Help! Logbook Lost/Stolen; How to Reconstruct it?

Something someone suggested, and I have adopted, was to just get an updated BasicMed every year at your yearly physical. The benefits include:
- Most doctors would just included it in the price of the physical since most if not all of that is tested anyway
- You don't have to remember two dates, one for the online testing portion and one for the exam portion, you take both every year
- If you no longer see your doctor due to changes in either your doctor's or your life, you will have plenty of time to find a replacement doctor

So, I say that to say why not go ahead and get a new updated BasicMed?
Smart system. So the doctor I went to for BasicMed was actually a DME who also did BasicMed, he was not my primary care doctor. I figured this would be simpler than having to explain to my personal physician the whole BasicMed thing, but if it's not a big deal to get it done with my normal doctor, I'd likely just do that. Did you go to a DME who was already familiar with BasicMed, or your regular Doctor, and did you have any issues explaining it to him/her or anywhere else in the process?
 
FWIW, BasicMed does not require you to hold an expired medical certificate. You just have to have held one at some point after 7/14/2006. If the public FAA airman inquiry page shows your last medical certificate, then the FAA knows that you held it.
FWIW, BasicMed does not require you to hold an expired medical certificate. You just have to have held one at some point after 7/14/2006. If the public FAA airman inquiry page shows your last medical certificate, then the FAA knows that you held it.

This. Look yourself up on the database. It shows the date of your last Medical.

If worried, print a copy of that page and carry it. I don't
 
Something someone suggested, and I have adopted, was to just get an updated BasicMed every year at your yearly physical. The benefits include:
- Most doctors would just included it in the price of the physical since most if not all of that is tested anyway
- You don't have to remember two dates, one for the online testing portion and one for the exam portion, you take both every year
- If you no longer see your doctor due to changes in either your doctor's or your life, you will have plenty of time to find a replacement doctor

So, I say that to say why not go ahead and get a new updated BasicMed?

No reason not to. I do mine every other year.
 
I guess if not we'll have to do the exam all over again?

Up to the doc. They could just check everything off and backdate it to your previous exam. Or do the exam over.

When I did mine, I was a few months past my annual physical, so my PCP ran through the items. It maybe took 20 minutes, including filling out the paperwork.
 
That would be great. That means I'd just have to get another copy of my BasicMed stuff. The class itself is still good, I just need to get another card issued, and talk to my Doctor and see if I can get another copy of what he gave me after the last exam.

EDIT: I was able to reprint my BasicMed class certificate. Now its just a matter of the copy of the exam papers in terms of the Medical side of things.

I'm not even sure the doctor made a copy, let alone has one. I guess if not we'll have to do the exam all over again?
And when you get them, scan them! I don't even have a paper version of my BasicMed stuff. But if you want to keep paper, back it up. No reason not to these days unless you don't have a phone or tablet.
 
If you have any aspirations to fly professionally, file a police report about the stolen bag with logbooks. You'll be asked for a copy of that in an interview.
 
If you have any aspirations to fly professionally, file a police report about the stolen bag with logbooks. You'll be asked for a copy of that in an interview.
Good point. Do you think it's been too long?
 
Did you go to a DME who was already familiar with BasicMed, or your regular Doctor, and did you have any issues explaining it to him/her or anywhere else in the process?

In my case, I had a follow up visit before my actual physical, so I printed out the AOPA BasicMed pilot and physician guide and gave it to my regular doctor for it to be looked over and considered. It lays out the BasicMed requirements, expectations, etc. My physician took all of 5min to look it over and decide it was no big deal to complete. While I was there for a follow up, the NP asked when my physical was scheduled, I said it hadn't been scheduled yet. She said if I had the time, they could knock it out then and there. So, they took a few minutes, administered the exams and signed the paperwork. (For those who care about the niceties of the law, the signature is from a state licensed physician, not the NP.) It would have been impossible for it to have been any easier. I then did the online course and I now have a current BasicMed.

The AOPA guide is located at https://www.aopa.org/-/media/files/...basicmed-pilot-and-physicians-guide_final.pdf and includes the exam paperwork.
 
Good point. Do you think it's been too long?
A report can be done at any time. This would be just an informational report. Unless you have photos and serial numbers to identify your equipment, odds are that it is pretty much gone at this point. If you want a report, it is no big deal to call up the front desk or stop by a station and file it in person. Not sure I would do it, as I would expect a "I didnt file a report because I did not expect anything to come of it" explanation if asked. But, I could see the argument for it also.

