Logged 20 hours of Safety Pilot Time This Year

Alpha Kilo Warrior

Alpha Kilo Warrior

Pre-takeoff checklist
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Mar 27, 2024
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Alpha Kilo Warrior
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I recently was going through my log book for 2025. As a VFR private pilot, I was glad that I said "YES" 95% of the time when asked to be a safety pilot. Between the five different pilots that asked me it was a rewarding and educational experience for me to say the least. I do plan to pursue my IFR certificate in the next couple years and having been introduced to the process is priceless. I highly encourage other pilots, when asked to do the same. I make sure that I follow along with the approaches, understand the brief and load the plates on my iPad to follow along when on them. I also encourage the pilots flying to watch their headings and altitudes per the plate as I'm watching for traffic and obstacles. Listening to the radio communications while doing these approaches has also helped my VFR flying by just being in the cockpit. I also get to be up in the air and part of the flight which is also fun. After each flight the Pilot flying will give me the actual time I can log (when he/she under the hood). I put 0 Takeoff, 0 Landing in the notes along with what type of approach it was.

Conclusion, being a safety pilot is a rewarding, helpful, educational and fun experience.

Blue Skies and Foggles.
 
I used to do that. Never thought to log it back then. Didn’t know it was a thing.
 
bonefishpete said:
I used to do that. Never thought to log it back then. Didn’t know it was a thing.
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Dunno how long you've been flying but it's been a "thing" for a while. The earliest safety pilot logging Chief Counsel interpretation I'm aware of goes back to 1980. It even counts as "flight time" for advanced FAA certificates and ratings as well as insurance applications (assuming the application doesn't define what they are looking for differently).
 
midlifeflyer said:
Dunno how long you've been flying but it's been a "thing" for a while. The earliest safety pilot logging Chief Counsel interpretation I'm aware of goes back to 1980. It even counts as "flight time" for advanced FAA certificates and ratings as well as insurance applications (assuming the application doesn't define what they are looking for differently).
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About that time. Still was never brought up.
This whole time building wasn’t a thing unless you were actually PIC left seat.
 
bonefishpete said:
About that time. Still was never brought up.
This whole time building wasn’t a thing unless you were actually PIC left seat.
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Yeah, and there's really not much value from a later hiring standpoint anyway other than meeting FAA minimums. And the FAA put the kibosh on using safety pilot time, whether logged as PIC or SIC, to meet cross country requirements.

But time building for a career aside, it can help GA pilots who as a group fly a bit less and might need some "help" in meeting FAA requirements and getting lower rates on their insurance.

And, as @Alpha Kilo Warrior mentions, it can actually be valuable from a training/experience standpoint, so why not memorialize it by logging it since the FAA says it's legitimate loggable time.
 
Alpha Kilo Warrior said:
I do plan to pursue my IFR certificate in the next couple years and having been introduced to the process is priceless. I highly encourage other pilots … to do the same.
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Agreed, and might also consider a sooner timeline for an instrument rating.
If schedule allows time for lots of vfr flying … instead, how about an instrument rating ‘in 2026’ vs “in a couple years”?
Good luck; a valuable investment.
 
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As you develop your pilot skills and watch what others do you will become more and more selective as to with whom you choose to fly. On my airfield there are only three pilots with whom I will fly.

Don't think I'm being obstinate. I am honored to be able to fly with one of the FSDO's ASIs (an old student of mine) ...and even he needs serious correction at times. We all do. Choose carefully.
 
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MikeNY said:
Agreed, and might also consider a sooner timeline for an instrument rating.
If schedule allows time for lots of vfr flying … instead, how about an instrument rating ‘in 2026’ vs “in a couple years”?
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I'm finally earning the rating (completed ground, a few more hours of flying and honing practical skills to checkride) after about 18 years and 1700 hours flying VFR all over the NW USA, and Canada and Alaska. I'm glad I didn't get the IR in the first few years. I spent that time flying VFR all over the place, complex airspace, mountains, international, etc. Took a few classes and earned a few useful endorsements like tailwheel, complex and high performance. Also met some great people over the years when stuck in places due to bad weather - often, weather so bad I wouldn't fly in it at all whether VFR or IFR. That experience developed hands-on skills and regulatory knowledge that honed my judgment and gave me a leg up when I finally decided to get the IR.

If I could go back and do it all over again, I wouldn't wait as long as I did. But I would spend at least 5 years / 500 hours exercising the possibilities of VFR before going forward with the IR.
 
Have a few pilots I trust enough to safety pilot for. Never logged it like to stay IFR current by actually flying IFR.
 
How did you find IFR pilots looking for a safety pilot, AK?
 
20 hours as a Safety Pilot is a lot and there’s only so much that can be learned so long as you honor the role of being the mid air collision avoidance PIC.

I looked at myflightbook and realized the last time I had 20hrs Sim IMC in a year was when I got my instrument rating. Looks like ~ 10hrs Sim IMC annually since.
 
midlifeflyer said:
Maybe I misunderstood what you meant, but you can’t get IFR current by being a safety pilot.
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I think you misunderstood me,never log safety pilot time for currency,I like to fly IFR to stay current.
 
SFDukie said:
How did you find IFR pilots looking for a safety pilot, AK?
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I'm in a Flight Club with 30+ members, also through word of mouth from an old CFI I used to fly with. Being around the airport FBO and talking with pilots around the T-Hangars.
 
TCABM said:
20 hours as a Safety Pilot is a lot and there’s only so much that can be learned so long as you honor the role of being the mid air collision avoidance PIC.

I looked at myflightbook and realized the last time I had 20hrs Sim IMC in a year was when I got my instrument rating. Looks like ~ 10hrs Sim IMC annually since.
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On one particular flight I recall a Cessna from the Civil Air Patrol intercepting us as we approached our 1st waypoint. I asked the PIC avoid the traffic and he used the time to perform a hold from the chart. It felt good to keep us safe and watch how he handled the situation. He has around 900 hours.
 
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