Pilot Log Entry Question: Single Entry or Multiple Entries

Sinistar

Sinistar

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Brad
So today I flew down to my A&P, hung out with him while he serviced the strut and then flew back. He taught me a lot. That took about 2hrs. So for a flight like this, which is a lot like to flight to get lunch...where you actually shutdown, get out, do other stuff, etc...do you log it as one entry:

A -> B -> A Hrs=1.0

or do you break it into seperate entries:

A-> B Hrs=0.5
B -> A Hrs=0.5

I sure think its easier to just enter one line for the day. Same hours either way. In this case its not even a Cross Country so its not about hour building or training pre-requisites.

Is there any reason to break it into two entries. For example I did the full pre-flight for each leg. All the startup and shutdown procedures were done twice, etc. It was like two separate flights. Is there any clerical or FAR/AIM reason to break it into seperates?

Since my logbook is young and naïve - might be nice to get it right starting now :)
 
In my paper log book I do it as single line. In electronic version, it’s 1 log per leg
 
Whatever is easier, I've done it both ways.

Since I'm using foreflight logs now, so I use the "record" feature and log each leg now.
 
i typically log that on 1-line in my logbook and in my excel backup.
 
No required method Brad. Just do it how you prefer. For example, when I flew 121 I logged all the legs as one entry, like this: atl-mlu-dfw-elp-dfw. I had one of those little logbooks with with me where they were logged leg by leg, then I'd show it in my logbook as a one line entry, using the day's total when I updated my logbook.
 
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I’m very new, so take my opinion for the little it’s worth, but I log such flights on 2 lines, as separate flights. I do that so the log will match my filed flight plans. Just seems to make sense to me that way, but I doubt it matters very much.
 
Half Fast said:
I’m very new, so take my opinion for the little it’s worth, but I log such flights on 2 lines, as separate flights. I do that so the log will match my filed flight plans. Just seems to make sense to me that way, but I doubt it matters very much.
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That's fine, however you desire and choose.
 
I put all out-and-back trips on one line if they're done in one day. If i stay overnight, I generally use two lines.
 
Depends on how many airports I stop at in one day.on a long cross country I can sometimes use two or three lines.
 
I log everything in that day on one line.

*except when I was flight instructing many moons ago.
 
I used to log it all on one line. But then I started realizing that my logbook was never going to fill up and after 10 years it started falling apart. Now each leg gets its own entry.
 
SkyHog said:
I used to log it all on one line. But then I started realizing that my logbook was never going to fill up and after 10 years it started falling apart. Now each leg gets its own entry.
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That's why I do the opposite, filling up logbooks too fast. :D
 
Log everything as one. I flew 4 lesson ones today c172 kxxx to kxxx 4.8 hrs asel 4.8 pic.

I made a 2nd entry for my night xc.

Usually everything is on one entry unless its an oddball flight like night or ive soloed someone.
 
I am keeper of the family logbooks, so my late father's, uncle's, and grandfather's books are together in my attic. My dad flew skydivers, so it wasn't uncommon to see an entry of something like 7.5 hrs of local flying with 15 landings, all on one line. My uncle was a CFIG, and I believe he grouped particular students' flights together for a day. So one line would be .8 hrs with Eric, with 3 aerotows.

For your example, I'd put it on one line unless I needed extra space in the remarks or something.


Half Fast said:
I’m very new, so take my opinion for the little it’s worth, but I log such flights on 2 lines, as separate flights. I do that so the log will match my filed flight plans. Just seems to make sense to me that way, but I doubt it matters very much.
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I'm curious to know why it helps you to have the log book match the flight plans. Are you cross-referencing them later for some reason? I've never bothered to make the time I closed my flight plan accurate enough that it would match my logged time closely.
 
Doesn’t matter. It will equal the same amount of time by logging it either way. I typically log it as one flight on a single entry, whether or not I get out and have lunch or not.

Do whichever suits your fancy :)
 
Add me to the "it doesn't matter" group.

Personally, I log trips (my definition of a "trip") not legs, cross country or not, but there is no right and wrong here.
 
It matters not a whit.

I tend to lump mine together, as seen here:

41558541132_ccceb08867.jpg


That's a partial screenshot from the Excel spreadsheet I use as a logbook. I have a paper logbook but just use that for endorsements.
 
Depends on what you want to do. Sometimes I group all my flying for a whole month into one entry. Sometimes it’s one leg one entry. Just depends. As long as it actually happened I don’t think it matters.
 
Doesn’t matter. Just make it consistent. I log GA stuff by trip. For example, ABC-DEF-ABC. For my airline stuff I log leg by leg (JFK-BOS, BOS-JFK)
 
I’ve always done once a day unless the tail number changes.

But as others have said, it doesn’t matter.
 
Eric Gleason said:
I'm curious to know why it helps you to have the log book match the flight plans. Are you cross-referencing them later for some reason? I've never bothered to make the time I closed my flight plan accurate enough that it would match my logged time closely.
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No particular reason. It just seemed reasonable to me to do it that way. I can’t see that it matters a lot, and for folks who fly a lot more than I do, using 1 line probably makes sense.
 
midlifeflyer said:
Add me to the "it doesn't matter" group.

