Quick Question about using Zululog

problematique

problematique

Pre-takeoff checklist
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Jay G
Hey guys, I just decided to use ZuluLog for flight logging. I know I must keep my original standard log books with all my CFI signatures and endorsements. I just want to confirm that it is acceptable to use the standard (paper) log books ONLY for endorsements and CFI signatures? I would just use Zululog for everything else. I couldn't quite find a recent clear answer after searching the forums. Thanks.
 
I use a digital log (excel in google docs), I scan my endorsements, etc in and that's been OK for my last job and a couple check rides.

Still keep the endorsements, which are on loose leaf paper, filed away somewhere, I've never been asked to see them though.

My old paper log (0 through CPL and 300ish hrs) I also scanned and back upped into google, then forwarded the hours into my digital logs.

So far so good

I'd think you'd be ok using a online log full time
 
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You're legal, but what happens if Zululog goes away tomorrow? A tech company lasting more than a decade is unusual, and its not unheard of for products or whole companies to disappear overnight, or become unusable or abandoned. Does your flight experience evaporate after that?

Keep two forms. One in your physical posession, one not. Preferably one on paper.
 
I use my flight log electronic, but I also make the entries in my paper book and export the data from my flight log (they can export as .csv file) and email it to myself. My electronic data exists in 3 places minimum: the website, my email server (online) and my email client on my laptop.

As noted above, the provider may go away at some point.

John
 
The FAA has standards for electronic recordkeeping and signatures. Zululog meets them, but only if the instructor is also a Zululog subscriber. Nothing says all your records have to be in one place, but scanning an instructor endorsement and then tossing the original signed paper does not meet the FAA standard.
 
I still have all my loose leaf endorsements, however I've had my print up of my log, complete with a few scanned signoffs, gone over by a CFI, Cheif Pilot, HR, Fed, Check Airman and no one has said a thing.

Another reason to use google over Zulu, google ain't going anywhere.

As for students, just use paper till you get your ticket, I've had this talk with my guys when they see my put a flight into my log is my phone.

I'm not signing up for, logging into, or bringing my laptop just to sign your logbook after EACH flight, F' that!
 
James331 said:
Another reason to use google over Zulu, google ain't going anywhere.
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How long do you expect to be a pilot?

The number of tech companies that have been around over 20 years is a VERY short list.

I once had this discussion about Sun. The context was that an observatory expected to last 20+ years should not depend on any particular hardware. I lost the argument and then Sun got acquired -- and its hardware, compilers and OS all but killed -- less than two years later.

Even if Google does survive 20 years, there is no guarantee that Google Docs will, or that it will be acceptable if it does. Google has a LONG record of releasing and then abandoning software projects.
 
Thus is the reason to keep a local copy.

Every week I sync my thumb drive and laptop.

Chances of google going poof in the night, my solid state drive in my laptop going t1ts up, and thumb drive breaking, I'll take those odds over a single paper logbook going missing :)
 
MAKG1 said:
Keep two forms. One in your physical possession, one not. Preferably one on paper.
Click to expand...

This is what I'm doing with MyFlightBook. E-version makes it quick and simple to record a flight as soon as I am done with the aircraft. And simpler to get a quick tally of a column when I'm curious.

But I keep my papyrus version as the official one. I'll take the MyFlightBook info and transcribe, add additional notes as needed and I'm good. Every other page, I add to the scan file as a back up against lost paper.
 
James331 said:
Chances of google going poof in the night, my solid state drive in my laptop going t1ts up, and thumb drive breaking, I'll take those odds over a single paper logbook going missing :)
Click to expand...

If you take a couple of years off 'cause life gets in the way, the odds of all of those happening are not at all low.

I guess you never got a library of beta videotapes or LPs. On the other hand, we can still use physical photographs from 150 years ago (with care), and letters hundreds of years old. But 9-track tapes from the Apollo program (or even the Kuiper Observatory, which went dark in 1995) are not usable.

