Ground tests & pilot logbook.

On Tue, 10 Feb 2004 19:14:29 -0500, "Jim Carriere"
wrote:

"Ron Wanttaja" wrote in message

IIRC, you're supposed to log from the point "the aircraft first takes
movement for flight." If the purpose of the engine start is something
other than flight, you don't log it.

I think counting the time on the Hobbs meter comes from the way you pay for
aircraft rental... most places charge for the time on the meter, so you
might as well log it. If it's your own aircraft, your maintenance schedule
probably runs off the Hobbs meter, so you're still paying for that time.

Actually, I believe maintenance schedules are usually driven by tach time.
I got a hobbs meter in my plane, but I'm gonna chuck the thing one of these
days. Never look at it.

Of course Ron, you're right, the .1 or .2 between startup and taking the
runway technically aren't supposed to be logged.

Thanks, but I apparently wasn't clear: If the purpose of the engine start
is to take the airplane to the runway, I feel the time should be logged as
flight time. Ditto for the taxi back to the tiedown/hangar after landing.
If you stop at the gas pumps on the way, you *don't* log the time from the
pumps to the hangar...the purpose of the movement was not flight.

Years ago, I pointed out this philosophy had an interesting loophole: I
could log "flight time" when I was *not* in the airplane. Y'see, the club
Fly Baby didn't have a starter, hence I had to hand-prop it. When the
engine started, the thrust would pull the airplane slightly forward, onto
the chocks or the limit of the tiedown rope. The airplane "was taking
movement for flight," though there wasn't anyone in the cockpit.

And don't forget: The flight isn't over 'till the wheels are chocked.
Can't do THAT from the cockpit, either. :-)

Ron Wanttaja