Logbook - The "comments" section

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USAF-LT-G

Pre-takeoff checklist
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USAF-LT-G
So here's just a general question, since i'm not very diligent about all of this, and am curious what other pilots do.

You know that "comments" section where your CFI usually rights in stuff about what you practiced, or puts his signature for an endorsement, or other "training."

Well on a normal every day flying extravaganza, besides documenting AoA Indcator failures..... what does everyone generally put in there? Is there anything generally "useful" to put in there as a non CFI card carrying member, other than for "scrap booking" purposes (i.e. "Oh, granny and I had just a fantastic time overflying the beautiful Niagra Falls on a hazy day with lots of bees from overspray of aquanet... we also stopped for a burger and before long my irritable bowel syndrome caused granny to pass away due to toxic fumes.... ahh she loved the view....")?

Or do people largely leave this blank?
 
After many flights ,I now enter the names of passengers and any important happenings during the flight. This is after many complaints from pax that they haven't been up forever.
 
I leave it blank unless anything significant happened. I've had several "emergencies" like electrical failures, open door, inadvertent icing, bird strike, etc.
 
I also note approach, if there were any holds, have a safety pilot sign, rate my landing, document what wine I drank, explains why I didn't pull the chute, and enter AOA calibration data
 
I document whatever I practiced, just like my instructor used to.

For some things, you have to. Like, you have to name instrument approaches and safety pilots per 14 CFR 61.51(g)(3), if you want them to count for IFR currency. I've yet to see a logbook that has actual columns for that.

I'll log solo time, but not generally name my passengers. Not relevant to flight experience, currency, or any rating.
 
MAKG1 said:
name instrument approaches and safety pilots per 14 CFR 61.51(g)(3), if you want them to count for IFR currency. I've yet to see a logbook that has actual columns for that..
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I have a bunch of those Master Logbooks (big uns) with a few untitled columns. One I designate approaches. Have to write small but I enter the approach there.
 
I write what I ate, which hotel I used and whether they were any good.
 
Anything I want to remember, could be "formation flying with Stan", or "beautiful evening", "fly-in", or "saw the Goodyear blimp", or "visit Terry for dinner", or 6 touch and goes" or "engine failure on takeoff" (all actual entries in my logbook).
 
There are a few things that need to go there. Generaly, check the "universal rule of logging flight time," FAR 61.52 but, for example, instrument currency requires "the location and type of each instrument approach accomplished" and flight under the hood needs the name of the safety pilot. If you are heading toward another certificate or rating, if there are specific tasks (other than training) those regs say need to be logged and they are not simple numbers with a dedicated column, the comments should be used for those.

Other than that group of items, I'll join with the others. If it's a practice session, I'll long what I practiced. If it's a flight I want to recall, I'll make a "scrapbook" type note about it.
 
Anything noteworthy about the flight, a first date, what approaches I shot, cool sunset, some FBO that has good cookies, etc.
 
I write about weather , sunset or whom I flew with that kind of stuff. When I review it after 10 something years it brings some good memories back
 
MAKG1 said:
I document whatever I practiced, just like my instructor used to.

For some things, you have to. Like, you have to name instrument approaches and safety pilots per 14 CFR 61.51(g)(3), if you want them to count for IFR currency. I've yet to see a logbook that has actual columns for that.

I'll log solo time, but not generally name my passengers. Not relevant to flight experience, currency, or any rating.
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My basic, cheap Glenmore "Pilot in a Box" logbook has columns for number a day type of approaches. So I put good stuff in the Comment column, whatever I think is significant (pax names, cost of breakfast, name of safety pilot, flightseeing destination / conditions, number of rainbows, reason for the flight, etc.).
 
This post is wrong, AOA indicators are invincible, bullet proof and indestructible.

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk
 
I give a brief description of the flight and names of any passengers who came along. This way I can go back and remember what I did on a specific flight.

Ex. "XC to KRYY with Jim" or "LCL sunset flight+ soft field landing at Galloway's."

Etc.
 
Ryanb said:
I give a brief description of the flight and names of any passengers who came along. This way I can go back and remember what I did on a specific flight.

Ex. "XC to KRYY with Jim" or "LCL sunset flight+ soft field landing at Galloway's."

Etc.
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Cause when ya cain't fly no more, you kin always flip back through yer logbook and remember when ya could fly . . . So write enough to remember by.
 
I will document things like who barfed and what they ate before the flight so it doesn't happen again....
 
Hank S said:
Cause when ya cain't fly no more, you kin always flip back through yer logbook and remember when ya could fly . . . So write enough to remember by.
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You got it buddy, every flight has a story!
 
I should go back to my paper logbook. I've been using FF for the last 4 months. Hmm. Maybe tomorrow I'll start transferring over. Lots of cool stuff in the paper one, and FF isn't easy to review for fun, memories, etc.
 
