IFR time

ahmad

Pre-takeoff checklist
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Midwest Aviator
I'm noticing a lot of job descriptions on the web mention about IFR time hours. My logbook does not have a column for IFR hrs. I have been tracking instrument times and number of approaches. I am confused on what constitute IFR time(flying under IFR flight plan?)and how do people track this.
 
I don’t know what they are asking for unless the application defines it in some way different than actual + simulated instrument time.
 
I put a checkbox in my logbook program to check whether a flight was under IFR. Even if 100% VMC it counts towards IFR time. Whether it is ever useful or not, I don't know. Like ahmad I saw someone request IFR time for something so I figured why not? Its just an extra field in the table/query/form/and report.
 
I put a checkbox in my logbook program to check whether a flight was under IFR. Even if 100% VMC it counts towards IFR time. Whether it is ever useful or not, I don't know. Like ahmad I saw someone request IFR time for something so I figured why not? Its just an extra field in the table/query/form/and report.

Uh, what??!?
 
I track it in MyFlightBook, which has a “property” (column) for IFR time. I include all time that is conducted under instrument flight rules. I’m kind of surprised to learn that someone out there might actually care about it, though.
 
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I’m kind of surprise to learn that someone out there might actually care about it, though.
it’s a lot easier to train someone to fly a particular airplane under IFR if they’re reasonably proficient at flying IFR already, and there are a lot of newbies who aren’t.
 
Insurance renewal asks for instrument time. I only log actual IMC + hood time. Never just because on an IFR flight plan. My logbooks have had columns for Actual Instrument and Simulated. No mention of "IFR".
 
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My log book has a column for simulated and actual... for actual it has to be IMC... or so I was told... I am sure I'll be corrected here.
 
I'm noticing a lot of job descriptions on the web mention about IFR time hours. My logbook does not have a column for IFR hrs. I have been tracking instrument times and number of approaches. I am confused on what constitute IFR time(flying under IFR flight plan?)and how do people track this.
They’re asking about Actual or Simulated IFR time. Never seen a logbook that doesn’t have a column for it.
 
My log book has a column for simulated and actual... for actual it has to be IMC... or so I was told... I am sure I'll be corrected here.
This. As far as I know iFR time doesn’t count for anything unless is actual or simulated IMC. I mean who gives a crap how much IFR time in VMC you have? 61.57 sure doesn’t.
 
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I'm noticing a lot of job descriptions on the web mention about IFR time hours. My logbook does not have a column for IFR hrs. I have been tracking instrument times and number of approaches. I am confused on what constitute IFR time(flying under IFR flight plan?)and how do people track this.
§ 61.51 Pilot logbooks.
(a) Training time and aeronautical experience. Each person must document and record the following time in a manner acceptable to the Administrator:

(1) Training and aeronautical experience used to meet the requirements for a certificate, rating, or flight review of this part.

(2) The aeronautical experience required for meeting the recent flight experience requirements of this part.

(b) Logbook entries. For the purposes of meeting the requirements of paragraph (a) of this section, each person must enter the following information for each flight or lesson logged:
(3) Conditions of flight—

(i) Day or night.

(ii) Actual instrument.

(iii) Simulated instrument conditions in flight, a full flight simulator, flight training device, or aviation training device.

g) Logging instrument 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.

(2) An authorized instructor may log instrument time when conducting instrument flight instruction in actual instrument flight conditions.
 
I always logged "IFR" time as under the hood or actual IMC then noted the actual IMC time in the comment section. My logbooks (all seven of them) are mostly for me but can be used to verify times required by someone else, like insurance carriers or even the FAA.
 
Uh, what??!?

I'll see your "Uh, what??!?" and raise you a "What in tarnation??!?" Logging IFR flight plans even though you're in VFR weather??? Uh, no, absolutely not... IFR logging for actual or simulated only, thank you.

Geez, @EdFred , if you're gonna log "time in the system", you keep a check mark for flight following too? How about transitioning bravo, charlie, delta?
 
Last flight I filed IFR, but everything broke up before launch. Got my clearance anyway. 0 IMC, but IFR time.
@EdFred I think we are missing something in your logic for logging.
§ 61.51 Pilot logbooks.
(a) Training time and aeronautical experience. Each person must document and record the following time in a manner acceptable to the Administrator:

(1) Training and aeronautical experience used to meet the requirements for a certificate, rating, or flight review of this part.

(2) The aeronautical experience required for meeting the recent flight experience requirements of this part.

