From: utzoo!watmath!watcgl!dmmartindale Newsgroups: net.aviation Title: Re: safety pilots Article-I.D.: watcgl.116 Posted: Thu Jan 13 22:55:22 1983 Received: Fri Jan 14 00:17:02 1983 References: rabbit.1039 The Canadian rules on this are simpler and clearer: Any pilot who holds a private, commercial, senior commercial, or airline transport pilot licence and who is qualified as to category, class and type on the aircraft used, may be considered competent to act as a safety pilot for the purpose of instrument flying practice. The pilot undergoing practice must also hold a valid pilot licence endorsed for the category, class, and type of aircraft used. Flight time so acquired may not be credited towards the 20 hours of instrument instruction required for the initial issue of an instrument rating. It's fairly clear that both pilots need to be legally able to act as pilot- in-command - both must be rated for the aircraft. The regulations say elsewhere that a pilot may "exercise the privileges of the licence" only if his medical hasn't expired - I presume this extends to the privilege of acting as safety pilot. There is no "currency" requirement for day VFR flight equivalent to the American BFR - once you're licenced and if you keep your medical up to date, you're always legal. Also, there is no such thing as a signoff for "complex" airplanes - the private licence entitles you to fly anything up to 4000 pounds gross regardless of engine, propeller, or gear type, as long as your licence is valid for the category and class. Also, EITHER pilot may be designated pilot-in-command. If the safety pilot is PIC, he logs PIC time and the practicing pilot logs dual time. If the practicing pilot is designated PIC, he logs PIC time and the safety pilot usually logs nothing (he can log co-pilot time if the aircraft C of A requires a co-pilot, but otherwise nothing). In light of all of the above, it seems clear that the safety pilot must be qualified to act as PIC, even if he isn't PIC for this flight. I very much doubt that he could claim that he didn't need to be sober because he wasn't PIC. I would feel VERY uncomfortable as a safety pilot in a plane with a throw-over control wheel. Dave Martindale