Electronic Logbooks

[UndauntedFlyer]

I have always kept a traditional paper logbook for my GA time. So now my question here is to those that now keep a record of their flight time by a computer logbook progam or on an Excel spreadsheet program.

1. Has the FAA ever found anything unacceptable about the computer log?

2. Has anyone else ever found anything unacceptable about the computer log? i.e. insurance company, employers.

3. Is there ever a requirement to back up the log with a paper log or is that a good idea for any reason?

4. Do you like the computer log?

 

[Turkey Shoot]

I have always kept a traditional paper logbook for my GA time. So now my question here is to those that now keep a record of their flight time by a computer logbook progam or on an Excel spreadsheet program.

1. Has the FAA ever found anything unacceptable about the computer log?

2. Has anyone else ever found anything unacceptable about the computer log? i.e. insurance company, employers.

3. Is there ever a requirement to back up the log with a paper log or is that a good idea for any reason?

4. Do you like the computer log?

1. Supposedly, the computer log alone won't do it. It needs to have a sig or something.
2. Printed version has worked fine for my interviews.
3. Back it up since your hard drive can cease to exist. I have one on my comp, PDA and another printed off periodically. Kinkos or any printing store can print and bind them. Then you sign them.
4. I like mine. With the PDA, it makes life pretty easy. Backs me up and checks for excesses in duty and flight time. Plus, my dumb a$$ doesn't have to do the addition. And you can break it down any way you chose. i.e. turbo fan PIC vs. recip PIC or whatever. Makes doing some of the things they want for applications much easier than spending hours figuring times.

 

[midlifeflyer]

I have had a computer log for about 10 years now, but I still maintain my paper log. In part that's because I'm not entirely certain about the answer to your first question.

The FAA has not spoken on what it considers to be "in a manner acceptable to the Administrator" for pilot logbooks [61.51(a)]. What kind of security (much easier to change computer records than paper ones). What kind of verification process for electronic signatures (especially for endorsements). Stuff like that.

There's a couple of things out there top suggest that computer logbooks are fine. There is a piece in the now-defunct Part 61 FAQ that appears to support eLogbooks, but I have qualms about those kinds of "out of the air" statements in the FAQ:

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We do not have a definition of a "logbook." A logbook can be a sheet or a number of sheets of computer generated log sheets like what airline pilots have issued to them by their companies. Or a logbook can be a number of DA Form 759-1's from the United States Army. Or a logbook can be a "training record tabulation sheet" like in the case with Part 141 approved school training records.
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On the other hand there was a certificate action in the past few years against a maintenance shop that was keeping electronic records without a paper backup (as I recall, the case, there is an AC that deals with the issue)

Ultimately, my =guess= is that an electronic pilot log will be acceptable to the FAA (subject to the endorsement issue), but I'm not willing to bet my ticket on it.