MetalCloud said:
I should go back to my paper logbook. I've been using FF for the last 4 months. Hmm. Maybe tomorrow I'll start transferring over. Lots of cool stuff in the paper one, and FF isn't easy to review for fun, memories, etc.
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I enjoy reviewing my dad's logbook from the 60s and 70s. And I can because it's paper. If instead it had been recorded on magtapes or punchcards, I would be out of luck, just as my children would be if I used some electronic logbook that's available today.

Nothing beats paper for archival value.
 
MetalCloud said:
I should go back to my paper logbook. I've been using FF for the last 4 months. Hmm. Maybe tomorrow I'll start transferring over. Lots of cool stuff in the paper one, and FF isn't easy to review for fun, memories, etc.
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NoHeat said:
I enjoy reviewing my dad's logbook from the 60s and 70s. And I can because it's paper. If instead it had been recorded on magtapes or punchcards, I would be out of luck, just as my children would be if I used some electronic logbook that's available today.

Nothing beats paper for archival value.
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This.

I get grief for still keeping a logbook after all these years, but I'd like to think some day maybe my grandkids would get a kick flipping through it. Seeing in their grandfather's handwriting, "hey, here's when he and Grandma went on their first flight...," or "he scared the crap out of himself that day!" Or maybe they'll just end up in the trash. Who knows...

I will say that having paper logbooks with comments written in them made it easy to get ready for an airline interview. I'd go back and flip though my flights and the comments would allow me to recall significant flights with good/bad CRM, unusual occurrences, etc.

The effect is that I now keep two logbooks in parallel. One electronic and the other, handwritten. I have to say that the electronic one is more up to date, and every six months or so, I'll print it out and transfer it to the paper one.
 
Sluggo63 said:
This.

I get grief for still keeping a logbook after all these years, but I'd like to think some day maybe my grandkids would get a kick flipping through it. Seeing in their grandfather's handwriting, "hey, here's when he and Grandma went on their first flight...," or "he scared the crap out of himself that day!" Or maybe they'll just end up in the trash. Who knows...
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Of course they will. Like looking back at old, blurry, B&W photos. Or historic documents written by quill on parchment. I can hear them now. "How cute. Grampa used paper!" "Paper? What's that?"

Just joking....I think. ;)
 
midlifeflyer said:
Of course they will. Like looking back at old, blurry, B&W photos. Or historic documents written by quill on parchment. I can hear them now. "How cute. Grampa used paper!" "Paper? What's that?"

Just joking....I think. ;)
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Good point. I should probably start now taking a photo of each page and uploading them to the cloud. That way the images can be directly downloaded to their brains if they ever want to see them...
 
If the monkey ever happens to come flying in my plane I would probably note that. :cool:
 
Zeldman said:
I will document things like who barfed and what they ate before the flight so it doesn't happen again....
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You let them in your airplane again? o_O :p
 
just the facts go in the logbook....or anything I don't mind being investigated for. Keep in mind if you write the names of your pax....they could be interviewed as part of a surveillance activity. Homey don't play dat.:confused:
 
General tourist comments, interesting or notable incidents, editorial comments.
Back in 1966, on a CAP SAR mission, I wrote: "Blech!"
I showed the entry to my brother last week (he was in the plane that day) and his face lit up and said "Captain Taylor!"
We both remember, vividly, what happened on that flight.
 
NoHeat said:
If Yelp or Tripadvisor adds a logbbok feature to their app, that would be perfect, eh?
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One of these days I'll learn to print QR codes by hand so I can just write in a link to the FlightAware track.
 
I list whichever approach I shot into the airport and whether or not anything "interesting" happened. Last year I noted an exhaust header failure and a diversion due to spiking oil temperatures.
 
A friend of mine used to use his logbook as an autograph book and accumulate signatures of famous pilots he met.
 
flyingron said:
A friend of mine used to use his logbook as an autograph book and accumulate signatures of famous pilots he met.
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Never have understood acquiring someone's autograph. What do you do with it? Show it off? Why? I flew for a well know NASCAR driver a few times and someone asked me why don't I get his autograph. I asked back, what for? Met Bob Hoover at Lakeland, didn't ask for his but enjoyed the chat. I dunno, not my thing I guess. Not judging people who do it though either.
 
I don't know either. I'd rather have a picture with the guy. I'm still trying to get one of the Air and Space magazine photogs that I knew snapped my photo talking aviation safety with Sully and John King.
 
Sluggo63 said:
The effect is that I now keep two logbooks in parallel. One electronic and the other, handwritten. I have to say that the electronic one is more up to date, and every six months or so, I'll print it out and transfer it to the paper one.
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YES. Starting my piloting in the digital age, I've always had concurrent paper and digital logbooks. Also, I update them both regularly so unless I've been flying frequently in the last few days, they both say the same things. The comments section say pretty much the same thing in both but the digital one also has photos taken from that flight or from whatever activities happened at the destination/surrounding the flight. The question is really why NOT keep both going?
 
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