Logbooks
 

Hi everyone,

Ok, so I have a question about logbooks. I have three logbooks, not by choice, but by one being stolen. I have my original logbook, the one from being a student pilot through my initial CFI with a few hundred hours of dual given in there. The next logbook is the larger jeppenson professional logbook that I moved onto. The question I have is that one (the larger one) was stolen from the back of my car (ran into the bank and left the doors unlocked, smooth move exlax) and it has a few hundred more hours of dual given time. I had already started my CFII and Commercial multi add on, so I needed to log hours for the tickets. So I started a new logbook. Now 3 months later I ended up getting my logbook back (police in my area move really slow). Is there anything I should do to explain the half empty logbook? Should I write a note in it like the mx logbooks when a logbook is closed? Will an airline like express throw me out because of paper work? Thanks for the help.

My personal opinion is to always document anything out of the oridinary in your logbook. I had many mathematical errors in mine because I was a stupid kid just out messing around in my lil Piper 180 for 2 years. I have been to 3 airline interviews and have gotten hired 3 times. I credit my logbook passing inspection due to honesty. I documented everything very well and my totals added up in the end.

I would say if your totals add up you should have a problem explaining. I also keep logbook pro now on my cell and computer. Best aviation investment ever other than my CFI.

My Logbooks were lost in a natural disaster. I have recreated them to the best of my ability on the conservative side. Per the MS FSDO office I signed and placed in my logbook a statement as to what happened and had it notarized. Unfortunatly my military flight records were lost at the same time. If anything I erred on the safe side to the tune of 10% or so. Course I was pretty lucky in that 95% of my flying time was in T-37, T-38, C-130 and ATR-42. Less than 60 hours in GA aircraft.

Be honest and conservative and you will be fine.

I live in a hurricave prone area so I am use to water damage. I already lost one log book to Katrina. Therefore, I keep two logbooks now and write them in pencil and pen. I went to a few interviews where one logbook was a bit messy and still in pencil and they didn't seem to care. As long as you are honest there should be no problems.

How do airlines look at electronic logbooks? Is there any pros/cons to these. Should I keep an anctual book logbook as well, or would they be okay with me printing off the pages of electronic one?

I'm just wondering why a thief would want to steal a Jeppesen pilot logbook out of a car? Maybe this person was a first year regional pilot and didn't have enough money for a new logbook, but I didn't know they were such wanted items!

When getting mine ready for an interview, it dawned on me that SEL+MEL should equal TT. 19 addition mistakes later, it did. No concern expressed during the interview; the net adjustments were all less than 15 hours. My comeback was going to be: "I've been flying for 20 years - that's less than one mistake a year."

I used a printout for interviews with 3 majors, got hired by one. It wasn't an issue in any of them. I did bring my originals however. Print it out via Kinkos and have it bound. Looks just fine.

Exactly my point. What really got me was my car was a 1984 Honda Accord that was beat to crap. Honestly, why me? Anywho, we'll see what happens.

Anyone have a good electronic log book template? Also...for those military pilots that didn't keep a log book...what is the best way to document your time. Should I recreate 10 years of flight time in a log book or should I just use the miltary flying summarys?

Id just one line entry each of your mil types with a single line entry for each.

I see no issue, since you got the old logbook back. You may even want to attach a copy of the police report, though I really don't think it's a big deal. I had my both my logbooks stolen, along with a rental car, clothes on an interview trip I had a a number of years ago. I was very lucky that I had made an Excel logbook program and had that on my hard drive at home. Still the Excel log didn't contain my first ~225hrs. I was able to partially reconstruct those time from my FAA records. I now only keep a electronic log book. I have about 5 back-ups, CD-Rom, memory sticks and on two separate computers. I keep one memory stick in a safety deposit box. I do keep a paper logbook also, updating it once a month by printing a new page. I've been on a couple interviews so far and have yet to be even questioned about my original logbooks. I have been complemented on the layout and neatness of my current logbook. BTW - I now use Safelog instead of Excel, very happy with it.

So far I have been offered a job at each place I have interviewed with.

I went to my interview with a stack of the little red pocket logs. Interviewer didn't even blink an eye. I think you newbies make way too big a deal over how your logbooks look.

LOL...my ONLY logbook was destroyed in Katrina.
FSDO said to just sign and date a statement in my logbook to that effect and to put single line entries in my logbook for each major type of acft flown and to shave 5-10% off the hours to be safe.

FWIW...thats exactly what I did and the RAH interview capt didnt even question my times.... result...late NOV class date.

course.... there is 1800 hours of military time there and another 950 in 121 time....

Check out www.forpilots.com for a nearly free electronic logbook. It has a few MINOR flaws, but I think it works pretty good. Basically an excel spreadsheet, but the guy put in alot of time and effort to cover everything that a logbook needs. I used it for a few months before I broke down and bought Logbook Pro.

Damn...all I got is a book with some pen scratchings in it. I got real motivated once to convert it all to electronic and about 10 entries later I gave up.

I have been using an electronic logbook for some time now and absolutely love it. I took it to interviews, and to job fairs, and have heard nothing but good responses about it. The important thing is to leave nothing to doubt. When there is any doubt, then your character comes into question. Document everything correctly, and err to the conservative.