"Jim Macklin" wrote in message
news:xUlif.28166$4l5.18021@dukeread05...

If the "student" is a qualified and current Instrument rated
pilot and the flight is conducted in IMC, the CFI would not
be a required crewmember.

I seem to remember an FAA ruling that the safety pilot must possess all the
qualifications required to be PIC of the flight if needed. The particular
question was whether a safety pilot had to be current with respect to
takeoffs and landings. Althought the FAR said only "appropriately rated
safety pilot," the FAA ruled that that phrase meant "a safety pilot with all
the attributes needed to be PIC of that flight."