Definition
Simulated instrument time refers to flight conducted in actual visual meteorological conditions while the pilot wears a view-limiting device (a "hood," "foggles," or screen) that blocks outside visual reference, forcing reliance on instruments. It is distinct from actual instrument time, which is logged when the aircraft is genuinely in instrument meteorological conditions (cloud, low visibility, or below cloud-clearance minimums).
Under FAA §61.51(g), a pilot may log instrument time only when the operation is conducted solely by reference to instruments under actual or simulated instrument flight conditions. For simulated conditions, a safety pilot is required — a separate qualified pilot who maintains visual lookout for traffic and terrain while the pilot under the hood is task-saturated on the instruments. The safety pilot logs the time as second-in-command (SIC) for the portion of flight under simulated conditions, and the pilot under the hood logs it as simulated instrument time toward the 40-hour instrument time requirement for the FAA Instrument Rating.
The EASA framework treats the equivalent concept similarly — instrument time logged toward the IR(A) must be either actual IMC or simulated under the hood with a qualified safety pilot, or completed in a qualifying Flight Simulation Training Device (FNPT II / FFS / certain ATDs) where regulator-approved credit is allowed. The mix of actual, simulated-with-hood, and simulator-credited time is one of the most commonly mis-logged areas in pilot logbooks, and one of the most likely to surface during airline-employer logbook audits.
Why It Matters for Flight Schools
For flight schools, simulated instrument time creates two operational complications. First, every simulated-instrument lesson requires a safety pilot — either an instructor (in dual instruction) or a separate rated pilot (in solo work). Schools running solo instrument practice without verifying safety pilot qualifications expose themselves to a regulatory finding and an insurance gap. Second, the logbook conventions for who logs what are subtle and frequently mis-applied: the safety pilot logs SIC, not PIC; the pilot under the hood logs PIC or dual depending on context, plus simulated instrument time. Inconsistency across instructors produces logbooks that confuse airline recruiters years later.
The third subtlety is hood time vs simulator time. Hood time is logged in the aircraft, with the corresponding aircraft and instructor/safety-pilot costs. Simulator time on a qualifying FSTD costs a fraction as much, weather doesn't ground it, and within regulatory caps it credits identically toward the rating. Schools that haven't optimized this mix leave training margin on the table.
How Aviatize Handles This
Aviatize's training management module enforces consistent logbook conventions across the entire instructor team. Each lesson type defines whether the student logs simulated instrument time, actual instrument time, or simulator instrument time — and the resulting entry is validated against the lesson configuration. Mixed-condition flights are split correctly between actual and simulated portions rather than rounded into one bucket.
For solo simulated-instrument practice, the booking validation engine refuses the reservation unless a qualified safety pilot is named and their qualifications verified. The training plan itself shows progress against the regulatory ceiling on simulator-credited instrument time, helping the chief instructor balance hood-in-aircraft hours against simulator hours to optimize cost without compromising the rating's hour requirements.