I think the FAA would only be able to hold you to it if you did not otherwise meet currency requirements.

Merely possessing a logbook with funny entries is not a violation in any way that I can imagine. Attempting to use funny entries for regulatory purposes is where they would have you... as you know we are not required (like say truckers) to log all of our time accurately.

Although I fully agree it would be a bad idea to log anything in a manner which could be construed as something it's not...you could certainly create hassles for yourself even if the violation doesn't hold water.

 

That's right. The logbook is not an FAA document... Hell, if you wanted, you could keep track of your times on bar napkins. You could use the PIC column in your logbook to keep track of how many "Porcupines In Containers" you carry per trip... Just make sure that you've got "Pilot in Command" somewhere to prove currency. All the feds care about is currency, that's the only time that you're required to log.

 

Not directly logbooks, but there is a case in which a pilot put extra time on an 8710. When the revocation trial happened, the pilot argued that since the false time was in excess of what was required, there was no harm no foul.

Guess how successful that was.

I'll stick to my guns. Keep track of porcupine in containers in a special column or in the remarks. Put it in the PIC column without further explanation and you're looking at a potential 61.59 violation.

I've heard the "napkin" nonsense many times. So far though, I haven't heard a story about a pilot who, after an accident and in response to a request for his logbook, handed the inspector a shoebox full of napkins and stray paper. I'd almost bet we'd see some very interesting language about "in a manner acceptable to the Administrator" (61.51(a)) in the NTSB decision upholding the certificate suspension or revocation.

Yes you are only required to log for currency and qualification. But that does not mean that false entries above and beyond that are a-ok.

 

Putting bogus time on 8710 is an obvious fail, because you sign that document to affirm that it is accurate.

 

Same with putting bogus time in a logbook, because you sign each page that "I certify that the statements made by me on this page are true" or something to that effect. You can't write whatever you want in a logbook if you're making stuff up.

Better not be lying about your number of mile-high club escapades :P

 

That's probably true if you sign each page...but that is not a legal requirement, logbook designers just seem to think that is a good idea to put that there.

 

Rick's right - not requirement to sign.

But so what. You are asked to hand your logbook over for inspection. You do. That says "That's my record of valid flight experience" as much as any signature on a page.