Personally, I log trips (my definition of a "trip") not legs, cross country or not, but there is no right and wrong here.
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^^^That^^^

The only thing I'll add is: I hope that filling in my logbook never becomes a mundane task. I truly enjoy it as it allows me to reflect on the flight, what I did right, what I did wrong and to "close it out." A personal debrief so to speak. I logged 3.2 yesterday, flew to Gaston's for an early dinner & back. That flight puts me at about 1725 total and it's definitely not mundane yet. Hope it never becomes so.

Also I'm a paper log person. I like tactile...I like turning pages. Just like I read real books,not ebooks.
 
It doesn't matter. <- heck nothing I write matters

In the club planes I do one line per billing event. In my personal plane I do one line per time I think about it and look at the tach.

So, not even per day.

Example: The Dam Fly-In next weekend. Thurs - Sun will be one line in my logbook. <- Gratuitous plug for the @eman1200 event.
 
Ravioli said:
It doesn't matter. <- heck nothing I write matters

In the club planes I do one line per billing event. In my personal plane I do one line per time I think about it and look at the tach.

So, not even per day.

Example: The Dam Fly-In next weekend. Thurs - Sun will be one line in my logbook. <- Gratuitous plug for the @eman1200 event.
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I’m gonna ask them to change the name from ky village to emantown.


For lunch-type runs I’ll do one line (hehehe, I said I do a line) but for multi day events I typically do multiple lines (!) but I agree with most, it dudnt mattah.
 
midlifeflyer said:
Consistent in whose eyes? Why would it matter if I logged a full trip on one line today and logged legs on separate lines tomorrow?
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Consistency matters for me because of professional flying. Maybe not for the OP.
 
midlifeflyer said:
Yeah, I often forget how OCD professionals tend to be about their logbooks :D
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If I wasn’t flying professionally I wouldn’t care how it looks! I’ve just heard horror stories of people going into interviews and getting their logbooks grilled. When my dad was applying for United about 25 years ago, he got chewed out for having a few entries in green pen back when he was a student pilot. Which reminds me, I have to start going digital soon lol.
 
I knew a very high-time GA guy, A&P, CFII, etc., etc., who just stopped bothering to log anything, except what was required for currency. I used to log whatever time expired when the engine stopped. Now it's more like whatever it was at the end of the day or trip. . .but I don't get paid to fly.
 
timwinters said:
^^^That^^^

The only thing I'll add is: I hope that filling in my logbook never becomes a mundane task. I truly enjoy it as it allows me to reflect on the flight, what I did right, what I did wrong and to "close it out." A personal debrief so to speak. I logged 3.2 yesterday, flew to Gaston's for an early dinner & back. That flight puts me at about 1725 total and it's definitely not mundane yet. Hope it never becomes so.

Also I'm a paper log person. I like tactile...I like turning pages. Just like I read real books,not ebooks.
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I'm with you, Tim. I ended up with seven logbooks of various thicknesses; the earlier ones, where I was pretty much just adding hours, are pretty sparse reading. Later on, when I was doing a lot of ferrying and air taxi I tried to put in enough information so that I could look back on those trips and do a little reminiscing.

If anyone sees an ATP checkride in their future, hey should be sure to log flights in a way that can be explained to the examiner when s/he goes over the logs....especially if the definition of cross-country arises.

Bob
 
I fly two airplanes at work. Every month I generate an Excel spread sheet report for the company. At the end of the year I print a report for each airplane and put it in a 3 ring binder. I then put a single line entry in my log book for each airplane each year. With over 9000 hours I still only have 2 logbooks. Airline might not like it but I am too old to go to the airlines now.
 
In general I’ll put a multileg trip on one line if it completes on same date it starts. If it runs into the next day or days, I’ll do a new line.

The problem with not logging everything except flights needed for currency is this. If you do contract pilot work, every insurance company has its own unique pilot experience form you’ll have to fill out. To do that you’ll need to come up with innumerable combinations and permutations of calendar times; category, class and type times; day hours; night hours; training hours; and who knows what else. If you’re not logging everything it’s impossible to complete these. And that would be a shame because contract gigs can be very good.
 
jordane93 said:
Consistency matters for me because of professional flying. Maybe not for the OP.
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Meh. I’m a pro too and the logging is structured around the operation. If I’m flying ag often it’s the same airplane from the same airport 8 to 30 times per day for weeks at a time. That gets logged monthly. If I’m 121/135 that gets logged daily. Fun flying is more narrow in focus because it’s normally associated with an event I want to be reminded of one day when I’m to old to remember. Neat entries, archival ink and no lying gets it done just fine for me. The bottom line is your books are yours and mine are mine. Short of lying to get a job or not meeting the far requirement for logging recency of experience there’s no wrong way.
 
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