard-to-build multi time. On the other hand, everyone is sooooo desperate to build multi hours, and to build them in a hurry, because they are so hard to build and so vital for the career. That's why the multi time-building issue is so controversial, and why so many try to contrive the time.