Nice free logbook app

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drotto

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drotto
Just decided to go digital with my logbook, and transferred all my paper stuff over. Myflightbook looks really cool, and works well, tracks all the requirements for students etc.

With that said, those who do digital logs, do you also keep your paper book up-to-date?
 
Yes. Apps come and go. Servers die. Tablets die as well.

Always keep a backup, and always make it a different medium than the original.

myflightbook is a nice app, but the developer could decide to terminate it tomorrow. Then, what would you do? It tracks all kinds of things, though you still have to review it (for instance, it doesn't review for you whether your ATD sim time exceeds the 10 hours you're allowed for win instrument rating).
 
So do you recommend keeping paper, or just downloading the files from the app (or printing the files) on occasion so you always have them? The app allows me to do that.
 
I do both. I make each entry in my logbook (but I haven't totaled pages in years). And I export from myflightbook into a .csv file periodically and email it to myself. Now the data is on myflightbook.com, an email server and my laptop. Oh, yeah, and the paper copy.

John
Belt, suspenders, and velcro.
 
drotto said:
So do you recommend keeping paper, or just downloading the files from the app (or printing the files) on occasion so you always have them? The app allows me to do that.
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It's possible but rather difficult to have an instructor sign your digital logbook.

Paper is primary, myflightbook is the backup. It's nice for grabbing totals, but I'm not entirely done with flight instruction….

The spreadsheet downloads are not as useful as the apps lead you to believe. Have you tried to import one into another? I used Zululog for a while until I racked up more than 30 aircraft (and my Android tablet died). It's MUCH easier to import photos of the various signatures than it is to export the data.
 
I do both always good to have a hard copy,if your going to go for future ratings ,it's just easier to show your hard copy.
 
I gave up keeping the paper logbook updated. Only for BFR really for the endorsement. But I am not looking for any jobs as a pilot. I use myflightbook too. I love that app. Even though it is free, I think I have donated more to the guy than some of the other logbooks cost. He is always trying to keep his product top notch. And any issues that I have had, he has always responded pretty quick with a solution.
 
I stopped using my paper logbook for anything other than entries requiring someone else's signature. One of the nice things about MyFlightBook is that the data is downloadable in a number of usable formats, including an updatable Excel spreadsheet. That solves the biggest problem with any third party online solution - paid ir free - the disappearance of the provider MAKG mentioned.

That said, I do have an additional electronic backup. I've been using an electronic logbook since the days of DOS and, while it may not be necessary, the extra minute it takes fir the double entry is a pretty low cost for the speed at which I can search for things and put together strange totals if needed.
 
drotto said:
Just decided to go digital with my logbook, and transferred all my paper stuff over. Myflightbook looks really cool, and works well, tracks all the requirements for students etc.

With that said, those who do digital logs, do you also keep your paper book up-to-date?
Click to expand...

absolutely! I keep the traditional paper logbook in my flight bag and keep that up to date. and, 'cuz my CFI once lost his logbooks and had a devil of a time chasing down his endorsements I make photocopies of the paper logbook pages and stash them in the safe deposit box along with photocopies of all of my endorsements.

I also use an excel spreadsheet http://excelpilotlogbook.com/ for the electronic version of the logbook. that does a real nice job of keeping track of my total hours, total hours by plane type, landings per plane type, day landings, night landings, currency, etc. I downloaded this a year or more ago when it was free. it looks like it now costs $19. but I would never totally rely or trust an electronic logbook. I've experienced data disasters both personally and professionally and as a result my hard drive backups have backups.
 
I'm also using myflightbook with paper as a backup. I sync the paper one every few months or when I have a training event that requires a signature
 
Couldn't you just use Google Docs or Microsoft Online and create your own electronic logbook? As long as you are capturing the required data.

Looking at the FAR there are only few required fields.
 
Sure you could. Not a whole lot of point reinventing the wheel, though.

Just maintain two forms in case of another file format change or server disaster.
 
For me its becoming really....really hard to beat just picking up my ipad or phone post flight, making one or two taps, one or two number entries and hitting save, and suddenly having my logbook available anywhere with an internet connection
 
Mr

MAKG1 said:
Sure you could. Not a whole lot of point reinventing the wheel, though.

Just maintain two forms in case of another file format change or server disaster.
Click to expand...

server disasters are 'whens', not 'ifs'.
 
RichmonS said:
Couldn't you just use Google Docs or Microsoft Online and create your own electronic logbook? As long as you are capturing the required data.
Click to expand...
Sure you could. If you are really good at it you can even set up reports and queries and filters and whatnot so if someone asks for your total time as PIC on a non-instructional flight in night IMC on a 50+ NM in a high performance and complex single, you can answer the question with just a few quick entries.

The value of online logbooks is less about capturing the data than it is about using the data.
 
I, too, keep paper plus digital, with digital getting updated immediately after the flight and the paper updated later. On a recent FR I forgot my paper log so my CFI wrote the endorsement out on paper, signed it, I took a pic with my phone and that was attached to to the digital entry in myflightbook.com. The paper hen got tucked into my paper logbook.
 
I use my paper logbook and every time a page is half-full or full, I take a picture and email it to myself.

I actually enjoy filling out the columns and it's a lot of fun every time I get to add up a new page. Maybe years from now I'll get sick of it.
 
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