Why You Need An Electronic Logbook

[atpcliff]

Hi!


An electronic logbook is basically essential today, because of the modern methods of pilot recruitment (not to mention a laptop). With online applications, especially, it saves a lot of time to have your flying records in an easy to research format.

If they want to know my Turboprop SIC time, or my ME Xcountry time, I can come up with those numbers very quickly. I remember taking 20+ hours to fill out the paper CoEx time grid from my paper logbook!


Another benefit of an electronic logbook is not losing it. I lost my first logbook (I had a box either misplaced or stolen during a military move.), and I know a lot of others that have also. I currently have my electronic logbook on my laptop hard drive, on a usb portable drive, on a backup hard drive at home, and now printed up in a paper format.


I have been using LBPro since I started commercially flying. I like the program a lot and it is well worth the $70. As you would with any downloaded software purchase, you need to keep your original order and unlock key info somewhere safe. I once had a problem with downloading a new version. I emailed LBPro and they fixed it easily and quickly because I had the order info & key.


Some guys have used Excel (or openoffice.org, which is free and replaces MS Office=all of it) and made their own logbooks. I could do that, but I didn't want to spend the time. There are other electronic programs available, none of which I've used.


If you don't have an electronic logbook, I would shop around and see what works best for you.


Good luck with your job search!


Cliff
YIP

PS-If you itemize your deductions, it is deductable for professional pilots.

 

[atpcliff]

Hi!

...forgot to add this:
Logging time in your electronic logbook.

I highly recommend logging one day per line. So, as long as the tail number, crew, or something else unusual doesn't change, I would put all 2 legs/7 legs, whatever you flew that day, on one line.

Some guys have been logging one leg per line, which seems suicidal to me. If you don't have an electronic logbook yet, when you get one, it's easier to consolidate all those lines of multiple leg days into one line in your electronic logbook. It'll save hours and hours of time.

If you have been using a paper log and want to switch to electronic, LogBookPro will do it for you for a fee. I wanted to save money and did it myself. I also type really fast, for a guy.

Good luck,
cliff
YIP

 

[SIR MILO]

I secound logbookpro and the way it has helped me tons and tons to make things much easier.
Getting it going first takes some time, but you can minimize this by sending them your old logbooks and for a fee they will input the info.
But once you get the hang of it, talk about so much saved time, from logging to pulling up records.
Well worth the money.

 

[FlyingGuy]

I agree. My poor handwriting alone is reason enough. In addition to helping fill out applications and resumes logbook pro is great for converting military time to civilian. My only complaint is it only does this for total time not PIC, SIC, etc.

I'm not sure I agree with putting a whole day on one line. I like to see the airports for each leg and add remarks if anything of interest happens such as a divert. That way when someone asks in an interview "tell me about your last divert" I'll be prepared.

 

[atpcliff]

Hi!

Diverts are easy! Just declare and emergency, tell them your destination and that you need vectors to a no-gyro PAR. No problem. I do it about once a week.

cliff
YIP

 

[joevollers]

For the last 8 years I have entered in Monthly totals on each line... Been hired twice in two interviews since then and no one bats an eyelash...

 

[altscap]

I wonder how much they paid him to say that.

 

[atpcliff]

Hi!

$0.

The reason I did it is I help a bunch of people get hired. I know guys who are trying to do the airlineapps application and others with a paper logbook.

It's a nightmare.

LBPro has problems, which you can read about if you search. Most guys, who know more about electronic logbooks than I do, will tell you that. They'll also say that right now it's the best all around logbook, unless you want to make your own.

Good luck to you!
cliff
DAL

 

[CrimsonEclipse]

http://www.forpilots.com/logbook/

free

CE

 

[JimNtexas]

logshare.com - free, back it up by using the export to cvs (excel compatable) format

 

[big dog1]

with logbook pro do you have to use their printing service or can you print it from home

thanks

 

[CA1900]

LogTen Pro

 

[atpcliff]

Hi!

LBPro: U can print it yourself, and save a TON of money. I did it that way, and have a long post explaining how to do it, as it can be tricky at first.

It is easiest to have LBPro do everything, but it costs a lot.

Good luck to you!

cliff
SHV

 

[Thedude]

Paper logbooks don't need batteries or don't need to be backed-up. Don't have to worry about the paper hard drive crashing. I just have to be concerned with the cup of coffee siting near by when I do my update.

I am a techno-weenie by the way.

 

[atpcliff]

Hi!

