If there are two basic med private pilots flying for IFR currency, one under the hood and the other acting as safety pilot, who logs time for PIC and total time? Let's say it's a two-hour flight with 1.5 simulated instrument. Thanks.
Under the current rules, with two Basic Med pilots, the safety pilot must be acting as PIC. That means the safety pilot must be fully qualified to be PIC, including flight review, landings for passengers, any applicable 61.31 additional training endorsements (complex, etc.), and IFR currency if he flight is conducted under IFR. The safety pilot logs PIC time for all the time the pilot flying is under the hood, but nothing else – no landings, no approaches, no instrument time.
The pilot flying logs PIC time for the entire flight, simulated instrument time for all the time under the hood, as well as all approaches and landings flown.
BTW, since the safety pilot is the PIC, for the financial protection of all concerned, they'd better make sure that safety pilot meets all PIC requirements in the aircraft owner's insurance policy or the policy will be null and void for that flight.
Thanks. Is that different than if both pilots have 3rd class medicals? I think that's how we logged the time before Basic Med.
If you both have 3rd Class, either can be PIC as long as that one is fully PIC-qualified as listed above. As for logging…
If the pilot flying acts as PIC, then the pilot flying logs everything as PIC time with all the events and the safety pilot logs SIC time (and none of the events) while the flying pilot is hooded and nothing while the flying pilot is not hooded.
If the safety pilot acts as PIC, then the pilot flying logs everything as PIC time with all the events and the safety pilot logs PIC time (but none of the events) while the flying pilot is hooded and nothing while the flying pilot is not hooded.
Please note, Ronald's answer is correct, but what medical the pilot flying has is not part of the equation when it comes to logging time for the pilot flying, the only thing changing the situation is the safety pilot's medical. The pilot at the controls can have 1st Class down to Basic Med, they still get to log PIC time because they are at the controls.
Because of the way the Basic Med congressional act was worded, Basic Med is valid ONLY for a PIC (not a SIC - which is necessary for the condition of today's currency flight). Thus, your Basic Med safety pilot MUST be defined as the acting PIC and must have all the quals and currency to fly a passenger in that plane, like Ronald listed and can log the time as PIC, just as you, the pilot flying, can.
If both pilots have 3rd Class meds, the pilot at the controls can indeed hog all the logging time and relegate the safety pilot to recording SIC time, or they could agree that the safety pilot is acting PIC and both log the time as PIC.
Clear as mud? There are several legal interpretations of this unfortunate wording and rumor has it that there is something afoot to change it to make a Basic Med pilot a valid safety pilot without being qualified to be PIC.
Signed,
Basic Med pilot who does safety pilot duties sometimes.
Please note, Ronald's answer is correct, but what medical the pilot flying has is not part of the equation when it comes to logging time for the pilot flying, the only thing changing the situation is the safety pilot's medical. The pilot at the controls can have 1st Class down to Basic Med, they still get to log PIC time because they are at the controls.
The pilot flying doesn't need any medical at all to log the instrument time and events and PIC time as long as the PF is “rated” in the aircraft, e.g., ASEL for a C-172 or Beech Bonanza. See 61.51(e)(1)(i).
Because of the way the Basic Med congressional act was worded, Basic Med is valid ONLY for a PIC (not a SIC - which is necessary for the condition of today's currency flight). Thus, your Basic Med safety pilot MUST be defined as the acting PIC and must have all the quals and currency to fly a passenger in that plane, like Ronald listed and can log the time as PIC, just as you, the pilot flying, can.
But for the safety pilot, only logging time when the pilot flying is hooded. The PF can log PIC time for the whole flight.