Logbook Scare

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GauzeGuy

Pre-takeoff checklist
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GauzeGuy
Went for my logbook after a cross country dual flight and it wasn't in my flight bag, figured that I just forgot it at home. Got home, looked for it, and couldn't find it. Anywhere. :hairraise: :( :eek: :yikes:

I finally remembered that I locked it up in my gun safe before heading out of town last week. :mad2:

Anyway, after this scare, I'm ready to look into some way of reconstituting my logbook. It would not be fun to have to start from square one when within a handful of hours of my checkride. I started by taking some pics of the pages and endorsements; what are some good options out there?
 
I use zululog, let it total the pages for me then cross check my math with it. I started doing this after I lost my log book 2,000 miles from home. About a 2 weeks later, it arrived in the mail, fell out of my flight bag while riding in a taxi, the cab company mailed it to me. Be sure to put your current address in it.
 
I lost mine from many years ago and now I scan the pages periodically and save them as pdf's stored locally and in the cloud.

Cheers
 
When I went to pick up a new plane, the prior owner had put the logbooks in the baggage area. I was sitting backseat on the test flight, and as we turning back toward the airport, I glanced back and saw the baggage door was open with the logbooks about 6 inches from falling out. Little pucker factor right there.
 
X3 Skier said:
I lost mine from many years ago and now I scan the pages periodically and save them as pdf's stored locally and in the cloud.

Cheers
Click to expand...

This what I do.

Be sure to scan all of the appropriate endorsement pages in addition to individual flights.
 
I have an excel spread sheet I made that reproduces all my flights. Makes calculations easy. Would be happy to email you the template.

Doug
 
douglas393 said:
I have an excel spread sheet I made that reproduces all my flights. Makes calculations easy. Would be happy to email you the template.

Doug
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Ditto, but in a google doc--you don't have to worry about your computer going kaput.
 
jpower said:
Ditto, but in a google doc--you don't have to worry about your computer going kaput.
Click to expand...
I back up on a external hard drive, another computer, and an SD card. I know but I am paranoid about losing it.

Doug
 
Just use your digital camera to photograph the pages. I do this all the time with customer's aircraft and engine logs. When I first started doing it I was very meticulous on alignment and background but then it dawned on me that all I want is a legible copy, doesn't have to look neat. I can go through an entire logbook in less than a minute.
 
I couldn't swear to where my pilot's logbooks are either at the moment, it's not really something I think about. No real reason for concern though. It's the aircraft logs that have real $$ attached to them.
 
Keep an electronic log, a paper log, and take pictures of each page of the paper log.
 
jesse said:
Keep an electronic log, a paper log, and take pictures of each page of the paper log.
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This sounds really dumb, but I have been waiting for access to a scanner... So that I could scan to a PDF...

I don't know why I just didn't take pictures of the damn thing... :hairraise:
 
I once drove from Seattle to Portland and then discovered that my logbook was missing. I suspected that I had left it in a rental plane at Payne Field north of Seattle. Not wanting to drive all the way back to Seattle to look for it, I explained my predicament to the owner of Stark's Twin Oaks Airpark near Portland. I had rented from him before, and since it was a mom and pop operation without a bureacratic mindset, he let me rent a 150 without my having my logbook to present, so that I could retrieve it. It turned out it had slipped down between the co-pilot seat and the door.

Nowadays my logbook stays at home except when I am flying with an instructor.This thread reminds me that it's time to update my backup copy.
 
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douglas393 said:
I back up on a external hard drive, another computer, and an SD card. I know but I am paranoid about losing it.

Doug
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Not sufficently paranoid. Every page of the logbooks (mine & airplane) is scanned. I burn CD/DVD (logbooks, financial records, etc) every year after I finish my taxes. One copy in the safe deposit box, one in my firebox in the house, one at the hangar. I print the scanned copies of my logbook and that goes into the safe deposit box too.
 
murphey said:
Not sufficently paranoid. Every page of the logbooks (mine & airplane) is scanned. I burn CD/DVD (logbooks, financial records, etc) every year after I finish my taxes. One copy in the safe deposit box, one in my firebox in the house, one at the hangar. I print the scanned copies of my logbook and that goes into the safe deposit box too.
Click to expand...
to what end ?
 
JHW said:
to what end ?
Click to expand...

He might be thinking of the magnetic pulse doomsday event that will kill all electronics. But then, nto much use for a logbook for something you can't do any more.

David
 
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