Anyway, expect something like this to be written up if you file a report:
Mr(s) Catfish came by the station to report that sometime on or around <some date> their flight bag was stolen from their vehicle. The vehicle is a <vehicle description> and was located at <address> during this time period. Mr(s) Catfish states they have no idea who would have stolen the bag. Mr(s) Catfish discovered the loss after being sick. Due to time since theft, the vehicle was not dusted for fingerprints.

The bag is described as "Just a flight bag" and contents are described as "Flying stuff and a log book". The log book is described as a black log book containing Mr(s) Catfish's log of flight training from <date> to <date>.

Copy of the report was provided to Mr(s) Catfish.
 
For those who care about the niceties of the law, the signature is from a state licensed physician, not the NP.
Not just the signature, but the exam has to be conducted by the state licensed physician. Certainly the NP, nurse, or any other staff can assist, with various elements of the exam, but the state licensed physician has to clinically exam the BasicMed examinee...not just a paperwork examination.
 
I'm going to contact the FAA and request all my submitted applications and flight time

As Michael @mandm previously suggests, consider logging on to IACRA to check whether possible to obtain (previous) 8710-1 data, online.
iacra.faa.gov

Option should indicate:
-View/Print, click GO
-Otherwise, if that option isn’t available, then “Contact Airmen Registry”
 

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Not just the signature, but the exam has to be conducted by the state licensed physician. Certainly the NP, nurse, or any other staff can assist, with various elements of the exam, but the state licensed physician has to clinically exam the BasicMed examinee...not just a paperwork examination.

Correct, and good catch.
 
If nothing else, I'm certainly learning a lesson. I will have multiple copies of each page, both physically and digitally. I can't believe I didn't already do that.
I used to burn a photo copy each time I'd fill a page in the book, and add it to my logbook copy stored in my firebox at home.
More recently, I maintain a digital scanned copy

I lose everything. I lose my car keys. I lose my airplane keys. I lose my airpods. I lose my phone.
I figure it is reasonable to assume in advance that I will also lose my logbooks.

My girlfriend uses "Tiny Scanner" app from her phone to make PDF scans of my logbook then she emails them to me. She does 3 scans per page. Full page, zoom in left half and zoom in right half. Then she sends those three scans in a single email with a descriptive title (ie, logbook and page#) into my email. She can get 3 pages done (scanned & emailed) per minute. She is really fast. It would probably take me 5 minutes for one page.

Obviously not helpful after the fact but maybe something somebody else may want to consider as a fast and easy proactive approach.
 
side note about those scanner apps. I remember a while back learning that one my wife & I used had some nasty issue where all the images were being processed through the app's own server...so no privacy or security ....and if I recall correctly it was going through China or some such thing. Seems like there was another potential issue too, but I don't recall now....

I switched to using the google drive app which allows scanning direct into your google drive folders. Bonus, no email required to share or store it for archive. Granted...google now has it.... but at least that seems a little more legit to me that some unknown little app programmer that might even be a ne'er-do-well hacker
 
it was going through China or some such thing
I have no doubt that is true.

China already stole my file from the US Gov.

For which the US Gov gave me free credit monitoring. So I feel very much made whole now and completely relieved.

At this point, I just assume the NSA and China have copies of everything I do.
 
side note about those scanner apps. I remember a while back learning that one my wife & I used had some nasty issue where all the images were being processed through the app's own server...so no privacy or security ....and if I recall correctly it was going through China or some such thing. Seems like there was another potential issue too, but I don't recall now....

I switched to using the google drive app which allows scanning direct into your google drive folders. Bonus, no email required to share or store it for archive. Granted...google now has it.... but at least that seems a little more legit to me that some unknown little app programmer that might even be a ne'er-do-well hacker

I wouldn't be sure that Google isn't also sending your files through China...
 
side note about those scanner apps. I remember a while back learning that one my wife & I used had some nasty issue where all the images were being processed through the app's own server...so no privacy or security ....and if I recall correctly it was going through China or some such thing. Seems like there was another potential issue too, but I don't recall now....

