Logging PIC Time—Cross Country
Cross country time is defined in § 61.1 for the purpose of obtaining ratings. It doesn’t say anything specifically as to how cross country time should be logged for purposes of filling out insurance questionnaires or job applications. Relevant parts of the definition are included below. Note that in general cross-country time means a flight that includes a landing at another airport and is conducted using dead reckoning, pilotage, electronic navigation aids, radio aids, or other navigation systems to navigate to the landing point.
DEAD RECKONING- Dead reckoning, as applied to flying, is the navigation of an airplane solely by means of computations based on airspeed, course, heading, wind direction, and speed, groundspeed, and elapsed time. Pilot COntroller Glossary See The Straight Dope for an interesting discussion of the origins of the term.
Pilotage is nothing more than noting prominent checkpoints on a chart used for VFR navigation, locating them from your vantage point in the air, and flying from checkpoint to checkpoint. AOPA: Thomas A. Horne
Electronic Navigation Aids- GPS and Loran-C are examples. Sophisticated Flight Management Systems (FMS) are often found on business aircraft and airliners.
Radio Aids-NDB’s and VORs are current examples. Radio compasses and four course radio range systems are discussed ao Charles Wood ‘s site.
Other Navigation Systems- This is a catch-all term to include navigation systems of the past—lighted bonfires, beacons on towers, spotlit windsocks—as well as future systems.Centennial of Flight
Fo purposes of obtaining a certificate, the flight must have a landing at a point at least 50 miles from the start unless it is for an ATP certificate. Because military pilots may fly for hours and thousands of miles without landing, there is an exception for military pilots so that they may count all time that is at more than 50 nautical miles from the starting point as cross-country time.
An abbreviated version of the definition is included below. I omitted the part about appropriate aircraft and the requirement that the flight be conducted using dead reckoning, pilotage, electronic navigation aids, radio aids, or other navigation systems to navigate to the landing point.
§ 61.1 Applicability and definitions. [Link]
(b)(3) Cross-country time means—
(i) Except as provided in paragraphs (b)(3)(ii) through (b)(3)(vi) of this section, 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.
(ii) For the purpose of meeting the aeronautical experience requirements (except for a rotorcraft category rating), for a private pilot certificate (except for a powered parachute category rating), a commercial pilot certificate, or an instrument rating, or for the purpose of exercising recreational pilot privileges (except in a rotorcraft) … includes a point of landing that was at least a straight-line distance of more than 50 nautical miles from the original point of departure.
(iii) For the purpose of meeting the aeronautical experience requirements for a sport pilot certificate (except for powered parachute privileges), … includes a point of landing at least a straight line distance of more than 25 nautical miles from the original point of departure
(v) For the purpose of meeting the aeronautical experience requirements for any pilot certificate with a rotorcraft category rating or an instrument-helicopter rating, or for the purpose of exercising recreational pilot privileges, in a rotorcraft, … includes a point of landing that was at least a straight-line distance of more than 25 nautical miles from the original point of departure
(vi) For the purpose of meeting the aeronautical experience requirements for an airline transport pilot certificate (except with a rotorcraft category rating), time acquired during a flight… that is at least a straight-line distance of more than 50 nautical miles from the original point of departure;
(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… that is at least a straight-line distance of more than 50 nautical miles from the original point of departure.