What counts as PIC time under EASA

When you can log pilot in command time, how student solo time and PICUS are recorded, and the entries that most often get questioned.

The short answer

You log PIC time when you are the pilot in command of the flight. Student pilots also log their solo flights as PIC. Dual instruction is logged as dual, not PIC, even when you fly every minute of it yourself.

The common cases

• Private flight alone or with passengers: all of the block time as PIC, name of PIC is SELF
• Student solo: logged as PIC, with the flight authorised by your instructor
• Dual lesson: logged as dual, the instructor is PIC
• Instructor giving a lesson: logged as PIC and in the instructor column
• PICUS in a multi pilot aircraft: the copilot acting as pilot in command under supervision logs PIC, countersigned by the commander

Why it matters

PIC hours are the figure every next step asks about: 100 hours for the CPL, 50 hours of cross country as PIC before the instrument rating, 6 hours in class for an SEP revalidation. An entry logged in the wrong column can quietly delay all of them.

Where caeloo fits

caeloo keeps PIC, dual, copilot and instructor time in separate columns, checks that none of them exceed the block time, and counts PIC hours straight into your licence progress. Your authority has the final word on unusual cases.