Do pilots use paper or digital logbook?

Started an eLog around 1993. Paper and plastic. Gave up paper except for instructor endorsements several years ago. Working on giving up paper logs altogether.
 
Paper plus LibreOffice spread sheet for the totals - Insurance tends to want things like hours in the last year, etc.
 
SkyHog said:
I use both. Myflightbook for the app (it's free and awesome), and paper so I have a backup.

My recommendation tho - don't leave your logbook at the flight school. Keep it with you. It's yours, not the schools and if they lost it you'd wish you had it instead.
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I'll second myflightbook, great online tool.
 
One thought is what EFB you're going to use, if it's foreflight the record button is awesome, hit it when you hit the starter and again after you shutdown, it automatically logs your departure and destination and times, just add in IMC, night, approaches and comments, select the plane and that's that, plus you have a full track log for each flight if you want.
 
carlapilot said:
... I keep my logbook in the flight school...
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STOP RIGHT THERE.

@carlapilot , if you want I'll get you in touch with my wife and she can illustrate, very passionately, the risks and pains of leaving your actual logbook at a flight school...in her case a very popular University flight school.

It is your official documentation of your training. Maybe a new desk person misplaced it...pain! Maybe you have a spat over billing or a fallout with the fighter pilot CFI...and your log book goes missing or purposely held. You don't want the hassle of having it vanish nor do you want them to have financial or other leverage over you if they elect to hold your logbooks.
 
Sinistar said:
STOP RIGHT THERE.

@carlapilot , if you want I'll get you in touch with my wife and she can illustrate, very passionately, the risks and pains of leaving your actual logbook at a flight school...in her case a very popular University flight school.

It is your official documentation of your training. Maybe a new desk person misplaced it...pain! Maybe you have a spat over billing or a fallout with the fighter pilot CFI...and your log book goes missing or purposely held. You don't want the hassle of having it vanish nor do you want them to have financial or other leverage over you if they elect to hold your logbooks.
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Garmin Pilot on my iPhone automatically logs each flight- like full auto as in I don't have to do anything for it to start recording accept accelerate and lift off. I can fill in the details later. That's super handy come insurance renewal time. I can also attach pics & if I took any during the flight which is cool.

And I also just yesterday filled up my second paper log book which was a complicated mini 3-ring binder affair gift. I'm going back to the basic black one.
 
Yes.

I am old school, and still believe in keeping a paper log as well as having paper for all endorsements, signoffs, etc.

However I do also use electronic logs. I use two, MyFlightBook, and a spreadsheet one that was given to me. Each has their advantages and total things in different ways, and gives me multiple backups in case of computer failure.

The way I look at it, I have three separate, but identical, sources for my flight information, so loosing any individual one will not be that big of a hassle or tragedy.
 
paflyer said:
For not signing the pages.
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Sounds like a DPE that was just looking for something to ream you out on. I asked mine if he wanted me to print all the pages out and sign them he said no not necessary and that was back in 2004.
 
paflyer said:
For not signing the pages.
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Under what reg?

Plus already covered here back in 2011. :)

https://www.pilotsofamerica.com/community/threads/signing-your-logbook.42720/

“There is no regulation requiring me to sign every page of my logbook.”

Of course if you make them grumpy they’ll use that as a springboard to jump into the minutae of logging regs, so yeah...

... not worth it unless you’re loaded for bear for that fight. Ha.

But I’ve known some people who were.

I’d love to see a DPE start that crap with @flyingcheesehead or @EdFred. LOL. That would be video camera worthy.
 
Im also interested in logbook apps. Cool to have it on the mobile.
What is wrong keeping it in the flight school?
During my training i do the same together with my medical. Its in a closed wardrobe in the office together with all student papers so its safe and always there in case of need / flying :)
Later when I fly sonewhere else im gona keep it with me
 
jarinawoz said:
What is wrong keeping it in the flight school?
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The flight school doesn't have a vested interest in keeping your logbook safe.

Seriously, take it home with you. Bring it when you fly. Don't let them keep it. Same with your medical. You never know when you might have the opportunity/desire to fly somewhere else.

