VansAirForceForums  
Home > VansAirForceForums

- POSTING RULES
- Donate yearly (please).
- Advertise in here!

- Today's Posts | Insert Pics


Go Back   VAF Forums > Main > RV General Discussion/News
Register FAQ Members List Calendar Today's Posts

View Poll Results: What do you log as cross-country time?
Landing at any airport other than home base 22 17.19%
Landing at an airport at least 50 miles from home base 96 75.00%
Landing at an airport at least 100 miles from home base 6 4.69%
Flying only (no landing required) at least 100 miles from home 6 4.69%
Multiple Choice Poll. Voters: 128. You may not vote on this poll

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
  #1  
Old 10-19-2013, 07:05 AM
Greg Arehart's Avatar
Greg Arehart Greg Arehart is offline
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Delta, CO/Atlin, BC
Posts: 2,391
Default What do you log as cross-country time

The thread about leaving the airport area, as well as another recent one on "percent of cross-country time" got me thinking again about what constitutes a cross-country flight. Perhaps there is an official definition, but I'm wondering what everyone logs as a cross-country flight. For example, yesterday I flew to three different airports (and landed for various reasons), but never really got more than about 60 miles from home. Last weekend, I flew a couple hundred miles from home, but never stopped anywhere enroute. I've picked the poll numbers kind of arbitrarily, just interested in what folks call cross-country vs. local.

Greg
__________________
Greg Arehart
RV-9B (Big tires) Tipup @AJZ or CYSQ
N 7965A

Last edited by Greg Arehart : 10-19-2013 at 07:10 AM.
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 10-19-2013, 07:19 AM
apkp777's Avatar
apkp777 apkp777 is offline
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Schaumburg, IL
Posts: 2,053
Default

A Cross-country is any flight to another airport. However, except for an ATP the flight can not be counted toward the flight time requirements required for a certificate or rating unless that airport is more than 50nm from the departure airport.

I count every flight in my "cross country" column if I land at another airport. But I am not advancing toward any more certificates or ratings so it wont muddy my flight times at all.
__________________
Tony Phillips
N524AP, RV 9 (tail wheel)
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 10-19-2013, 08:27 AM
rvbuilder1 rvbuilder1 is offline
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 86
Default

I have used and continue to use 50 miles as cross country time per my flight building time for Private ticket started back in 1972. I don't think flying to multiple airports perhaps 10 miles apart is considered cross country.
__________________
L. John Gould
Dues paid for 2014
RV-6A built and certified 1995 and sold 2002
RV-4 Flying since 3-2011. 110)hrs
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 10-19-2013, 08:50 AM
Ironflight's Avatar
Ironflight Ironflight is offline
VAF Moderator / Line Boy
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Dayton, NV
Posts: 12,256
Default

If you launched from the Kennedy Space Center, orbited the earth 200 times, then landed back at the Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility runway, you could log the flight time - but not as a cross-country, because the pads and runway were only a few miles apart.....

Just sayin'....
__________________
Paul F. Dye
Editor at Large - KITPLANES Magazine
RV-8 - N188PD - "Valkyrie"
RV-6 (By Marriage) - N164MS - "Mikey"
RV-3B - N13PL - "Tsamsiyu"
A&P, EAA Tech Counselor/Flight Advisor
Dayton Valley Airpark (A34)
http://Ironflight.com
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 10-19-2013, 08:53 AM
Toobuilder's Avatar
Toobuilder Toobuilder is offline
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Mojave
Posts: 4,652
Default

If the wheels touch the ground at least 50 miles apart, then I log that leg as cross country.
__________________
WARNING! Incorrect design and/or fabrication of aircraft and/or components may result in injury or death. Information presented in this post is based on my own experience - Reader has sole responsibility for determining accuracy or suitability for use.

Michael Robinson
______________
Harmon Rocket II -SDS EFI
RV-8 - SDS CPI
1940 Taylorcraft BL-65
1984 L39C
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 10-19-2013, 09:18 AM
Rosie's Avatar
Rosie Rosie is offline
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: I live in on the Rosamond Skypark (CA) and am married to Victoria (Tuppergal).
Posts: 982
Default

Tuppergal and I use our plane mostly to fly cross country. With the speeds we cruise at (160 knots) and the short time that it takes to climb to altitude (minutes to get to 7.5-9.5K MSL), I can see 50 miles off the nose (about the distance from Rosamond to Santa Monica) minutes after takeoff.

