Total time/instrument ratio

[Brett Hull]

I just want to get a feel for how everyone's total time stacks up against their instrument time. I remember reading a job posting a couple of months ago for a corporate shuttle CRJ in Houston. The mins were 4000 total and 500 instrument.

One of my groundschool instructors in college was retired from the USAF (fighter) and TWA (-80 capt), and he said he only had around 600 hours of instrument when he retired. Granted, he spent no time trekking through the weather in a Metro or other regional airliner of the time, but neither have I and I'm at around 4600 total and 190 instrument.

I realize these mins were just that, bare minimums, but if you saw a resume with 4000 total and 500 instrument would it raise a flag to you?

 

[Flyingtoohigh]

I am at a much earlier stage in my career but I have a similar question. I've seen some job posting requiring "...instrument time commensurate with total flight time."


How is this ratio determined? As a flight instructor teaching mainly primary students, how much instrument time am I expected to have with 1000 hours?

 

[paulsalem]

Most mins work out to be around 10% of your total time should be Instrument time.

 

[Lead Sled]

FWIW, if a person has more than 10% of their time logged as instrument they better have a good explination. Every once in a while you'll run into someone who thinks that if they filed IFR they can log it as IFR.

'Sled

 

[Uncle Sparky]

340 logged.........but most of that chunk was flying ambulance to South America during the Summer and NE during the Winter. By comparison, at my new cushy job , the rate has dropped off to 4%.

 

[mattpilot]

we talking actual or actual & simulated combined?

 

[TheDogsBollocks]

The ratio of instrument vs total time is also greatly affected by where you fly. Flying out of California meant my instrument time grew very slowly, my relocation to the Pacific Northwest has changed matters somewhat!

 

[KiloBase]

IFR not IFR?

So you think that if you file IFR you should not necessarily log most of that flight as Instrument?

Part 61-g) Logging instrument flight time. (1) A person may log instrument time only for that flight time when the person operates the aircraft solely by reference to instruments under actual or simulated instrument flight conditions.

I mean if you are VMC but on an IFR, then that pretty much falls into the category.

Does that mean if you have the auto pilot engaged while in the clouds you shouldn't log that time?

It is interesting how the CFRs only talk about "simulated" when talking about time for a qualification.

I looked at my time and it is about 15% of my TT. That is for over 12 years of aviation experience so I don't think I am out "fat logging" instrument time.

IMO, if you are on an IFR flt plan, flying GPS Direct, Victor Airways, or etc. and this is how you are navigating, then it is Instrument time.

 

[PropsForward]

FWIW: Mine is about 12% of TT.

 

[a-v-8er]

7% of TT. Many hours in FL and now most of the flying is above 250...