(b) Logbook entries. For the purposes of meeting the requirements of paragraph (a) of this section, each person must enter the following information for each flight or lesson logged:
(3) Conditions of flight—

(i) Day or night.

(ii) Actual instrument.

(iii) Simulated instrument conditions in flight, a full flight simulator, flight training device, or aviation training device.

g) Logging instrument 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.

(2) An authorized instructor may log instrument time when conducting instrument flight instruction in actual instrument flight conditions.

I always love a good FAR read. But there is more when we consider the infamous Moonless Night memo from 1980 that (my words) differentiates IFR with flight solely by reference to instruments. Both of which can be logged as IFR - and as the memo says, is up to the judgment of the pilot.

Great article from IFR magazine that includes the moonless night memo discussion
 
Great article from IFR magazine that includes the moonless night memo discussion
Thank you, sir.
 
In Europe, they log IFR time which is the flight time under IFR rules. In the US, we log actual or simulated instrument time. When pilots convert their FAA ratings to EC ratings, they need to figure out how much IFR time they have. EC logbooks are done differently than FAA logbooks.
 
I'll see your "Uh, what??!?" and raise you a "What in tarnation??!?" Logging IFR flight plans even though you're in VFR weather??? Uh, no, absolutely not... IFR logging for actual or simulated only, thank you.

Geez, @EdFred , if you're gonna log "time in the system", you keep a check mark for flight following too? How about transitioning bravo, charlie, delta?
For years I only had columns for actual instrument and simulated instrument and I log those to the 0.n per flight. Then one day a few years back, I saw an application for insurance or a job posting or something, I forget what, but it asked for instrument time AND asked for IFR hours. There was a definite delineation between the two. Since I made my own logbook it was easy enough to add a checkbox, I did so. Will I ever encounter a need for hours flown IFR over instrument? Probably not. But my last flight was IFR. IMC? Nope. So my logook will read 2.4 for flight time, 2.4 XC 2.4 PIC 0 simulated, 0 actual and a box that's checked IFR. When I calculate totals it gives me the number of hours under IFR in addition to everything else that's required for 8710s currency, etc...
 
In Europe, they log IFR time which is the flight time under IFR rules. In the US, we log actual or simulated instrument time. When pilots convert their FAA ratings to EC ratings, they need to figure out how much IFR time they have. EC logbooks are done differently than FAA logbooks.
Now that you mention it, I think that's where I saw it. I wanted to rent a plane in South Africa and was looking at what was required to convert my certificate so I could get checked out and rent. It may have been the school I was going to rent from or SA's FAA equivalent that asked the question.
 
Now that you mention it, I think that's where I saw it. I wanted to rent a plane in South Africa and was looking at what was required to convert my certificate so I could get checked out and rent. It may have been the school I was going to rent from or SA's FAA equivalent that asked the question.

Funny... when I was in Capetown, I was looking to do the same thing...

Anyway, I should have planned better for this, I didn't have my logs with me so they couldn't let me go on my own... so I didn't bother taking the written test.. I did go with an instructor, and we had a good flight. His wife worked a winery in Sellenbosch which my wife and I went to the next day.

In speaking with their ATC they picked up right away the I was an American which I obliged with a few southern and western colloquialisms, allyawl, adios, Afirm, blah... blah.. blah.
 
I don’t know what they are asking for unless the application defines it in some way different than actual + simulated instrument time.
Indeed, a decent # of people seem to want to track IFR time for purposes of recording the rules under which the flight was conducted, the same as they may also want to segregate Part 91 flights from Part 121 or other.
 
Indeed, a decent # of people seem to want to track IFR time for purposes of recording the rules under which the flight was conducted, the same as they may also want to segregate Part 91 flights from Part 121 or other.
Yep. It’s not typically logged, but I think it can help illustrate the difference between someone boring holes in the sky with a 152 VFR, vs, say flying in the flight levels, SIDs, STARs, etc.
 
There's no FAA category as IFR time. As pointed, just "instrument time" under actual or simulated conditions.

Instrument time doesn't equate to either IFR or even IMC.
 
My flightbook .com has columns to log simulated,or actual and if you did an instrument approach. If your trying to stay current they will do the math.
 
Indeed, a decent # of people seem to want to track IFR time for purposes of recording the rules under which the flight was conducted, the same as they may also want to segregate Part 91 flights from Part 121 or other.
Sure. In the self-created eLogbook I used before MFB, I had a field for “mountain flight.” Meaningless to most but since I was teaching mountain flying, it helped answer the, “how much mountain time do you have” I was asked by a perspective client once in a while.

