Noe wrote:
I thought that was on the US way. Did you agree beforehand who was in command?
My understanding under EASA rules is that whoever has the “last word” is the PIC. When doing checkout (or just instructional flights), I log these as PIC, and expect the student to log PUT
To be honest nobody ever taught me how to fill in the logbook. And not a single one of the FIs I’ve flown with (there have been six or so) cared what I logged. Since the license we also never agreed on who is in command, which I now realise might be dangerous…
MedEwok wrote:
Since the license we also never agreed on who is in command, which I now realise might be dangerous…
That usually was my case as a “student”. I’d assume that I was PUT and the instructor was PIC. Now that I end up on the right hand side, I make sure I make it very clear if I’m in Command (I"m acting as instructor), or if they are (I’m acting as a regular, non licenced passenger)
This thread reminds me of one of the reasons to take the FAA-road as a backup. In one of my logbooks it’s perfectly clear how and what to log. In the other one not so much. I always log PIC time and I doubt anybody will ever care. Funny to be PIC and under supervision on the same flight using a different logbook.
FWIW the last time the CAA had a look at my logbook, they didn’t squawk – I have never, ever written my name in there, except on the first page with the address. This was, I think, about three years or so ago.
So far I put in “PIC” under every flight since the PPL exam, even though several of those were with an FI in the RHS.
As you are flying in Hannover, Germany, I suppose you have a license from Oldenburg or Braunschweig and then you should have a look into the NFL I posted here or the corresponding manual from the NLStbV
Buckerfan wrote:
PIC/Flight Instructor
I have three different log books. They are all different. Two of them are “valid for EASA flying” (PPL A and S). No such column in any of these three books 
All three do however have instructions in the beginning for how to fill out the different columns.
Only one of them has a column where it is possible to write a name. This is my PPL log book. It has a column saying “PIC”. There you are supposed to write the name of the PIC, and if you are the PIC then you write “self”. Then there is a short column saying “your duty on board”. Here your write, with acronyms, what you where doing as a crew.
AFAIK The purpose of the log book is to document the hours for renewals, ratings, currency etc for various types of flying for yourself, for instructors/examiners and for the authorities. I have never read anywhere that the purpose is to satisfy the current (and ever changing) fashion and taste deep in the bureaucracy.
@Tobi: It’s good to have different books to prove aeronautical experience to obtain new ratings in the US, instrument time being the most notable difference, cross country flights another. When I did my FAA certificate it was a huge task to dissect my old logbooks to prove I had the necessary experience.
I have always used SELF because that is how my instructor showed me to do it. With hindsight, I think one’s name is better but I don’t change because it’s become habit and changing would likely lead to a messy logbook with lots of crossing out. Same with logging decimal hours (taught) vs hours and minutes (more logical).
For the writer, journalist and part-time smackhead Will Self, it probably doesn’t matter.
If I’m with an instructor and they’re in command then I write their name. Why would anyone do otherwise? Unless it is obvious who is in command (e.g. recent tailwheel conversion with Robert of this parish) then I always make sure we are clear on who is in command. For a reval or some such I usually give the patter along the lines of “you are in command, but I will retain control unless you tell me you are taking control”.
