Old logbook with "Engine HP" as a column

RussR

RussR

En-Route
Joined
Jan 12, 2011
Messages
4,073
Location
Oklahoma City, OK
Display Name
Display name:
Russ
I recently signed off a Flight Review in a logbook that had "Engine HP" as one of the columns. The pilot has been flying a long time, but said he had to dig up an old logbook for me to sign. I suppose his company records served as a log, so he didn't keep his own.

Now, this logbook was rather old, so I suppose that keeping a log of "Engine HP" was considered important at one time. Does anybody know the details of this? How was this information used? Was it important toward ratings, or some other purpose? (For example, did you have to have 100 hours with less than 200 hp before you could fly something with more than 200 hp, or something like that?)

Just curious. Thanks.
 
No rule that I can remember, but my first logbook (mid-to-late 1960s) had an "Engine And HP" column. In the front of the book it says "Copyright 1963, Pan American Navigation Service."
 

Attachments

  • 1967 logbook.jpg
    1967 logbook.jpg
    71.2 KB · Views: 47
Last edited:
When did "high performance" become a defined thing? Perhaps it predates that.
 
My first 3 or 4 log books all have the Engine/HP column.
One of my early instructors used to put "Barely enough" in the column.
 
Pilawt said:
No rule that I can remember, but my first logbook (mid-to-late 1960s) had an "Engine And HP" column. In the front of the book it says "Copyright 1963, Pan American Navigation Service."
Click to expand...

That may have been the same book! This was a couple of weeks ago so it very well could have said "Engine and HP".

Which is another interesting layer - was it important back then to keep a record of the type of engine used in the airplane? "How much Lycoming time do you have? Anything with an O-320?"

Understanding, of course, that commercially available logbooks include columns that the designer thought were important, not necessarily that the FAA thinks are important. Still, though, that implies that somebody felt "Engine and HP" was important information to record.
 
I've seen varying conventions over the years. Logging HP time could be useful for insurance purposes. I've added a "type" column to help keep track of time in type. I just add the number of hours each entry. It was especially nice when I flew many types of planes.
 
RussR said:
Which is another interesting layer - was it important back then to keep a record of the type of engine used in the airplane? "How much Lycoming time do you have? Anything with an O-320?"
Click to expand...
In those days (more so than now, probably) many trainers and other types were flying with a variety of engines, so just writing down the make and model didn't necessarily tell the story. A Piper J-3, for example, might have had a Continental, Lycoming, or Franklin -- or even a Lenape 3-cylinder radial -- and might have had anywhere from 37 to 100 hp.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top