As far as the apps go, lot's of good recommendations in this thread. I mentioned LogTen Pro, which will work on your iPhone. They also have a desktop/laptop version and they'll both sych. It's a great app, but I don't like their subscription scheme.

BTW... LogTen Pro is strictly Apple.
 
Best to have both if you can. Digital is great as a source of backup should in case you lose the paper logbook.
 
As far as I know you still have to sign your logbook, something you can't do digitally. Might be old school, but I think it is still a requirement. I'm in the both camp. The computer is just the backup for all those ratings and BFRs and stuff I need.
 
Paper is my mainstay especially for endorsements. I back that up with an Excel file of my own making. And now ForeFlight keeps tabs on me as well. I may well be part of the Department of Redundancy Department.
 
Never got people keeping a electronic and a paper, I still have my first paper lot ofcourse, but it's also scanned and has my first 300hrs or so in it, since that I've only used electronic, but I have it backed up in a few places on a few machines, which is more than safe enough.
 
steingar said:
As far as I know you still have to sign your logbook, something you can't do digitally. Might be old school, but I think it is still a requirement. I'm in the both camp. The computer is just the backup for all those ratings and BFRs and stuff I need.
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You don’t. There’s no law requiring you to sign your own logbook.

And most digital logbooks have the ability to capture CFI signatures nowadays or take photos of anything and attach them.
 
+1 on Myflightbook (plus I also use my paper logbook).
I love the app how it shows photos of AC when you enter the tail number. I also like to upload photos I took, for the amusement of others using the same plane.

Do you keep your driver’s license in the garage at all times? No. You take it with you ‘cause you never know when you get a chance to get into any car. Keep your papers with you in your flight bag!

Oh, and welcome to PoA!
 
A traditional logbook is not required. I know a guy uses just a plain old spiral notebook. Hours are not required to be recorded except for anything needed to meet requirements or currency.
 
Both.

I think it’s easier to get sign offs in the hard copy log. The electronic version is easier to keep and that’s what I update every flight. Maybe every few months I’ll fill in the hard copy, besides it provides a quick review of our travels.
 
I'm signing on to the both option. Paper log for me and MyFlightbook for online backup. And it's more than just a backup. It's an easy tool to verify currency.

And NEVER EVER EVER let others keep possession of your logbook and medical. Do you leave your wallet, SS card, phone, with them? No. Of course not. I don't care if they have a "safe" place for it. Your logbook is the blood of your pilot record. I keep mine in my headset bag. Which stays with me.
 
steingar said:
As far as I know you still have to sign your logbook, something you can't do digitally. Might be old school, but I think it is still a requirement. I'm in the both camp. The computer is just the backup for all those ratings and BFRs and stuff I need.
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As others have said, signing your own logbook is not a regulatory requirement. Not even sure if it ever was. Just because JEPP or ASA gives you a line for it doesn't mean it's a regulatory requirement.
 
Started with a paper logbook, but switched to digital just after I finished my PPL. However, I have found that the digital isn't great for endorsements and such, therefore, I've been maintaining my paper logbook. Every few months or so, I update the paper to match the digital. If I go in for a flight review, or an IPC, I take the updated paper log with me.

Digital isn't perfect. You'd be surprised how many mistakes you find in the digital log. Airport data missing, flights incorrectly tagged as cross-country. Recently, I found that my digital logbook had been automatically marking all flights as being IMC the entire flight! (Still haven't figured out a way to stop that nonsense.)
 
Rykymus said:
Started with a paper logbook, but switched to digital just after I finished my PPL. However, I have found that the digital isn't great for endorsements and such, therefore, I've been maintaining my paper logbook. Every few months or so, I update the paper to match the digital. If I go in for a flight review, or an IPC, I take the updated paper log with me.

Digital isn't perfect. You'd be surprised how many mistakes you find in the digital log. Airport data missing, flights incorrectly tagged as cross-country. Recently, I found that my digital logbook had been automatically marking all flights as being IMC the entire flight! (Still haven't figured out a way to stop that nonsense.)
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Which digital logbook is that?
 
