Safety Pilot Time Log
Log safety-pilot flights correctly — who manipulated controls, who logged PIC, hood time and approaches — with totals both pilots can export.
Safety-pilot logging is the most-debated entry in US logbooks: the flying pilot logs PIC as sole manipulator; the safety pilot may log SIC — or PIC only if acting as PIC by agreement.
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⚠️ Not for operational decisions. This is a record-keeping and planning aid only — not certified avionics, not a source of regulatory truth. Always verify against official sources (FAA) and your operator's approved documents before flying.
Free safety-pilot log that gets the legal roles right: record who flew under the hood, who acted as PIC, hood time and approaches — and keep currency-countable totals for both seats.
About Safety Pilot Time Log
Safety-pilot flights are the cheapest instrument currency in aviation and the most commonly mis-logged. The rules: the pilot under the hood logs PIC as sole manipulator of the controls (61.51(e)) and the simulated instrument time; the safety pilot — a required crewmember under 91.109(c) — logs SIC for the hood portion, or PIC instead if the two of you agreed they were the acting pilot-in-command. Get the roles backwards and an interview logbook audit unravels years of time. This log builds the distinction into the entry itself: pick your role from the three legal configurations, record hood time and approaches, and the totals stay defensible. Fly with the same partner regularly and you both keep clean, matching records.
How to use Safety Pilot Time Log
- 1After each flight, pick your role: flying pilot, acting-PIC safety pilot, or SIC safety pilot.
- 2Enter hood time, total time and approaches flown.
- 3Compare exports with your safety pilot so both logbooks tell the same story.
Why use Safety Pilot Time Log?
- ✓Role selector encodes the three legal logging configurations
- ✓Tracks hood time and approaches for 61.57(c) currency
- ✓Other-pilot field keeps records matchable between partners
- ✓Six-month approach tile shows what the flights bought you
- ✓Private browser storage; CSV export survives logbook audits
Frequently asked questions
Can both pilots log PIC on a safety-pilot flight?+
Yes, in one specific configuration: the pilot under the hood logs PIC as sole manipulator, and the safety pilot logs PIC for the hood portion ONLY if both agreed the safety pilot was the acting pilot-in-command (and they're rated and current to act as PIC of that aircraft). Without that agreement, the safety pilot's correct entry is SIC. The role selector here forces the choice to be explicit at logging time.
What must the safety pilot hold to be legal?+
Under 91.109(c): at least a private pilot certificate with category and class ratings appropriate to the aircraft, adequate vision forward and to each side (or a competent observer arrangement), and the aircraft needs dual controls. If the safety pilot will act as PIC, add currency and medical requirements for that role. Note the safety pilot does NOT need an instrument rating — they're there to see and avoid.
Does safety-pilot time count toward ATP or job minimums?+
SIC time logged as a required crewmember counts toward ATP total time requirements, and acting-PIC arrangements produce genuine PIC time — but airlines differ on how they credit safety-pilot SIC in interviews, and some discount it. Keep it clearly labelled (as this log does) so you can present it transparently; ambiguous time is what gets logbooks pulled apart in interviews.
What happens to my entries if I clear my browser?+
Clearing site data or doing a full browser reset deletes locally stored entries — that is the price of a genuinely private, server-free design. Protect yourself with the one-click CSV download before any cleanup, OS reinstall or new laptop: re-importing your history later is far easier than reconstructing it from memory.
Can I get my data out if I switch tools later?+
Always — the CSV export is a complete, lossless dump of your safety-pilot record, generated locally in one click. Import it into commercial logbook software, archive it in your records folder, or post-process it in a spreadsheet. No lock-in is a deliberate design decision: data you can't take with you isn't really yours.
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