Flight "Hours"?

Question

Hey pilots....
I'm not a pilot, but curious.
How are your "Flight Hours" calculated?
Is it from engine-on to engine-off?
Is is from Wheels-off the ground to Wheels-on the ground?
I've seen the recient news of all kinds of airliners on the ground waiting to take off.
Are the pilots gaining "Flight Hours" while they are sitting in line patiently waiting for the Spring thaw?

Answer 1

For single engine ops, the time is either tach time...this is obtained from
the tachometer . Or..some planes are equipped with a "hobbs" meter
this is the usual means that pilots keep up with time.
When you rent a plane most operators charge by hobbs time.

Me, i use a watch, referring to faa's definition of flight time.
14 CFR part 1.1 says in part:

Flight time means:

(1) Pilot time that commences when an aircraft moves under its own power for the purpose of flight and ends when the aircraft comes to rest after landing; or

(2) For a glider without self-launch capability, pilot time that commences when the glider is towed for the purpose of flight and ends when the glider comes to rest after landing.

Answer 2

In most planes, flight hours are calculated from when the engine starts to when the engine stops.

If they are sitting on a taxi-way ready to take off, then yes, they are building flight hours... if they are waiting in the terminal for the snow to melt, then no.. flight hours are not earned.

Any time the aircraft is under its own power, the pilot is in command of the aircraft, and is therefore gaining "flight hours." And believe me, moving around safely on the ground at the airport is difficult and worthy of earning hours. They aren't just sitting back and relaxing. The pre-takeoff checks and procedures are some of the most difficult and involved that a pilot will do during the course of a flight.

Answer 3

For GA pilots (especially if you're renting) if the engine is turning you're being charged for hourly rental, so most pilots log the time the same way.

Most rental aircraft ARE billed by "Hobbs Time", although most rental places will record both tach time and Hobbs time. They won't usually match exactly, but they should be close enough to detect cheating.

In most piston aircraft, if you shut down the electrical system, the Hobbs meter will stop registering, but the engine will just keep on running as long as the mags are working properly and there's fuel. The tach (which is mechanically driven) will keep registering as long as the engine is turning. Not really a safe (or legal in most airspace) way to save a few bucks in rental fees, but people do it all the time. You also are flying without communications, transponder, VOR, ADF, LORAN or GPS receivers, lights, etc.

Answer 4

PIlot Flight time is counted from the moment the aircraft starts moving under his own power with the intention of flying until the time it stops after it flew.

This being said, flight time for maintenance purposes can be different. One interesting example : I flew in a plane that had a flight time counter that started when the plane was moving at more than 32 knots(ground speed) and stopped when the speed was less than that.

Answer 5

Flight hours are generally engine start to engine stop, but sometimes you can use a Hobbs-meter which is master switch on to master switch off.

So yes while you are waiting on the ground with engines running, you are logging hours. I spend a lot of time taxiing aircraft since I am a mechanic but I don't log those hours since it isn't my intention to fly (many aren't completely airworthy).

For the aircraft logs and times, we use 'air time' which is wheels up to wheels down. You always 'round down' so you don't have to do inspections and overhauls as often (tee hee).

Answer 6

Any time you are acting as Pilot-in-Command in an aircraft is logged. It's logged from engine start to shutdown.

Answer 7

Hours are based on the whole time the engines are running.

Answer 8

I am a regional pilot for a US carrier and we log our time from the time the cabin door closes till it opens.

Answer 9

Yes, its derived from engine time. You also log take offs and landings, and IFR time. Its fairly comprehensive really.

Answer 10

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