Answers for Pilots

Recording the milestones of your aviation experience

If the federal aviation regulations are the pilot's universe, the pilot's logbook is the center around which everything revolves.

"Logbooks bring a lot of the different requirements together," says Chuck Smith, AOPA aviation technical specialist. But, he adds, logbooks are about much more than just meeting legal requirements.

Logbook entries record not only your flight or simulator time but also the type of aircraft, the category of flight (for example, solo or dual), points of departure and arrival, whether it was a day or night flight, and numerous other particulars that characterize your experience. Ground instruction time may also be logged, as it may be required for certain pilot certificates and ratings. FAR 61.51, "Pilot Logbooks," establishes the main requirements for logging flight time, but the regulations constitute the bare minimum that should be included in a logbook; it's often in the pilot's best interests to record more complete details.

Personalizing your logbook with your specific flight experiences, such as recording retractable-gear time, can smooth the way for you to rent certain aircraft at your local FBO. Employers often post minimum experience requirements, and accurate and detailed logging can really pay off when you're trying to get your foot in the door.

"It's a record of a pilot's flying experience," Smith says. And, he adds, "It can be traumatic to lose it."

AOPA's Aviation Services technical specialists recommend that pilots keep a backup copy of their logbooks, copying them at least once a year and keeping them in a safe place. Also, specialists advise, take your logbook on flights only when required by regulations, and don't leave it in your car or in your flight bag, which can be targets for thieves.

"To recreate a lost logbook can be nearly impossible if you don't have a copy," Smith says. While it can be done, recreating a logbook from scratch is painstaking, requiring you to go back through receipts to establish flight time, contact past instructors you've flown with, and possibly even obtain flight review, high-performance, complex, or tailwheel endorsements all over again.

One option is the "e-logbook," or a logbook created with computer software. While not as portable as paper logs, e-logbooks provide more space for recordkeeping and comments, tally hours in different flight categories automatically, and, probably most important, provide a running backup copy of a logbook. Keep in mind that if you choose to use an e-logbook, though, handwritten endorsements from instructors are still required and must be stored in paper form.

Many pilots choose the best of both worlds. Smith says, "A good compromise would be to use a paper logbook to record each flight as you normally would with your endorsement, and then transfer the information to an e-logbook." Of course, that requires some data entry, but the time saved with automatic tallying of flight time and continuous updating of the logbook can outweigh time lost.

Whatever logging method or combination of methods you choose, your logbook will record the key milestones that make your aviation experience uniquely your own. AOPA aviation specialists are available to help.

As an AOPA member, you have access to the best resources anywhere for information and answers for pilots. AOPA provides information for its members through a vast array of communications technologies. You can reach experts in all fields of aviation via AOPA Online ( www.aopa.org/members/), the AOPA Pilot Information Center (800/USA-AOPA), and e-mail ( [email protected]). Aviation technical specialists respond promptly to member requests while AOPA Online provides members with access to information and resources 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The toll-free AOPA Pilot Information Center gives you direct access to specialists in every area of aviation. The center is available to members from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern time, Monday through Friday.

AOPA Web resources

This aviation subject report, Logbooks and Logging Time, includes articles from AOPA Pilot and AOPA Flight Training magazines related to logbooks. You'll find information about what to log, how to recreate a logbook if you lose one, and the legal ramifications of falsifying entries in a logbook.
www.aopa.org/members/files/topics/logbooks.html

AOPA's Logging Pilot in Command (PIC) Time Aviation Subject Report takes you through three scenarios to consider whether the criteria for logging PIC time have been met.
www.aopa.org/members/files/topics/pic.html

FAR 61.51, "Pilot Logbooks," is the primary FAR applying to the care and keeping of logbooks.
FAR 61.59 addresses the issue of falsification of logbooks.
www.aopa.org/members/files/fars/far-61.html

General Aviation Operations Inspector's Handbook, FAA Order 8700.1, references recreating lost logbooks in volume 2, chapter 1, section 10, number 21.
www.faa.gov/library/manuals/examiners_inspectors/8700/