← Back to Aviation Glossary
PIC Time
Pilot-in-command time logged under 14 CFR 61.51. Student pilots may log PIC only for solo flight when they are the sole occupant and properly endorsed; rated pilots log PIC when they are the sole manipulator of the controls of an aircraft for which they are rated, when they are the sole occupant, or when acting as PIC of an aircraft that requires more than one pilot under its type certificate or the regulations for the flight.
Want to go beyond the definition? This term is covered in depth in AviatorPro's Private Pilot License ground school.
Learn more in Private Pilot License →Related Terms
- Pilot-Controlled Lighting (PCL)Airport runway and taxiway lighting that a pilot activates by keying the aircraft microphone on a published frequency, usually CTAF or UNICOM. The Chart Supplement and AIM describe the click sequence and timing; confirming PCL availability is a standard night preflight step at many nontowered airports.
- Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge (PHAK)The FAA handbook (FAA-H-8083-25) covering foundational aeronautical knowledge topics such as aerodynamics, aircraft systems, flight instruments, weather, and human factors. Ground schools and checkride prep commonly treat the PHAK as a core reference alongside the AIM and Airplane Flying Handbook.
- PIREP (Pilot Weather Report)An observation of weather conditions reported by a pilot in flight. PIREPs describe conditions such as turbulence, icing, cloud bases and tops, visibility, and wind shear, giving other pilots timely evidence to compare against forecasts.
- Pitot-Static SystemThe system of pressure-sensing instruments that includes the airspeed indicator, altimeter, and vertical speed indicator. It works by comparing ram air pressure (from the pitot tube) with static atmospheric pressure (from static ports). Under 14 CFR 91.411, the altimeter and static pressure system must be tested within the preceding 24 calendar months for IFR operations in controlled airspace.