The 'flight time' limit refers to which description?

• A. Total hours a pilot spends actually flying
• B. Total time the aircraft is airborne
• C. Total hours from door to door for all crew
• D. Time between engine start and shutdown

Answer: (A)

Flight time is the period when the airplane is actually being flown under the pilot’s control. It starts with the takeoff and ends when the aircraft comes to rest after landing, so it represents the total hours the pilot is actively flying the aircraft. This is why the best description is the total time a pilot spends actually flying.

Being airborne describes only the time the plane is in the air, which can omit the takeoff roll and landing roll that are part of a flight. Door-to-door crew time counts all duty time from start to finish and isn’t limited to the flight portion. Time between engine start and shutdown includes ground operations like preflight and taxi, which aren’t considered flight time.