For us, back/forth to nearby eatery places we fly to all the time are more than 50 miles (~20min) away but I don't count them as cross country; Bakersfield, Big Bear, Hesperia, Santa Paula, Kern Valley, Cable, Chino, Camarillo, Flabob...All are right in our own backyard...we can fly there with our eyes closed...so I feel that I'm just inflating my logbook cross country hours if I counted those.

Sure...low and slow...new pilot...trying to build cross country time...I'd use 50, but in the RV, you can 'sneeze' 50 miles.

Because of that, I only log anything over 30 minutes flight time as cross country.

I checked my logbook and it currently shows 2151.5, no kidding, 'you went really flew far from home' cross country hours Rosie
__________________
Paul A. "Rosie" Rosales
Rosamond Skypark (L00), CA
RV-6A, 4200+ hours since 7/4/2000

Last edited by Rosie : 10-19-2013 at 12:01 PM.
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 10-19-2013, 10:13 AM
Snowflake's Avatar
Snowflake Snowflake is offline
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Victoria, BC, Canada
Posts: 3,932
Default

Our local geography dictates that most casual local flights fall into a region about 20 miles by about 75 miles. So I frequently make flights that are 50 miles in length, but would never log them as cross-country. My usual threshold is whether or not I file a flight plan or leave an itinerary with a responsible person... If I do, it's definitely cross-country.
__________________
Rob Prior
1996 RV-6 "Tweety" C-FRBP (formerly N196RV)
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 10-19-2013, 11:16 AM
Arlen's Avatar
Arlen Arlen is offline
 
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: New Smyrna Beach, FL
Posts: 305
Default

Here is something official from another forum:

Quote:
Originally Posted by Office of the Chief Counsel, FAA

As noted above (14 CFR 61.1(b)(3)), cross country flight time is defined as time acquired during a flight that includes a point of landing that is at least a straight-line distance of more than 50 nm from the original point of departure, not the original point of any flight leg. There is no requirement that any specific leg must be 50 nm. Moreover, a cross-sountry flight may include several legs that are less than a straight-line distance of more than 50 nm from the original point of departure. Nevertheless, at least one leg of the cross-country flight, however long by itself, must include a point of landing that is at least a straight-line distance of more than 50 nm from the original point of departure (i.e. of the flight, not of that particular leg). (all emphasis is mine - ets)

Given the above analysis, the answer is each cross-country flight used to meet the aeronautical experience requirements under 14 CFR 61.1(b)(3) must include one leg that includes a landing that is at least a straight-line distance of more than 50 nm from the original point of departure.

This response was prepared by Adrianne Wojcik, an Attorney in the Regulations Division of the Office of the Chief Counsel, and has been coordinated with the General Aviation Division of Flight Standards Service.
__________________
Arlen
Donation to VAF 10.29.18
RV-6, February '14, SOLD December '15
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 10-19-2013, 11:48 AM
aerovin aerovin is offline
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Lincoln, CA
Posts: 138
Default

Or something official from FAR Part 61 Definitions:

Cross-country time means—

(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.


The paragraphs (ii) though (vi) above refer to time logged for certificates.

And, for that long-ranging astronaut, he or she can log those shuttle flights as cross-country time as long as they are military pilots, as per paragraph (vii) of the same section:

(vii) For a military pilot who qualifies for a commercial pilot certificate (except with a rotorcraft category rating) under § 61.73 of this part, 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.


I log all time as cross country that involves a landing at a different airport than departure point.
__________________
Scott Thompson
RV-8 N9324Z (flying as of 8/30/15)
http://www.aerovintage.com/rv8/rv8-index.htm

Last edited by aerovin : 10-19-2013 at 11:52 AM.
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 10-19-2013, 01:52 PM
mrreddick mrreddick is offline
Super Moderator
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Hangar/home at Hicks Airfield (T67), Fort Worth, TX
Posts: 629
Default Cross Country

Quote:
Originally Posted by aerovin View Post
Or something official from FAR Part 61 Definitions:

Cross-country time

(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.


I log all time as cross country that involves a landing at a different airport than departure point.
Scott, thanks for quoting the FAR. I was always instructed to use the 50 nm straight line rule, even when piloting a glider. Anything under 50 in a glider is just considered a land out.
__________________
Mike Reddick
VAF#153
Pilots N Paws Pilot
RV6A N167CW 1,900 HRS
Ft Worth, TX (T67)
Reply With Quote
Reply



Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 08:21 AM.


The VAFForums come to you courtesy Delta Romeo, LLC. By viewing and participating in them you agree to build your plane using standardized methods and practices and to fly it safely and in accordance with the laws governing the country you are located in.