Question regarding the 10 hours of solo Commercial Requirement

[helifool]

I am currently working on my commercial requirements. I have a few questions though regarding the 10 hours of solo flight time requirement. It says you need to have 5 hours of night solo, at least one cross-country flight with landings at a minimum of three points, with one segment consisting of a straight-line distance of at least 50 nautical miles from the original point of departure, that would leave about 3 more hours of solo time. My question is could I use my solo cross country time that I built up during my private to cover the remaining 3 hour requirement? Or do all ten of these solo hours have to be flown after having you private?

 

Also when it states that you need 5 hours in night VFR conditions with 10 takeoffs and 10 landings (with each landing involving a flight in the traffic pattern). Does that that mean that all 10 takeoffs and landings have to be conducted in the pattern or can you do night cross countries and use those to fulfill the takeoffs and landing requirements....thanks!

[joker]

Helifool,

 

Any of 61.129(c )(4) must be done AFTER your private. Reason is the specific reference to §61.127((3).

 

The take offs and landings required by 61.129(c )(4)(ii) may be done as part of a night cross-country flight.

 

Joker

 

(Just about to fly, so just a quick answer this time!)

Edited November 19, 2007 by joker

[helifool]

Helifool,

 

Any of 61.129(c )(4) must be done AFTER your private. Reason is the specific reference to §61.127((3).

 

The take offs and landings required by 61.129(c )(4)(ii) may be done as part of a night cross-country flight.

 

Joker

 

(Just about to fly, so just a quick answer this time!)

 

 

Thanks thats what I figured...

[Tenacious T]

IACRA kicks back your application for CPL if you don't input at least 20 hours solo.

[FUSE]

That night cross country flight must be dual instruction, not solo. You could do it solo just to chew up 2 hours of your 5 hours solo night requirement but you will have to do it again with an instructor.

 

In the end you will get at least 7 hours of night flying in completing your commercial requirements.

[IFLY]

Helifool,

 

Any of 61.129(c )(4) must be done AFTER your private. Reason is the specific reference to §61.127(b )(3).

 

The take offs and landings required by 61.129(c )(4)(ii) may be done as part of a night cross-country flight.

 

Joker

 

(Just about to fly, so just a quick answer this time!)

 

The 150 flight hours and the breakdown (1) and (2) do not have a reference to 61.127 so include private but (3) and (4) do have the reference so that time is required to be post private.

 

Thanks for making me dig a little deeper I never caught the reference in 3 and 4 before.

 

Jerry

 

§ 61.127 Flight proficiency.

(a) General. A person who applies for a commercial pilot certificate must receive and log ground and flight training from an authorized instructor on the areas of operation of this section that apply to the aircraft category and class rating sought.

 

 

 

§ 61.129 Aeronautical experience.

© For a helicopter rating. Except as provided in paragraph (i) of this section, a person who applies for a commercial pilot certificate with a rotorcraft category and helicopter class rating must log at least 150 hours of flight time as a pilot that consists of at least:

 

(1) 100 hours in powered aircraft, of which 50 hours must be in helicopters.

 

(2) 100 hours of pilot-in-command flight time, which includes at least—

 

(i) 35 hours in helicopters; and

 

(ii) 10 hours in cross-country flight in helicopters.

 

(3) 20 hours of training on the areas of operation listed in §61.127(b )(3) of this part that includes at least—

 

(i) 10 hours of instrument training in an aircraft;

 

(ii) One cross-country flight of at least 2 hours in a helicopter in day VFR conditions, consisting of a total straight-line distance of more than 50 nautical miles from the original point of departure;

 

(iii) One cross-country flight of at least 2 hours in a helicopter in night VFR conditions, consisting of a total straight-line distance of more than 50 nautical miles from the original point of departure; and

 

(iv) 3 hours in a helicopter in preparation for the practical test within the 60-day period preceding the date of the test.

 

(4) 10 hours of solo flight in a helicopter on the areas of operation listed in §61.127(b )(3) of this part, which includes at least—

 

(i) One cross-country flight with landings at a minimum of three points, with one segment consisting of a straight-line distance of at least 50 nautical miles from the original point of departure; and

 

(ii) 5 hours in night VFR conditions with 10 takeoffs and 10 landings (with each landing involving a flight in the traffic pattern).

Edited November 20, 2007 by IFLYEVERYTHING

[joker]

FUSE

 

That night cross country flight must be dual instruction, not solo. You could do it solo just to chew up 2 hours of your 5 hours solo night requirement but you will have to do it again with an instructor.

 

We are talking about combining the (c )(4)(i) and (c )((4)(ii) - Solo requirements for night and solo requirements for cross country.

 

I think you are talking about (c )((3)(iii)

 

 

Jerry,

 

Yes, you've pretty much got it. The reference (in (3) and (4) by the way) there means that you cannot double log training from the Private Level as training for commercial level. The argument is that you should be learning different (higher) stuff at commercial, even if the name of the training is the same.

 

This is why for any of the 3 & 4 flights, you should have logged at least one of the areas of operation from §61.127(b )(3) until the WHOLE list is logged twice (once for section 3, and once for section 4.)

 

So my question is 61.127((3)(ix):

 

When the examiner asks you, "What 'Special Operations' did you do whilst soloing," what do you tell him? (Bearing in mind, my school (as most others are) were strict on what a pilot could do without a school instructor on board. (No off airport landing, autos, etc..etc..)

 

Joker

Edited November 20, 2007 by joker

[FUSE]

FUSE

We are talking about combining the (c )(4)(i) and (c )((4)(ii) - Solo requirements for night and solo requirements for cross country.

 

I think you are talking about (c )((3)(iii)

 

Joker

 

Yep, your correct, that is what I was thinking. Sorry Helifool if I confused you at all....

[IFLY]

When the examiner asks you, "What 'Special Operations' did you do whilst soloing," what do you tell him? (Bearing in mind, my school (as most others are) were strict on what a pilot could do without a school instructor on board. (No off airport landing, autos, etc..etc..)[/color]

 

Joker

 

Confines, runon landings, etc..etc. I rented a helicopter from a company that let me do just about anything I wanted to do. (for commercial rating)

 

Jerry

Edited November 20, 2007 by IFLYEVERYTHING