Logging X-C

[MassPilot]

I just got back from a flight, and I'm not completely sure how much of it I can log as X-C.

I flew from 1B9 to ACK, which is 68 nm, and I can obviously log that time as X-C. A few hours later, I flew 48 nm from ACK to EWB for a brief dinner stop. Finally I flew 22 nm from EWB back to 1B9.

The total flight time today was 2.2 on the Hobbs. I suspect I can only log the one leg to ACK, but I'm wondering if I might be able to log the whole thing as X-C.

 

[soyAnarchisto]

It's all 1 XC flight. Nobody cares how long you were on the ground. As long as 1 leg meets the min dist log it all.

 

[CApilot55]

I agree with what soy says

 

[NWADC9]

If you're not building time for a certificate, yes, since you landed at another airport (and I would assume you found the airport through radio navigation or pilotage/dead-reckoning).

If you're building time for a certificate*, then it may be logged if the flight 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" (Part 61.1)

I have a similar flight, where one leg is greater than 50 nm, but the other two were not (full-stop-taxi-backs at each airport). But what if none of the legs were longer than 50 nm, but one of the airports was 50 nm away from the departing point? And what about touch-n-goes in the pattern? Would the time spent practicing landings after flying to an airport 50 nm away also count as XC time? (I erred on the side of caution and did not log such time as XC time.)

* "For the purpose of meeting the aeronautical experience requirements (except for a rotorcraft category rating), for a private pilot certificate (except for a powered parachute category rating), a commercial pilot certificate, or an instrument rating, or for the purpose of exercising recreational pilot privileges (except in a rotorcraft) under § 61.101 (c)"

 

[midlifeflyer]

As far as I've been able to tell, unless you get to a point of being ridiculous, how much of a trip you count as xc time is pretty much up to you. Even time spent on the ground for lunch, a diversion, even overnight on a multi-day trip, does not necessarily break the xc chain. There has even been some comments from some FAA quarters that, if i'm no misquoting, "a new day or delay" does not mean the end of a flight.

IMO same goes for multiple take offs and landings. A 1hr flight accompanied by another hour of take offs and landings may well raise an eyebrow.

The practical key is being reasonable about it.

NWADC9 - it's pretty clear that none of the legs need to be more than 50NM, so long as at least one point of landing is more than 50 NM from your original departure point. If you look at some of the special xc requirements, you'll see tha FAR has no problem specifying 50NM legs when it wants to. For example at least one leg of the "long" xc for the private needs to be at least 50NM.

 

[poadeleted20]

I have a similar flight, where one leg is greater than 50 nm, but the other two were not (full-stop-taxi-backs at each airport). But what if none of the legs were longer than 50 nm, but one of the airports was 50 nm away from the departing point?

As long as you made one landing (even a T&G) more than 50nm from the original point of departure, the entire flight counts as XC for Pvt/IR/CP (Airplane) no matter what any of the leg lengths was. Only time leg length matters is the long solo XC for PP-A (one leg must be more than 50nm).

And what about touch-n-goes in the pattern? Would the time spent practicing landings after flying to an airport 50 nm away also count as XC time?

By the regs, yes. Legally, you can fly out 51nm, come back through the practice area spending 3 hours doing turns around a point or whatever, and then land -- the entire 4 hours is legally counted as XC time. Personally, I think that's pretty silly, since it's not really teaching you anything about cross-country flying, but it's still legal.

 

[frfly172]

Have to agree with previous posts at least one landing must be 50 miles away.Then the whole trip can be logged.

 

[Capt. Geoffrey Thorpe]

Distance doesn't matter for logging. A 10 mile flight from airport A to airport B can be logged as cross country as long as you got there by navigating.

Distance matters for counting a particular flight towards a particular rating.

Sometimes a flight can be logged as xc and counted towards a particular rating
Sometimes a flight can be logged as xc and not counted towards a particular rating.
Sometimes a flight can not be logged as xc but can be counted as an xc towards a particular rating.

 

[Greg Bockelman]

Sometimes a flight can not be logged as xc but can be counted as an xc towards a particular rating.

Example?

 

[poadeleted20]

Example?

Going out on a 300-mile pipeline patrol with no landing other than back at the original point of departure. Doesn't count as XC by the basic definition...

(i) Except as provided in paragraphs (ii) through (vi) of this definition, time acquired during flight—

• 
  (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.

...but does count towards the XC requirement for ATP.

(vi) For the purpose of meeting the aeronautical experience requirements for an airline transport pilot certificate (except with a rotorcraft category rating), time acquired during a flight—

• 
  (A) Conducted in an appropriate aircraft;
  (B ) That is at least a straight-line distance of more than 50 nautical miles from the original point of departure; and (C) That involves the use of dead reckoning, pilotage, electronic navigation aids, radio aids, or other navigation systems.