Mike, and all other Coupers, let me add to the AOPA statement that Part 61.1 defines cross country time. It is important to note that the requirement of a distance of 50 miles from the inital point of departure applies only for cross country time logged and required to obatain a pilot license or rating. If you don't use it for a rating or certificate, you may log X-C time also for less than 50 mile trips, if certain conditions are fulfilled.
For example, say you are a private pilot now and are working on your commercial rating. To be eligible for applying for a commercial certificate, you would need a minimum of 50 hours pilot time in cross-country flight (of which at least 10 hours must be in airplanes). Assume further that right now you have less than 50 hours. You could NOT count a trip as "cross country flight time required" for your Commercial Certificate, if the landing were at a place less than 50 miles away, as stated in the AOPA message. However, there is no rule prohibiting you from logging X-C time for trips of less than 50 miles. Part 61.1 (b)(3) defines X-C time further. The requirements are that the flight is: (A) Conducted by a person who holds a pilot certificate; (B) Conducted in an aircraft; (C) That includes a landing at a point other than the point of departure; and (D) That involves the use of dead reckoning, pilotage, electronic navigation aids, radio aids, or other navigation systems to navigate to the landing point. As you can see, no minimum distance is mentioned. Therefore, if you already have all ratings for which a minimum of X-C time is required, or you have more than enough X-C time, or you can distinguish the "less than 50 miles" trips from the "more than 50 miles" otherwise, you may go ahead and log X-C time for shorter trips as well, as long as you land at a different place AND use some form of navigation (and, as it is a cross country flight, it stands to reason that you will use SOME form of navigation, unless you consider your CFI as your "automated direction finder"...) In any case however, Mike and also Burt Rutan's voyager flights do not qualify for X-C, as there was no "landing at another point than the point of departure". Just log a local flight. Hope this helps for further clarification. Cheers Stefan in Tokyo, CFIA Mooney M-10 Cadet N9547V www.hpo.net/users/sfanselow/m10/ However > >Hi Mike, > >Your reasoning doesn't count. My reasoning doesn't count. Neither does your >wife's reasoning, although never tell her that! One should never try to >apply reasoning or logic to the FAA. It is not reasoning that governs >flying. It's the FARs. > >14CFR, Part 61.1(d)(ii)(B) defines cross country time as time acquired >during a flight "That includes a point of landing that was at least a >straight-line distance of more than 50 nautical miles from the original >point of departure;" Voyager made a local flight. > >Rutan didn't need the cross country time, anyway. > >Thank you for your interest in AOPA. If I can be of any further assistance, >please feel free to contact me at any time. > >Paul Smith >Technical Specialist >Aviation Services Department >AOPA > >> -----Original Message----- >> From: Aaron, Denise >> Sent: Tuesday, June 20, 2000 9:02 AM >> To: Smith, Paul >> Subject: FW: logging cross-country time >> >> >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [SMTP:[EMAIL PROTECTED] >> Sent: Monday, June 19, 2000 9:04 PM >> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >> Subject: logging cross-country time >> >> This is an Info Request from the AOPA Website. >> The following information was provided: >> >> Name: Michael J. Nutt >> AOPA Number: 01208948 >> E-mail Address: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >> Phone: 810-795-4654 >> Subject: logging cross-country time >> >> Request: >> We departed our home airport today and flew just over 200 miles. The >> furthest point from home was about 85 NM. We then returned to our home >> airport, without landing at any other point during the flight. >> >> My wife says that I can't log this as cross-country time, because we did >> not land at a destination that was at least 50 NM from our point of >> origin. I think you can, because we WERE at least 50 NM from home, even >> though we didn't land. Following her reasoning, Voyager's round-the- >world >> flight would be considered a local flight, because they departed and >> landed at the same airport. Care to enlighten us? >> >> Thanks!!!! >> >> >------End forward message--------------------------- >Though this does not specifically address Ercoupes, I found the answer >amusing and thought you might find it interesting. > >Michael J. Nutt >Warren, MI >_________________________________________________________________________ __ _____ >To unsubscribe from this list please send mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] >___________________________________________________________ >T O P I C A The Email You Want. http://www.topica.com/t/16 >Newsletters, Tips and Discussions on Your Favorite Topics > __________________________________________________________________________ ______ To unsubscribe from this list please send mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] ________________________________________________________________________ Start an Email List For Free at Topica. http://www.topica.com/register
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