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You may act as pilot in command on all aircraft that you hold the appropriate ratings (category, class, and type (if a type rating is required)) on your pilot certificate, under part 91, if your pilot certificate is current and valid, your pilot certificate authorizes the privileges you seek to exercise, and you hold a current and valid medical certificate issued under Part 67 (14 CFR Part 67) appropriate to the privileges you seek to exercise [see § 61.23(a) and (b)]. In order for your pilot certificate to be “current” for acting as pilot in command, you must meet the recent flight experience requirements under § 61.57 that are appropriate to the operation you seek to conduct, and you must meet the flight review requirements under § 61.56. In order for your pilot certificate to be “valid,” your pilot certificate must not be suspended, revoked, or expired. In order for your medical certificate to be “current,” it must meet the appropriate duration requirements under § 61.23(c) for the privileges you seek to exercise. In order for your medical certificate to be “valid,” your medical certificate must not be suspended, revoked, or expired.
You may log pilot-in-command flight time in accordance with § 61.51(e). 61.51(e) provides, in pertinent part, that you may log pilot-in-command flight time during which you are the sole manipulator of the controls of an aircraft for which you are rated, you are the sole occupant of the aircraft, you are acting as pilot in command on an aircraft on which more than one pilot is required under the type certification or the regulations under which the flight is conducted, or while you (the holder of an ATP certificate) are acting as pilot in command of an operation requiring an ATP certificate.
QUESTION: Some time ago I wrote looking for input on CFR §1.1 that defines “pilot flight time”. I said that some of our pilots claimed “flight time” included start, warm-up, taxi, run-up, and further taxi (all under the assumption that this time is “for the purpose of flight”) while the purists in the group claimed that flight time didn't even start until power was applied at the end of the runway.
After we get to CFR 1.1, does flight time include start, warm-up, taxi to the run-up area, further taxi to the runway, etc. or does “moving under its own power for the purpose of flight” begin only when the aircraft is lined up on the centerline beginning its take-off roll? The argument, of course, is that since most GA aircraft begin charging for the airplane once the engine starts, most pilots have decided to log what they pay for. But there is another group of pilots who say that warm-up and taxi time is not flight time. Has the FAA explained the definition we find in CFR 1.1?
ANSWER: Ref. CFR 1.1 and CFR 61.51; It means “. when an aircraft moves under its own power for the purpose of flight and ends when the aircraft comes to rest after landing . . .” Or, the more commonly referred definition is “Block to Block” time. The following has been checked and verified with General Counsel, AGC-240:
1. Start up: No, you cannot log that as flight time.
2. Warm-up: No, you cannot log that as flight time if the aircraft has not yet moved from the parking location.
3. Taxi: Yes, you can log that as flight time.
4. Run-up: Yes, you can log that time. After all, attempted flight without run-up could appear careless & reckless.
5. Further taxi to the runway, etc.: Yes, you can log that as flight time.
6. The aircraft moves out onto the runway, throttle up to takeoff power, and begins the takeoff roll: Obviously, yes, you can log that as flight time.
7. Landing and roll out: Yes, you can log that as flight time.
8. Taxi in to parking: Yes, you can log that as flight time.
9. Engine Shut Down: No you cannot log that as flight time after the airplane is in a parking position.
I hope this answers your question, if not let me know and I will research some more for you.
Denny
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