How to present an electronic logbook

[English]

I took on a project recently that involved entering about 7700 hours into Logbook Pro for a friend of mine. Every leg was entered individually, so there are approximately 7400 entries.

Here's the problem -

Although Logbook Pro supplies logbooks (MGont binders, I believe) the binders only hold 100 pages each, with 21 entries (flights) per page. Doing the math, it appears I'd need 4 logbooks to make this project see fruition. At $100 bucks a pop for the binders, and $27 per 50 pack of paper, I'm calculating it'll cost $616 to print this logbook, not counting the cost of printer cartridges.

So, how did everyone else here do it?

Is it possible to print it out and maybe have it professionally bound, by a bookmaker or ?

 

[TonyC]

I don't have the software, so I don't know. I do have an idea, though. If you can export the data to spreadsheet software (Excel, etc.) you can manipulate the font size, print your own lines for columns and lines, etc. to condense the output into fewer pages.

Or perhaps you could settle for a month by month or weekly summary. Perhaps you could print individual flights up until a certain point to prove that those milestones have been achieved, and then summarize (daily, weekly, monthly) the flying accomplished since reaching the critical milestones.

I'm sure you can find someone in the yellow pages that will do custom binding, if that's what interests you. Even Kinkos can do some types of binding. Their spiral bindings are pretty reasonable, and look very professional. (Ask for the airline discount )

 

[English]

I thought about just printing weekly or monthly summaries. However, now my pride is in the way, as I have invested alot of time to the project, and I'd like to print the entire logbook the way it is.

I'm researching bookbinding, but also wondering if anyone else has gone this route first. Kinda don't want to reinvent the wheel if someone else has already tried this and failed.

 

[TonyC]

What is the output of LogBook Pro? Can it be printed (and look good) on standard 8½ x 11 paper?


Can you export the data to Excel?

I'm certain that if you can print directly to standard paper, you can get it bound. And I feel certain that if you can export the data to Excel, you can reduce the font and make it look very professional while reducing the number of pages - - even print on both sides of the pages - - and then get it bound.

 

[English]

I'm planning on printing it out on 8 1/2 x 11 paper. I could export it to Excel, but my friend really likes the Jeppesen template that comes with Logbook Pro, so I'll be printing from there.

Binding is high on the list so far...anyone here done it for a logbook? Has anyone found a source for elegant looking binders as an alternate method?

 

[328dude]

I have all my stuff in the Logbook Pro MG binders and printed them out on the 8x11 paper. Unfortunatly, I could never get the margins to line up for double sided printing, so I got creative and took it all to Kinko's and spent about 4 hours cutting and laminating the two sides together. Cut the holes and insert them into my logbook.

Change the font size on the Logbook Program. You can usually get an extra 5 to 10 lines per page without having to squint to see the entrys.

PM if you want to discuss how I did it in details.

Never had to present it to anyone yet, but looking forward to if SW ever calls.

 

[TonyC]

http://www.uniquebindery.com/services.htm


Couldn't hurt to give these folks a call and ask.


Or these folks: http://www.mcspaddenbookbindery.com/price.htm

 

[English]

Thanks Tony! This company also has custom ring binders, which might also work and allow my friend to update his logbook with new pages.

328dude, I changed the font to 8 point but I still get 21 entries per page on the report printout. Did you use the Jeppesen template or the MGont template?

 

[redeye69]

Why do you want to print the logbook? It sounds cheaper to buy a laptop and carry it around.

 

[Frac Daddy]

I took on a project recently that involved entering about 7700 hours into Logbook Pro for a friend of mine. Every leg was entered individually, so there are approximately 7400 entries.

Here's the problem -

Although Logbook Pro supplies logbooks (MGont binders, I believe) the binders only hold 100 pages each, with 21 entries (flights) per page. Doing the math, it appears I'd need 4 logbooks to make this project see fruition. At $100 bucks a pop for the binders, and $27 per 50 pack of paper, I'm calculating it'll cost $616 to print this logbook, not counting the cost of printer cartridges.

So, how did everyone else here do it?

Is it possible to print it out and maybe have it professionally bound, by a bookmaker or ?

Wow! I need friends like that. Want to do my logbook next?

 

[English]

Sure! That is, if you are going to pay me the hourly rate he is...


And, he has an interview, so I doubt he could or would carry the logbook into the interview with him.

 

[DrEvil]

You could use the custom template with the new split report system that solves the old margin issue. The new report system is outstanding and I have no problems printing it. Back to the custom template idea, reduce the font size, reduce the row height, change the top/bottom margin when previewing and you'll get "more per page" this way. You can also export to PDF and then send to Kinko's, even via the web, and have them bind it nicely.

Let us know what you end up doing! Best of luck to him in his interview.

 

[English]

Thanks to everyone for the help and replies. We've come up with a solution that will look professional as well as continue to be useful.

While the binding idea seemed like a good one at first, we realized that once we binded the logbook, we would no longer be able to "update" the logbook by adding more pages. Once bound, it would be a finished product, and we'd end up starting a second logbook in order to add more pages. While this will work if he is hired, it won't work if he has to go to another interview six months from now. So, instead, we are going with a custom-made, three ring binder made by this company that TonyC recommended....www.uniquebindery.com. The benefit to this binder over the ones that MGOent makes for LogbookPro is that we can have the rings made to any size to accomodate more than just 100 pages. Instead of buying 4 separate logbooks from MGOent, we will have one or two custom made. Although they won't be leather, it will be less expensive and will fit our needs.

I'll look into having Kinko's print it, but so far we are on track to printing it on a laser printer.

Thanks again for the replies.

 

[bolete]

presenti the electronic logbook

Hey, I know this is an old thread, but it took me two weeks to make it through getting registered.

Here's what I did. Go to Office Max on line and look up post binders. You can buy one for about $35 that holds standard 8.5 x 11 paper, but binds it on the short edge. It's expandable (comes with the posts to expand), so it will hold lots of paper. The cover is a green cloth with vinyl fake leather on the corners--actually looks nice. Then I bought a big box of the heaviest paper you can buy. It's like 35lb linen stuff--comes in a bunch of colors. I got cream. I fiddled around with my hole puncher I use for 3 ring binders, moving a piece of tape as an alignment marker until I could punch the two holes in the piece of paper and make it fit right in the binder--you punch one hole, then flip the paper over and punch the other hole. I printed out the logbook on my cheap Canon photo-capable printer (couldn't get it to work on my Epson) in Duplex mode. I had to fiddle with the page borders a bit to get the page centered on the paper, but they line up great with a little work. In the end you get the same layout as your normal "master log." It looks great. Interviewers like it (mine did anyway). I bought the MGOENT leather 3 ring binder, but found it to be useless. This system works great, and is affordable.

 

[English]

What a great idea - post binders - I never thought of that!

Thanks for the input.