Pilots must keep accurate logbooks that include key information such as the flight dates, the place and time of departure/arrival, and the pilot-in-command’s name. However, filling these out can be challenging. Pilots might be experts at piloting aircraft, but dealing with this admin can be a nightmare, especially if they’re new.
Fortunately, this guide is here to help you in this situation. It explains how to get started with log book basics and then provides a step-by-step guide on filling it out. After that, it explores how to keep your records accurate and some ways to simplify the paper logbook process.
Getting Started: Log Book Basics
Pilot logbooks are, superficially, a record of your flights. But more deeply than that, they describe your aviation experience–something regulators/employers will want to see at many points during your career. Proper records ensure you remain compliant with various aviation authority rules and that you can keep passengers, ground staff, and other crew members safe.
The key components of your pilot logbook are:
- Date – when the flight took place (using standard local departure/arrival times and dates)
- Role – whether you were the pilot-in-command or second-in-command (PIC vs SIC)
- Conditions – details about the flight, including weather and telemetry data
- Flight details – including the number of passengers onboard, the flight time, whether the flight took place in the day, night or both, and any solo hours logged
- Aircraft information – details relating to the aircraft you flew, including the make, model and serial number
Usually, paper logbooks will arrange these segments into sections you can fill out. Electronic versions do things similarly (to keep everything simple), similar to online forms.
Just check which logbook details you must fill in for the specific jurisdictions to which you travel. Rules can vary substantially.
Step-by-Step Guide: Filling Out Your Log
So, how do you go about filling out your logbook? Fortunately, it’s all rather simple.
1. Write down the basic flight information
Start by writing down the basic flight information, such as the date, departure/arrival locations, aircraft type, registration number, etc. This information should be readily available in the cockpit or before the flight.
2. Document flight hours
Next, document your flight hours. Ensure you break them down into the roles you played:
- Solo
- Dual instruction
- Cross-country
Also, ensure you include the type of hours, such as night- or simulator time. These can have varying compliance implications, so recording them separately is best practice.
3. Record your role
Also, write down if you were the pilot-in-command or second-in-command. Again, these details can have regulatory implications.
4. Detail the conditions
Discuss the conditions on the flight, including any instrument-monitored or visually monitoring weather conditions. Write down any strange anomalies, including turbulence, high winds, or cold weather.
5. Use the remarks section
Finally, use the “remarks” section to record more flight details. For example, you might take a practice cross-country trip or practice multiple landings in windy conditions to build your skills.
Ensuring Accuracy: How To Avoid Common Logging Mistakes
Once you write down the basic information, the next step is to ensure accuracy. Everything you include in your logbook should reflect what happened during the flight.
Getting every detail perfect isn’t always easy. But, fortunately, there are things you can do.
Avoid rounding flight times
First, don’t round off your flight times. Try to measure them to the nearest minute so you have an accurate record.
This approach is helpful because it eliminates accusations of massaging the figures. Regulators can’t say you’ve been rounding up your flight times to meet their requirements. It also helps you comply with record-keeping norms.
Don’t Misclassify hours
Another common mistake to avoid is misclassifying hours. Don’t record flight hours as second-in-command if you were pilot-in-command, and vice versa, as this can complicate evaluations.
Furthermore, don’t incorrectly categorise your time. Always state how you spent the flight hours (i.e. local versus cross-country). Try to measure this to a high level of accuracy using software and in-flight tools.
Don’t Avoid Simulator Time
Avoiding simulator time is another common mistake many pilots make. Professionals often assume that time in the air is all that counts, but that’s not always true. Practising on a computer can also refine your skills.
Making Entries You Can’t Read
Lastly, you can sometimes mistakenly create entries you can’t read because your handwriting isn’t legible. Quickly scribbling something down can seem like a time-saver, but it could make it difficult to interpret when you return to it.
The best way to avoid this problem is to use an electronic logbook. These are always legible because you are typing up your records, not writing them down.
Top Tips for Simplifying the Paper Logbook Process
If you want to use a paper logbook, there are several things you can do to improve your processes.
Log Your Hours Correctly
Our first top tip is to log your hours in the proper format. As a pilot, you have a couple of choices.
You can use the hours and minutes system, where you log your flight time by stating the hours followed by a colon, followed by the number of minutes, or decimal hours.
The hours and minutes approach is the simplest for a normal clock or watch. Here, you write the hours and then the minutes. For example, on a flight from London to Singapore, you might record the flight time as 9:30, meaning nine hours and thirty minutes.
For decimal hours, you would write 9.5. Here, the .5 element simply refers to half an hour, not fifty minutes, which can be confusing at first.
Keep Your Logbook Safe
Next, we recommend keeping your paper logbook somewhere safe. Unfortunately, paper isn’t the most durable material, so many pilots find their logbooks failing when they travel to humid destinations, such as Southeast Asia. Sun damage–another common issue–can also occur. UV light can fade ink on pages, reducing legibility.
Because of this, our advice is to keep logbooks in some sort of sealed container if you take them off an air-conditioned, climate-controlled aircraft. Usually, a zip-lock bag will suffice, but you can also find specialist products.
Use The Same Pen
Another piece of advice is to use the same pen with your logbook, physically securing them together where possible. Using the same writing equipment makes the logbook more readable and scannable (if upgrading to electronic formats). It also makes the whole documentation look more professional, which is useful if submitting data for regulatory approval or a job application.
Make It A Habit
Turning your logbook entries into a habit is another top piece of advice. Getting into a routine and making them in the same way is one of the best pieces of advice we can offer.
Don’t leave making entries until the end of the week. This approach is prone to errors and inaccuracies. Your best bet is to make quick entries at the end of a flight after a landing when the plane is at rest and secured.
Alternatively, you can set aside five minutes after every shift to ensure your logbook is updated. Turn it into a ritual for recording your piloting career.
Buy A Cover
Finally, ensure your logbook has an adequate cover. Don’t rely on loose-leaf booklets as these will damage quickly.
Covers are the best option because they are so durable. You can stuff them into satchels and bags without damaging the paperwork inside. Furthermore, you can replace them if they wear out, again, letting you protect the paperwork inside.
Maximising Efficiency: Hacks For Keeping Your Logbook Up To Date
So, what can you do to keep your logbook up to date and make it more efficient?
Our advice is to switch from a paper logbook to an electronic one. Digital versions offer all sorts of benefits that aren’t available through the conventional paper-based approaches.
The primary benefit of electronic versions is their use of software. Integrated apps minimise the number of data entries you need to make by calculating metrics for you using formulas in the background. For example, often all you need to do is enter the flight name and departure/arrival times. Then, electronic logbook software will calculate other metrics for you, like the decimal flight time, and your total flight time for the week, month, previous 90 days, and year for regulatory purposes. It can also record things like the name of the aircraft, the flight path you take, airports, airlines and so on, without you having to enter all of the data manually on repeat flights.
Furthermore, you can back up electronic logbook entries in the cloud. You don’t have to worry about things like your handwriting or physically protecting paper logbook entries.
Excel Pilot Logbook is a simple and affordable paper logbook alternative that you can back up on Google Drive. It offers flight experience reports, take-off and landing currency, flight/duty limits, and much more for easy regulatory and airline compliance, reducing your paperwork massively.