Rykymus said:
Started with a paper logbook, but switched to digital just after I finished my PPL. However, I have found that the digital isn't great for endorsements and such, therefore, I've been maintaining my paper logbook. Every few months or so, I update the paper to match the digital. If I go in for a flight review, or an IPC, I take the updated paper log with me.

Digital isn't perfect. You'd be surprised how many mistakes you find in the digital log. Airport data missing, flights incorrectly tagged as cross-country. Recently, I found that my digital logbook had been automatically marking all flights as being IMC the entire flight! (Still haven't figured out a way to stop that nonsense.)
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Sounds mostly like user error, foreflight also tells you the mileage flown making it easy to tell if its a X/C or not, verifying the airport data is something you have to do no matter what you use.

Endorsements can be don't on most any paper log, if anything take a photo of the endorsement on a blank sheet of paper and upload it, plus you're not getting endorsements everyday.

Only time I really recommend a paper log is for 0-PPL
 
Do pilots use paper or digital logbook?

I use Charmin..!!!! Charmin..!!!

:lol::lol: (sorry, someone had to say it)
 
I started with paper in 1988....

Went digital with a Palm Pilot (Airline Pilots Daily Logbook) around 2002, upgraded to a Pocket PC in ‘04-ish. Everything synced to the Logbook Pro PC program. Somewhere in there I went back and entered my time line-by-line. (Ugh). When I went full on into the Apple ecosystem, I switched to LogTen Pro. Great program I use every day in the flight deck.

With my personal plane, I let the Garmin Pilot app log for me.

I came to my major airline interview with printed pages plus my original logbook. No questions asked.

If you think you’ll eventually go all digital, start now. Bringing totals into a digital logbook is easy, but if you want all you flights, you’ll be spending a ton of time entering them in.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Zeldman said:
Do pilots use paper or digital logbook?

I use Charmin..!!!! Charmin..!!!

:lol::lol: (sorry, someone had to say it)
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Grandpa said dried corncobs worked well. Never had the pleasure. Ha. The Sears catalog was often found in the outhouse according to him also.

AK737pilot said:
Went digital with a Palm Pilot (Airline Pilots Daily Logbook) around 2002, upgraded to a Pocket PC in ‘04-ish. Everything synced to the Logbook Pro PC program. Somewhere in there I went back and entered my time line-by-line. (Ugh). When I went full on into the Apple ecosystem, I switched to LogTen Pro. Great program I use every day in the flight deck.
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That’s the problem with digital. There’s always something new and great to convert to every decade or so.

And I wouldn’t give money to the LogTen azzhat if someone told me I had to. Spent a lot of money on that ass, and he dumped his original users when he went subscription. Keeping the original users on the deal he said that we had (we BOUGHT the software) would have been a drop in his overall bucket. Screw him.

The current electronic is MyFlightBook and I have it in the budget to donate to @EricBe every year. If he someday has to up and fold it up, fine. That’s why I keep the paper. I’m NOT going to ever deal with updating another electronic from scratch or even deal with another import that screws everything up ever again. I’ll switch to a freakin’ spreadsheet if I have to do that again. Ugh.

Agree however with the sentiment that if you’re going electronic, do it early. There weren’t any golden electrons when I started flying and the initial entry was many nights of nothing but typing it all in. That totally sucks.

Keep one or both or whatever you like but keep up on it. Having to sit down for hours of mind-numbing data entry just sucks. Having to sit down and audit a bad import into the new hotness in electronic logs also sucks. Worse than sucks.
 
I use both... ForeFlight and paper... As others have said ForeFlight tracks the flights and makes updates easy...:goofy:
 
denverpilot said:
Grandpa said dried corncobs worked well. Never had the pleasure. Ha. The Sears catalog was often found in the outhouse according to him also.
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The Sears catalog in the outhouse was before my time. But my uncle told me that when Sears went to glossy pages the effectiveness went down....
 
My plane keeps a log of all flights. I download to spreadsheet for insurance and other needs. Summarize for the log book but haven't done that since 2015.
 
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