I switched to using the google drive app which allows scanning direct into your google drive folders. Bonus, no email required to share or store it for archive. Granted...google now has it.... but at least that seems a little more legit to me that some unknown little app programmer that might even be a ne'er-do-well hacker
Yeah, the developer of Tiny Scanner is in China and has a whole suite of free apps that look like they're all designed to capture personal info. Adobe scan is also free and I trust Adobe a lot more.
 
Belt and suspenders guy.
Every flight gets logged in a LibreOffice database, and every time I fill a page or add an endorsement, medical, BFR. I scan the page and add it to a second database.
My digital copies are on 3 different servers, and on my Google Drive.
And I NEVER leave my flight bag or headset in the car or hangar.
 
The hoops some people will go to in order to avoid using an existing and super functional online logbook baffle me.
 
Yeah, the developer of Tiny Scanner is in China and has a whole suite of free apps that look like they're all designed to capture personal info. Adobe scan is also free and I trust Adobe a lot more.
Recent versions of iOS have a pretty good document scanner mode in Notes. Decently up-to-date hardware helps with the quality, too. Why install a separate app if you don't have to?
 
I have a dear friend that is an example of what can be done. This is his story. Forgive me if I ramble.
David, (not the name that he was born with in Viet Nam) went through the US Army flight program and went home to serve his country flying everything up to Chinooks. About six years. No break. Shot down three times.
Some may recall the 1975 news reels showing VNAF helos (and one airplane) landing on a US flattop. It was all hustle on the flight deck as they unloaded. Aircraft were pushed overboard as more arrived at minimum fuel. I also knew Dave's Ops Officer who ditched alongside the ship. Dave landed aboard OK and then his Chinook went over the side.
Dave had only the clothes on his back and was taken in by a church group. They taught him the shoe repair trade. He left that and learned Chinese cuisine. Got good at it.
One day, an oil field helo pilot dropped in to dine and chatted with David. He told David that the oil field was short pilots. He should check it out. Dave had no FAA certificates and his logs were with his personal effects in a Chinook on the bottom of the China Sea. That pilot latter took Dave to a FSDO and the Safety Inspector took over. He verified with the US Army that Dave graduated from flight school. More than 200 hrs and enough to issue Dave a Comm RW/Helo on the spot. Dave latter upgraded to an ATP and worked in the cockpit for a few decades.
 
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I have a dear friend that is an example of what can be done. This is his story. Forgive me if I ramble.
David, (not the name that he was born with in Viet Nam) went through the US Army flight program and went home to serve his country flying everything up to Chinooks. About six years. No break. Shot down three times.
Some may recall the 1975 news reels showing VNAF helos (and one airplane) landing on a US flattop. It was all hustle on the flight deck as they unloaded. Aircraft were pushed overboard as more arrived at minimum fuel. I also knew Dave's Ops Officer who ditched alongside the ship. Dave landed aboard OK and then his Chinook went over the side.
Dave had only the clothes on his back and was taken in by a church group. They taught him the shoe repair trade. He left that and learned Chinese cuisine. Got good at it.
One day, an oil field helo pilot dropped in to dine and chatted with David. He told David that the oil field was short pilots. He should check it out. Dave had no FAA certificates and his logs were with his personal effects in a Chinook on the bottom of the China Sea. That pilot latter took Dave to a FSDO and the Safety Inspector took over. He verified with the US Army that Dave graduated from flight school. More than 200 hrs and enough to issue Dave a Comm RW/Helo on the spot. Dave latter upgraded to an ATP and worked in the cockpit for a few decades.
Best thing I've heard all day...thank you! Good on the FSDO also. How often do you hear that?
 
I wouldn't be sure that Google isn't also sending your files through China...

yeah...good point.... sadly....
my point though wasn't so much about the nation of China.... as much as I'd prefer to keep things in the US and buy made in USA...
was that it could be some small operator working out of his basement and that very well could be a hacker.... even a hacker here in the US
not saying Google might not have leaks and holes...and might be going through servers any number of countries.... but at least it's a little more legit and hopefully running through commercial servers, etc.... just seems better than through some hacker's basement.
 
I didn't have time to read all of the responses. Just re create the log book and have your instruct sign each old flight. You should have all of the flights plus your instructor should also be logging the flights so he can re sign your book where he gave you dual.
 
I am curious. I have seen planes on TAP and such where they said the logbooks had been stolen. Who would steal a logbook? Why would they do that? What possible profit or gain would come from having filched a Piper Cherokee 180 logbook?
 
