Digital Aircraft Log Books

[kontiki]

I've decided to cut over to software aircraft records. I been through older POA threads and seen the pros and cons and I've decided the benefits out weigh the cons. The only question for me is whether to work up a home grown set of records using MS office like tools or going with a commercially available package like this one. I know there are subscription services out there too.

See-> https://excelpilotlogbook.com/aircraft-maintenance-logbook/

Anyone else using them, what do you think? I see other subscription based services out there, anyone using one them? Got any recommendations?

 

[Klaus M]

If you are not familiar with spreadsheets then pay someone to do it for you (like the outfit in your post). It is not hard to setup and maintain a running spreadsheet that is in your control. Lot more private.

 

[frfly172]

If you make your own spreadsheet you can capture the information that’s important to you

 

[Bell206]

Got any recommendations?

For your average Part 91 aircraft, my recommendation has always been to get the Adlog system. It doesn't have all the whistles and bells but provides all the necessary mx tracking in one binder. It also provides a place for pen/ink signatures and you can customize it to track what you want. While the electronic systems have their place, at the 91 level adlog or something similar keeps things simple and keeps the 91.417 records transfer requirement simple as well.

 

[RussR]

I've decided to cut over to software aircraft records. I been through older POA threads and seen the pros and cons and I've decided the benefits out weigh the cons. The only question for me is whether to work up a home grown set of records using MS office like tools or going with a commercially available package like this one. I know there are subscription services out there too.

See-> https://excelpilotlogbook.com/aircraft-maintenance-logbook/

Anyone else using them, what do you think? I see other subscription based services out there, anyone using one them? Got any recommendations?

That one isn't an aircraft logbook, it's just a maintenance tracker, from what I can tell from the website. You enter dates that inspections and such were done, and enter the flights you make, and it tells you when the next is due, that kind of thing.

It doesn't seem to hold any kind of logbook entries the IA would make, like the actual signoff for the annual. You'd still need an actual logbook for that (paper or electronic).

As a tracker, it probably does just as well as anything else. I'm partial to the "white board in the hangar" myself.

But it's definitely not a software aircraft record, or a digital aircraft logbook.

 

[Rene]

I saw a '38 J3C-50 today. Gorgeous chrome yellow with a pre-lightning bolt stripe, up exhaust to twin down heater boxes, oval Cub Sport plate centered high on the panel.

If the owner has the original paper logs they are quite valuable and readily readable to anyone. But if they had been recorded in the computer technology of the day would they start out on IBM cards, then continue on reel-to-reel tape, huge tape cassettes, big floppies, and little ones, and maybe 30 more different types of media in-between with the information itself in 30 different programs?

Sure, I guess you could translate each old tech to the new tech when it comes available, but my parents have their parents Super-8 movies, and stuff on VHS and CDs that they always meant to convert, but never did.

 

[Pinecone]

For maintenance logs, I use AdLog and scan entries into PDF and keep that file several places.

Only thing that would be nice is if I could get them converted to a form that allowed searching.

 

[Pinecone]

I saw a '38 J3C-50 today. Gorgeous chrome yellow with a pre-lightning bolt stripe, up exhaust to twin down heater boxes, oval Cub Sport plate centered high on the panel.

If the owner has the original paper logs they are quite valuable and readily readable to anyone. But if they had been recorded in the computer technology of the day would they start out on IBM cards, then continue on reel-to-reel tape, huge tape cassettes, big floppies, and little ones, and maybe 30 more different types of media in-between with the information itself in 30 different programs?

Sure, I guess you could translate each old tech to the new tech when it comes available, but my parents have their parents Super-8 movies, and stuff on VHS and CDs that they always meant to convert, but never did.

Paper logs WERE the high tech in 1938. Punch cards came later.

 

[midlifeflyer]

For maintenance logs, I use AdLog and scan entries into PDF and keep that file several places.

Only thing that would be nice is if I could get them converted to a form that allowed searching.

If the information is typed or printed, a full PDF editor's OCR can do a lot of that. BTDT. It's A bit more difficult with handwritten entries but there are handwriting recognition programs out there that are getting pretty sophisticated. And, if you are willing to pay for it, there are companies - both in and outside the aviation world - which can do that. Within the aviation world, pretty sure PlaneLogix will do that

 

[sansoneservices]

I've decided to cut over to software aircraft records. I been through older POA threads and seen the pros and cons and I've decided the benefits out weigh the cons. The only question for me is whether to work up a home grown set of records using MS office like tools or going with a commercially available package like this one. I know there are subscription services out there too.

See-> https://excelpilotlogbook.com/aircraft-maintenance-logbook/

Anyone else using them, what do you think? I see other subscription based services out there, anyone using one them? Got any recommendations?