(Very “once in a while.” Never bothered to add it as a property. Yes, I know there’s one there.)

I suspect most pilots log something outside of things needed for qualification and currency. With a digital logbook, they may not even know it :D
 
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My flightbook .com has columns to log simulated,or actual and if you did an instrument approach. If your trying to stay current they will do the math.
It also has a property for IFR time, to track flight time under instrument flight rules. That one doesn't do anything for you except count the time, but it can be useful for various reasons either personal or professional. Same with the property for animal passengers. :)
 
For years I only had columns for actual instrument and simulated instrument and I log those to the 0.n per flight. Then one day a few years back, I saw an application for insurance or a job posting or something, I forget what, but it asked for instrument time AND asked for IFR hours. There was a definite delineation between the two. Since I made my own logbook it was easy enough to add a checkbox, I did so. Will I ever encounter a need for hours flown IFR over instrument? Probably not. But my last flight was IFR. IMC? Nope. So my logook will read 2.4 for flight time, 2.4 XC 2.4 PIC 0 simulated, 0 actual and a box that's checked IFR. When I calculate totals it gives me the number of hours under IFR in addition to everything else that's required for 8710s currency, etc...
That makes much more sense. I knew there was some logic behind what you were doing ......
 
So now we have new ways of logging instrument time?
 
There's no FAA category as IFR time. As pointed, just "instrument time" under actual or simulated conditions.

Instrument time doesn't equate to either IFR or even IMC.
I'm not sure what you mean by "FAA Category as IFR Time". IFR time is the time that you're flying under instrument flight rules (vs. VFR, presumably). This is indeed completely distinct from "instrument time" (e.g., you could be IFR on a sunny day with no view limiting device). To my knowledge, the FAA doesn't care about that particular metric, but that doesn't mean that the metric doesn't exist or that it needs FAA blessing to exist. Many pilots do track this for their own reasons or for their employers reasons.
 
So now we have new ways of logging instrument time?
IFR time is NOT instrument time. Related, but completely independent things. See my post above.
 
I'm not sure what you mean by "FAA Category as IFR Time".
There is no such time category in 61.51. NOR is it a required aeronautical experience category for any rating or currency. It's meaningless. It's like having a column for "Time flown while wearing shorts."
 
There is no such time category in 61.51. NOR is it a required aeronautical experience category for any rating or currency. It's meaningless. It's like having a column for "Time flown while wearing shorts."
I considered a column for "new balance time", but then I realized that would just be the same as total time. :biggrin:
 
There is no such time category in 61.51. NOR is it a required aeronautical experience category for any rating or currency. It's meaningless. It's like having a column for "Time flown while wearing shorts."
IFR time may be meaningful personally or, apparently, professionally. It's just not meaningful to the FAA. Just like "time flown while wearing shorts" might be meaningful personally to evaluate whether flying really is the most fun you can have with your pants on and "time flown while listening to audiobooks" might be meaningful to decide which audio panel or headset to get. In my case, I log passenger names and animal passengers so I can tell you I have flown 29 times with my Dad and 33 times with my dog. It's easy to log and fun to reminisce. It's meaningful to someone, even if the only someone it's meaningful to is me.
 
There is no such time category in 61.51. NOR is it a required aeronautical experience category for any rating or currency. It's meaningless. It's like having a column for "Time flown while wearing shorts."

But that does not mean it might not be needed to get a certificate based on equivalency in another country. As was the case for at least one poster.
 
IFR time may be meaningful personally or, apparently, professionally. It's just not meaningful to the FAA. Just like "time flown while wearing shorts" might be meaningful personally to evaluate whether flying really is the most fun you can have with your pants on and "time flown while listening to audiobooks" might be meaningful to decide which audio panel or headset to get. In my case, I log passenger names and animal passengers so I can tell you I have flown 29 times with my Dad and 33 times with my dog. It's easy to log and fun to reminisce. It's meaningful to someone, even if the only someone it's meaningful to is me.
Right, I didn't say you couldn't log it. My statement he was complaining about said there was no "FAA definition of IFR time."
 
But that does not mean it might not be needed to get a certificate based on equivalency in another country. As was the case for at least one poster.
Then he would be best to follow the rules of whatever country has for logging that category. My statement is that the FAA has no such definition.
 
Then he would be best to follow the rules of whatever country has for logging that category. My statement is that the FAA has no such definition.
Oh how nice it must be to live in such a small little world.
 
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