SkyRock

I have been looking at getting a new logbook that better suits my current job. I have two questions:

1. Is it okay to start a new logbook when my current logbook is only 1/2 complete?

2. Is it okay to split my cross-country column?

-I currently log XC under one column in my paper logbook. This includes XC toward ATP (61.1_B_VI) and XC towards ratings under part 61 (61.1_B_II).
-My electronic logbook provides specific XC time division based on category.
-Some say to create a separate column for XC toward ATP, however, I did not have the space in my paper logbook. Should I split the column in my new paper logbook, given I will have the extra space?

-"AOPA recommends that you log all cross-country hours under the basic cross-country column and then add the distance and landing information under the notes or remarks column alongside". Some on this forum disagree with this...

Any response is welcomed! Thanks.

rickair7777

Yes.

Yes.

As long as it's clear what you're doing, you can slice and dice your flight time any way you like. You'll find it's better to do that, than have to try to split your time apart down the road.

In the case of ATP XC, you only need to log that prior to obtaining your ATP, so there is a case to just manually calculate that out. But either way is fine. Once you have your ATP you could simply consolidate all XC time back into one column.

It should be logical, straightforward, CONSISTENT and easy for you to explain to anyone reviewing your logbook. They like methodical organization. They don't like sloppy and error-prone.

You can make a "journal entry" in your logbook at any time... a line entry which corrects or adjusts times with a note explaining why.

JohnBurke

The only purposes for logging cross country are to meet the experience requirements of a given certificate, or to meet insurance requirements (or both). Accordingly, log the cross country in whatever manner suits your need.

There are wild ideas about logging which do not meet the regulation, such as logging multi time, with no total time, and other such bizarre ideas; but all time is total time, and all time must be PIC, SIC, instruction received, solo (which is really PIC), or flight engineer time. Cross country is a little different. You can have two cross country columns in your logbook, or put it in the remarks, or do whatever you like.

I use the Jeppesen log, which has several blank columns. One of them I use just to track time in type for whatever I'm flying. Other columns I've used to track time specific to a kind of operation, such as firefighting, or agricultural, because both the government and insurance companies want those numbers. Other employers couldn't care less, so those columns get used when appropriate, to make it easier for me to fill out paperwork.

What I'd suggest, as you're trying to meet experience requirements for certification, is to log your standard cross country in the column that's already printed in the book, then in the margin to the side of the particular flight you're logging, just jot down the time applicable to the ATP cross country. You can make a note at the top of the page explaining what it is, or just put the number there as a reference, and keep a running total at the bottom. The only person who will ever care what it is or perhaps give it any notice is the examiner or APD who does your ATP. Other than that, those numbers are just for your reference, and you can arrange them as you like.

It's not wrong to go to another logbook, but personally, I'd just stick with the one in use and fill it up. It saves having to keep track of more logbooks, and it looks a little cleaner. Half of an empty logbook looks like you dropped out of flying for a while or lost a log; few employers will spend much time searching your logs anyway, but if it were me, I'd keep it all in the same logbook instead of starting a new one.

The last few employers haven't really cared to look at my logs. I brought them all to the interview for my current employer, but a cursory glance was given to one of them for a few seconds, and that was it. Once you get past your certification and your first job or two, few will care much about your logs. That said, they are legal documents, and the care you take maintaining them does say something about you, so I always advise people to keep a neat logbook and to take it seriously. When all is said and done, a big chunk of your life story will be written in there, and that log is a legal record. Treat it accordingly.

For the cross country question ,I'd just put your total time, category/class, the usual landings, approaches, PIC/SIC/Dual/etc, night, instrument, and for the cross country, log in the cross country column the time you had a landing 50 nm from the point of departure. Then, any flights that didn't meet that definition, but did extend 50 miles from the point of departure ("ATP cross-country"), put that number in the margin at the right side of that line entry, and keep a total at the bottom of that page, right side in that margin . Once you knock your ATP out, you can stop logging the cross country if you like; I haven't logged it in decades. I don't think anyone cares.

Njflyguy

I moved to a very detailed Excel 15 years ago that has a log tab with all the flight by flight info and a summary tab that formulaically tallies up all the various times in more ways that one could hope for (Day, night, actual fir, sim fir, simulator, pic, solo, night, dual received, dual given, etc etc etc). It made filling out the airlineapps times VERY easy.

My endorsements are in my original log books which I have in a safe deposit box. Recent endorsements are usually a preprinted FAA endorsement where the CFI fills out the info and signs it. All endorsements are scanned and in a 3rd tab in the Excel. My current certificates are also scanned to that tab (and of course carried with me when flying).

I know there are apps and web sites out there that do it, and I may bite the bullet one day. I'll be able to create a CSV file or whatever the app/web site would allow and map into their fields during import. But for now, what I have is legal and reflects my time and I retain all endorsements. I just have to either allow the employer to sift through a printed excel doc or let them look at it on my iPad if they are just doing a spot check verification, and i'l have the relevant paper endorsements and hard certifications with me as well in those cases.