I've seen too many owners with years missing from their maintenance logs. I tell people with complete log history to simply take pics with their phones. Yes it's time consuming but more productive than staring at the idiot box. Just turn pages, you capture 2 pages per photo with every turn of the page. I realize some old planes (like mine) will take a while but doesn't need to be done in one evening. Plus the airframe log is more critical if lost so you could skip the others

 

[midlifeflyer]

I saw a '38 J3C-50 today. Gorgeous chrome yellow with a pre-lightning bolt stripe, up exhaust to twin down heater boxes, oval Cub Sport plate centered high on the panel.

If the owner has the original paper logs they are quite valuable and readily readable to anyone. But if they had been recorded in the computer technology of the day would they start out on IBM cards, then continue on reel-to-reel tape, huge tape cassettes, big floppies, and little ones, and maybe 30 more different types of media in-between with the information itself in 30 different programs?

Sure, I guess you could translate each old tech to the new tech when it comes available, but my parents have their parents Super-8 movies, and stuff on VHS and CDs that they always meant to convert, but never did.

Yeah, but important documents tend to generally get a higher conversion priority than old family movies. Although I do have have a family video that was originally recorded with 8MM movie cameras and have been passed along as VHS, DVD, and now MP4.

 

[midlifeflyer]

I've seen too many owners with years missing from their maintenance logs. I tell people with complete log history to simply take pics with their phones. Yes it's time consuming but more productive than staring at the idiot box. Just turn pages, you capture 2 pages per photo with every turn of the page. I realize some old planes (like mine) will take a while but doesn't need to be done in one evening. Plus the airframe log is more critical if lost so you could skip the others

... and there is no reason not to start with current information and work your way backwards little by little.

We are already seeing a lot of aircraft listings with the logs on the listing site.

 

[Pinecone]

If the information is typed or printed, a full PDF editor's OCR can do a lot of that. BTDT. It's A bit more difficult with handwritten entries but there are handwriting recognition programs out there that are getting pretty sophisticated. And, if you are willing to pay for it, there are companies - both in and outside the aviation world - which can do that. Within the aviation world, pretty sure PlaneLogix will do that

A lot of entries are hand written.

Don't want to pay PlaneLogix prices.

 

[Pinecone]

I've seen too many owners with years missing from their maintenance logs. I tell people with complete log history to simply take pics with their phones. Yes it's time consuming but more productive than staring at the idiot box. Just turn pages, you capture 2 pages per photo with every turn of the page. I realize some old planes (like mine) will take a while but doesn't need to be done in one evening. Plus the airframe log is more critical if lost so you could skip the others

This will work, but with the cheap price of all in ones, a actual scan is more likely to be legible.

 

[sonopoa]

How is a spreadsheet a legal document

 

[Mikey52]

How is a spreadsheet a legal document

After you print you sign and attest that it's accurate.

 

[Bell206]

How is a spreadsheet a legal document

FYI: there is no regulatory required format or medium for maintenance records. Its whatever the owner chooses to use with the prevalent guidance found in AC43.9 and Part 91.417. And of the 91.417 required records only a handful are required to include a valid pen/ink signature.

 

[kontiki]

How is a spreadsheet a legal document

For that matter, what is a "legal document.' We had this discussion years ago in our engineering department. There are records and laws. Some records are required by law but they are just records.

 

[midlifeflyer]

After you print you sign and attest that it's accurate.

I'm a big fan of digital but in the case of aircraft logs, how does the owner attesting they are accurate help the entries that don't have A&P or IA signatures?

 

[Initial Fix]

For backup, I scanned all my logs using the app CamScanner. Yes it’s not free but is rather powerful.

I created One file each for each log. It combines multiple images into a PDF. And you can add later. It also does OCR allowing you to search later.

I’ve used the app for lots of things since.

 

[murphey]

Paper logs WERE the high tech in 1938. Punch cards came later.

Herman Hollerith invented the Hollerith card, also known as the punch card, in the late 1880s. He developed the system to help process the 1890 U.S. Census data. The first punch cards, initially used for census data, were later adopted for commercial use and became a foundation for IBM.

I still have some for show & tell in my beginning CS classes. Along with DEC tapes, and the big reel tapes. And HUGE disc platters from the old CDC disc drives - the one's circa 70s & 80s that were the size of a washing machine and operated the same. Open the lid, put the disc pack in, twist and remove the pack cover, then close the lid. One platter was (wait for it) 20 MB! The photo is an 8 platter disc pack or 160 MB. I carry 16 GB thumb drives in my pocket all the time.

 

[murphey]

I like the hard copy paper logs. Partly because every shop I use hands me a sticky (sometimes an entire page or more!) with the details & signature along with the bill. The sticky goes into the appropriate log book. Then when I finish my taxes each year, I burn a number of CDs/DVDs. There's always a complete history of logs CD/DVD in the airplane, just in case. Until I bought the cherokee in 2000, the logs were entirely handwritten. To track those, each entry is titled by the tach & date. For everything after 2000, the logs are printed so I could create searchable PDF but each entry, again, is titled by tach and date. Log books stay in the fire box unless the shop needs them.