Flight logbook entries contain various roles and categories that are precisely defined. To ensure that you record your flight times correctly, you will find clear and understandable explanations of the most important terms for your logbook here.
PIC - Pilot In Command
PIC means that you are the pilot in command. You have full responsibility for the flight, navigation and decisions in the cockpit. PIC time is one of the most important flight times of all, as it is relevant for almost all licences and ratings.
- You are the pilot in charge
- You make all the decisions for the flight
- Counts for practically all licences and ratings
- Must be clearly marked in the logbook
PICUS - Pilot In Command Under Supervision
PICUS is PIC under supervision. You carry out the flight like a PIC, but under the supervision of a training captain or examiner. In certain cases, this time is recognised as PIC - especially for professional pilots.
- PIC role under supervision
- Only valid if a qualified supervising pilot is on board
- Recognised in many cases like PIC
- Must be clearly noted in the comments field
Dual - flight under the supervision of a flight instructor
Dual refers to flights with a flight instructor. This time counts towards your training and is necessary for exams and licence requirements.
- Flight under the direct supervision of a flight instructor
- Time counts for all training programmes
- Flight instructor must be entered in the logbook
- Never counted as PIC
Co-Pilot / SIC - Second In Command
The co-pilot is the second pilot in multi-pilot operations. These times are relevant for commercial pilots, but are clearly regulated by EASA.
- Applies to aeroplanes or helicopters with multi-pilot operation
- Counts separately from PIC and Dual
- Requires a corresponding crew authorisation
- Must be clearly recorded in the logbook
IFR time - instrument flight time
IFR time is the time during which you fly according to instrument flight rules. This time is required for IFR authorisations and for obtaining the instrument rating.
- Flight according to instrument flight rules
- Decisive for the IFR rating
- Must be recorded separately from the total time
- May include VFR-IFR change
IMC - Instrument Meteorological Conditions
IMC describes flights in weather conditions where flying under visual flight rules is not possible. IMC is not identical to IFR, but is often confused.
- Visibility below the VFR minima
- May include IFR or emergency flights
- Not automatically identical with IFR time
- Can be documented in the comments field
Night flight time
According to FOCA and EASA, night flying time begins at the end of civil twilight and ends at the beginning of civil dawn.
- Begins with the end of the civic twilight
- Ends at the beginning of dawn
- Counts for night flight ratings and extensions
- Landings at night must be recorded separately
Landings
Landings must be recorded separately for day and night. They are important for competence assessments and for the authorisation to carry passengers.
- Day and night landings are counted separately
- At least 3 landings within 90 days for passenger transport
- IFR approaches can also be noted in the comments field
- Several landings per flight are possible
Use the comments field correctly
The comments field allows you to enter additional information that is important for tests or analyses.
- Notes from test flights
- Entries for special exercises
- Notes on PICUS or IFR approaches
- Additional details on flight conditions
How ROTAIR FlightLog supports you
- Automatic separation of all roles such as PIC, dual and co-pilot
- Simple recording of IFR, night and training times
- Plausibility checks to avoid errors
- Clear overview of all flight times
- PDF, CSV and Excel exports for inspectors and authorities
- Optimised for helicopter and aircraft pilots
FlightLog - clear entries for your entire flight experience
ROTAIR FlightLog ensures that you can record all important roles and flight times clearly and without errors. The app supports you with automatic calculations, practical exports and helpful plausibility checks.