Let's Get It Logged?, X-Country Time - Not making sense!! Options

[BMeister]

Hi, short and sweet.

I have my private, in single engine land, I've taken IFR and CFII written...

so I can qualify to take the checkride.. what counts as cross country??

I want hard facts here!!

do I have to make a landing or shoot some approaches?
does it have to be a certain distance?

Regards.
B

[Becky_KSTS]

Okay, I am kinda chicken to put this one here but just have to. I have a question. I have been reading this thread and have wondered about cross country log time myself. I am just a private pilot so I am hitting at this from my perspective. The FARS can be a bit confusing due to the language (yes I do speak English). Cross country time can be logged if you fly to another aiport and land (even if is only 18 miles away).

However, if you are going for your instrument rating for example, then Cross country time can only be logged as cross country from one point to the other at or more than 50 nautical miles. Assuming that I am understanding the FARS correctly, why the blazes are there two different kinds of cross country ways to log time and what purpose does it serve?