Polite discussion about EASA, the CAA, the ANO and the delights of aviation regulation.
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By mistral1
#1842638
Hi All
Can anybody tell me where I can find the definitive answer to how flight time should be recorded.? There seems to be many opinions ( engine on, brakes off, etc) but the only thing I can find in the ANO pertains to rotary wing
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By Miscellaneous
#1842649
@mistral1 from memory there's more in the thread than decimal v hr:min. I concluded there isn't a definitive answer. Flight time is easily defined. If it's for your logbook (rather than aircraft) blocks is reasonable, IMO.

If you find something definitive I'd be interested in understanding. Meanwhile I'll stick with blocks. :thumleft:
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By townleyc
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1842655
mistral1 wrote:Thanks Rob - but it doesn’t really answer the question.
It’s more about decimal vs hh:mm


I was told that either is acceptable, as you are consistent.

The convention I believe to be hh:mm or hh.dd for decimal, but it might help to state in your log book which you are using. Same as for times - local or zulu

KE
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By Rob P
#1842662
That too is my understanding, though for the past thirty something years I have rounded up or down to the nearest five minutes.

These days I apply the same to the SkyDemon times which I round to the previous five minute point for start and round up to the next fifth minute for the finishing time. I am probably cheating myself of an hour or two a year, but with no intention of going commercial, and with much over the 12 hours qualifier flown every year, why would I worry?

Rob P
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By skydriller
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1843938
Our aeroclub has a hobbs meter. Im charged the hobbs meter time to the minute by the aeroclub and they put this in the aeroplane logbook, as this is what the DGAC has told them to do, but I note off-blocks and on-blocks times aswell*. I dont think Ive ever had it where I dont round one up and the other down to the nearest 5mins sometimes one way, sometimes the other, and get the same number. Works for me and no one has yet questioned it in the last 15 years.

*As a result of this habitual practice it was me that noticed that the hobbs meter in one aeroplane was not working (starting to under-read)...

Regards, SD..
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By mikehallam
#1843953
Unless it's to do with rental or engine flying power hours maintenance (etc.) the moment P1 starts the engine, up to taxi back to parking he has a live vehicle capable of killing.
For the pilot, engine on to engine off is after all when he's in control. And that's what my flying school used at Shoreham a little while ago.
By malcolmfrost
#1843966
I log precise minutes as that is what my logbook program downloaded from my company systems. Now I have to pay myself I do the same, chocks to chocks as every minute is £2 :o
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By Genghis the Engineer
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1844010
mikehallam wrote:Unless it's to do with rental or engine flying power hours maintenance (etc.) the moment P1 starts the engine, up to taxi back to parking he has a live vehicle capable of killing.
For the pilot, engine on to engine off is after all when he's in control. And that's what my flying school used at Shoreham a little while ago.

Still wrong 'though isn't it, as I'm sure you pointed out to them.

EASA FCL wrote:(g) Flight time is recorded:

(1) for aeroplanes, touring motor gliders and powered-lift aircraft, from the moment an aircraft first moves to taking off until the moment it finally comes to rest at the end of the flight;
(2) for helicopters, from the moment a helicopter’s rotor blades start turning until the moment the helicopter finally comes to rest at the end of the flight, and the rotor blades are stopped;
(3) for airships, from the moment an airship is released from the mast to taking off until the moment the airship finally comes to rest at the end of the flight, and is secured on the mast;


On the other hand, nobody has ever ruled on the difference between rounding to the nearest minute, five minutes, or six minutes - that's ultimately just personal preference. I'm a nearest minute man myself, but five minutes is most common.

Equally, a club can use any measure they wish for charging - I like tacho best as it encourages gentle engine handling, but have seen tacho, chocks, airborne time, and Hobbs in various places. So long as it's understood, that's always fair enough.

G