What possible profit or gain would come from having filched a Piper Cherokee 180 logbook?
Although I think this thread is more about pilots logging flying hours in their pilot flight logbook...

One reason for a stolen mechanic aircraft logbook could be if there is something so bad in the aircraft logbook that it subtracts more value from the aircraft as opposed to the value substracted by having "stolen" logbooks.

I am sure that is not the only reason but it is the first one that occurs to me.
 
Although I think this thread is more about pilots logging flying hours in their pilot flight logbook...

One reason for a stolen mechanic aircraft logbook could be if there is something so bad in the aircraft logbook that it subtracts more value from the aircraft as opposed to the value substracted by having "stolen" logbooks.

I am sure that is not the only reason but it is the first one that occurs to me.

But that would not be a truly "stolen" logbook. that would be a reason to claim a logbook was stolen. But the claim of stolen logbooks has to be credible to "work" in those circumstances, yet I still can't imagine what good a purloined logbook from a GA aircraft would be to the thief.
 
But that would not be a truly "stolen" logbook. that would be a reason to claim a logbook was stolen. But the claim of stolen logbooks has to be credible to "work" in those circumstances, yet I still can't imagine what good a purloined logbook from a GA aircraft would be to the thief.
If they were truly stolen, it would probably be similar to the OP’s situation where they stole a bag with valuable stuff and happened to get logbooks as well.
 
If they were truly stolen, it would probably be similar to the OP’s situation where they stole a bag with valuable stuff and happened to get logbooks as well.

That makes sense. I can imagine maybe someone going for an iPad or headset in a flight bag, grabbing the bag, which also happened to have a logbook inside.
 
But that would not be a truly "stolen" logbook. that would be a reason to claim a logbook was stolen.
And I am saying that I disbelieve a "claim" of stolen aircraft mechanic logbooks.

What possible profit or gain would come from having filched a Piper Cherokee 180 logbook?
Follow the money.

At the end of the day if you are considering purchasing a Piper Cherokee 180 with "stolen" aircraft mechanic logbooks then you are going to do what you are going to do. Good Luck.
 
And I am saying that I disbelieve a "claim" of stolen logbooks.


Follow the money.

At the end of the day if you are considering purchasing a Piper Cherokee 180 with "stolen" logbooks then you are going to do what you are going to do. Good Luck.

I don't understand what you're trying to say to me. I am not considering any purchase, I am browsing these sites to learn something. I actually agree, a claim of "stolen" logbooks in a sale description seems sketchy to me. But I'm not defending the purchase of a plane with stolen logbooks, just asking the question.
 
Your comment is twisted and misconstrued and then argued against. Welcome to the POA! :)
 
I am curious. I have seen planes on TAP and such where they said the logbooks had been stolen. Who would steal a logbook? Why would they do that? What possible profit or gain would come from having filched a Piper Cherokee 180 logbook?

“Lost” or “Stolen” aircraft logbooks provide value thru documented history of a specific airframe. A common lost/stolen logbook scenario usually surrounds a maintenance dispute and there may be a mechanic’s lien for unpaid bills. Another one is a shop has the logbooks and for some reason it goes out of business and plane owners can’t get them back. Then there’s the usual logbooks are collateral damage during a theft of a fire box or small safe/RSC.

A specific airplane missing logbooks should have an associated discount at sale.
 
Your comment is twisted and misconstrued and then argued against. Welcome to the POA! :)

Well in fairness, my question was tangential to the topic and I didn't fully explain myself.
 
That makes sense. I can imagine maybe someone going for an iPad or headset in a flight bag, grabbing the bag, which also happened to have a logbook inside.

Which is why my logbook stays at home, unless I am doing a flight with instructor sign off.
 
“Lost” or “Stolen” aircraft logbooks provide value thru documented history of a specific airframe. A common lost/stolen logbook scenario usually surrounds a maintenance dispute and there may be a mechanic’s lien for unpaid bills. Another one is a shop has the logbooks and for some reason it goes out of business and plane owners can’t get them back. Then there’s the usual logbooks are collateral damage during a theft of a fire box or small safe/RSC.

A specific airplane missing logbooks should have an associated discount at sale.

And there have been some cases where the shop misplaced them and cannot find them.
 
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