Commercial certificate question

On 11/4/2005 4:00 PM, Matt Whiting wrote the following:
I think I know the answer to this, but would like a second opinion. Does
FAR 61.129 (a)(3) (iii) and (iv) really require an instructor ride along
on these two long VFR flights? I have over 600 hours TT and an
instrument rating and plan to obtain my commercial certificate. however,
in reviewing my logbook, I don't have any dual cross countries of this
length during either the day or night. I find it hard to believe I need
to cart along an instructor for this, but it seems to read as though
these flights must be "training" flights.

Any instructors able to confirm if I'm reading this correctly?

Regards,
Matt

My Examiner would say you are reading it correctly. I read it that any 2 hour
flights would do, but he didn't.

At my checkride, we had to hunt through my logbook to find a flight that
qualified under iii. Fortunately I had once taken an instructor friend with me
on a flight where I needed to use an airplane (Cherokee 6) that I wasn't fully
checked out in. The DE maybe stretched a bit, but accepted that flight as
meeting the requirement.