U DO have to worry about losing that paper log book. I lost one, and I won't again, as my electronic one is in 3 different places.

cliff
SHV

 

[regionalcap]

I agree. My poor handwriting alone is reason enough. In addition to helping fill out applications and resumes logbook pro is great for converting military time to civilian. My only complaint is it only does this for total time not PIC, SIC, etc.

I'm not sure I agree with putting a whole day on one line. I like to see the airports for each leg and add remarks if anything of interest happens such as a divert. That way when someone asks in an interview "tell me about your last divert" I'll be prepared.

You can list the airports for each leg under "route of flight." You can also list the divert in the remarks. I also use Airline Pilot Daily Logbook (like the little red book) on my palm pilot. I sync it to the computer and automatically fills in Logbook Pro. Electronic is the way to go (free or otherwise).

 

[Jet41]

I use Safelog, love it. Better in every way to paper. I keep 5 back ups, one which is on a memory stick in a safe deposit box. Both my papers logs books were stolen, along with my rental car, cloths, flight bag, passport and laptop while on a job interview 8 years ago. I was just lucky that at home, I had all but about 200 hrs backed up on an Excel logbook I had made on my own. Matter fact Safelog now offers on line backup now, which I will soon be using also.

 

[Daytonaflyer]

I agree. I simply back up my logbook to my computer first, then I send a copy of the file to both my Yahoo and Gmail email accounts. Then I have it backed up in 3 places.
I use Safelog and think it's the best, except for the printing options, but I've found a way to fix that too (it's labor intensive though).

 

[Jet41]

Agreed, supposed to be working on printing issues. Once done, will be hard to find any fault at all

 

[CitationUltra]

I'd like to convert. But in Logbook Pro, I can't figure out how to get your starting (total) time-to-date entered. Any help would be appreciated.

 

[SandyLab]

Here is an article from their knowledgebase:

http://helpdesk.nc-software.com/index.php?_m=knowledgebase&_a=viewarticle&kbarticleid=17

 

[DrewBlows]

I use an excel logbook a friend created and I've tweaked for my own use. It's in Jeppesen format and when I have an interview I do a little data transfer to a printable version and take it to FedExKinkos. It costs about $15 to have printed and bound, you could do it yourself cheaper if you wanted.

The electronic logbook is great because it's perfect. Interviewers can't find any math errors because there aren't any. Hell, there aren't even any mistakes.

I started backing up my paper logbook with an electronic one when I had about 1200 hours. It took a few weeks and finding and correcting math errors was a tedious process. I think I ended up putting a correction line of about 10 hours in my paper log when it was all said and done. I continued using paper until I filled up my original logbook and then went all electronic.

If I were encouraging a new student I would suggest backing up a paper logbook electronically until their commercial certificate, then going all electronic.

 

[atpcliff]

Hi!

Citation Ultra-Everyone I know who has an electronic logbook has entered all their flight times into the electronic one.

I use, basically, one line per day/trip. Some guys actually have logged one line per MONTH, and have been hired. I know a few guys who log one LEG per line-masochistict, if U ask me.

LogBookPro will enter all of your data for you, for a fee. Everyone I know did it themselves.

cliff
TUS

 

[CitationUltra]

Hi!

Citation Ultra-Everyone I know who has an electronic logbook has entered all their flight times into the electronic one.

I use, basically, one line per day/trip. Some guys actually have logged one line per MONTH, and have been hired. I know a few guys who log one LEG per line-masochistict, if U ask me.

LogBookPro will enter all of your data for you, for a fee. Everyone I know did it themselves.

cliff
TUS

Hey thanks a lot for this information. Clearly I was not smart enough to figure this out for myself, and admittedly did not spend much time trying to figure it out. I also did not know that LB Pro would do this service for you.

 

[gangdev]

LogTen Pro

LogTen pro is great for Macs.

 

[Wankel7]

Yeah, i did the switch over. From day one to now is in LBP. And yeah...its flight by flight. When it was in paper that was a major pita but now its ok since its so fast to enter the flights into lbp.

lbp does have some features that make it hard to use. But I am rather entrenched into it now!

I have a nice solution for printing it out so it looks really professional. The main reasons I am doing electronic is because my handwriting sucks bad and for adding up times in the weird way applications ask for it.

 

[Inconceivable]

Log Ten Pro is an awesome program. Liked it so much I actually bought twice for my wife and I rather than just install it twice.

I have been logging every leg as a single entry in Jepp logbooks since the beginning. Makes an impression at an interview when you whip out six of them

My electronic log has each line as a single type per month, which gives enough report data for me. One thing I do is make the aircraft ID the same as the type (B-737-8, B-737-8) because the aircraft attributes (retractable, EFIS, hi-perf, etc) are based on specific tail numbers rather than types.