Keep one low tech. Then you don't have to worry about every OS locking out unsecured thumb drives, for instance. That one's fairly likely as that's a nearly uncontrollable vector for viruses.
 
MAKG1 said:
If you take a couple of years off 'cause life gets in the way, the odds of all of those happening are not at all low.

I guess you never got a library of beta videotapes or LPs. On the other hand, we can still use physical photographs from 150 years ago (with care), and letters hundreds of years old. But 9-track tapes from the Apollo program (or even the Kuiper Observatory, which went dark in 1995) are not usable.

Keep one low tech. Then you don't have to worry about every OS locking out unsecured thumb drives, for instance. That one's fairly likely as that's a nearly uncontrollable vector for viruses.
Click to expand...

I hear ya,

However the chance of me taking a couple years off is nil, I fly for a living so not flying for a couple years would be BAD.
 
MAKG1 said:
You're legal, but what happens if Zululog goes away tomorrow? A tech company lasting more than a decade is unusual, and its not unheard of for products or whole companies to disappear overnight, or become unusable or abandoned. Does your flight experience evaporate after that?

Keep two forms. One in your physical posession, one not. Preferably one on paper.
Click to expand...

I understand your point here. But of course I will simply print out a copy of the Zululog entries every "x" amount of days and store them physically just in case they happen to go under. I'm just trying to figure out a way in which I won't have to log my info twice (except for endorsements / CFI signatures). Seems like a print out from ZuluLog is sufficient for my PIC hours.
 
problematique said:
I understand your point here. But of course I will simply print out a copy of the Zululog entries every "x" amount of days and store them physically just in case they happen to go under. I'm just trying to figure out a way in which I won't have to log my info twice (except for endorsements / CFI signatures). Seems like a print out from ZuluLog is sufficient for my PIC hours.
Click to expand...

Yup, that would do it.
 
Disclaimer: I'm the author of MyFlightbook.

I'm not sure that you need to go to the effort of printing/transcribing your electronic logbook. Just make a backup.

In the case of MyFlightbook, you can download a spreadsheet snapshot at any time, so even if MyFlightbook were to go away (not going to happen any time soon - especially since I'm not doing it for the money so lack of revenue doesn't play into my longevity), you would still have all of your data.
 
I will say, I am a fan of My Flightbook. As with ANY computer based records. Always have a hard copy backup. This does mean you have to put the info into zulu or any other program and manually add it to your log book. The spreadsheet you back up is just as valid.
 
I use LogTen Pro and remind myself every few months to make a logbook entry in my paper book. I like the electronic because I can dump a flight plan out of ForeFlight into LogTen and make minor adjustments to time as needed vs remembering to do it on paper every time I get out of the plane like I did as a student.

That way, no matter what you use, you have your arse covered.

When I start doing IFR, I'm just going to create a new page in my logbook and have my CFII do everything in the book.
 
kenjr said:
I use LogTen Pro and remind myself every few months to make a logbook entry in my paper book. I like the electronic because I can dump a flight plan out of ForeFlight into LogTen and make minor adjustments to time as needed vs remembering to do it on paper every time I get out of the plane like I did as a student.

That way, no matter what you use, you have your arse covered.

When I start doing IFR, I'm just going to create a new page in my logbook and have my CFII do everything in the book.
Click to expand...

Most of the instructors at the flight school I have been using use LogTen Pro, not that there aren't many other alternatives.

I subscribed to LogTen Pro myself but I still haven't tallied up all my different times and gone quasi paperless yet. I need to.
 
kenjr said:
I use LogTen Pro and remind myself every few months to make a logbook entry in my paper book. I like the electronic because I can dump a flight plan out of ForeFlight into LogTen and make minor adjustments to time as needed vs remembering to do it on paper every time I get out of the plane like I did as a student.

That way, no matter what you use, you have your arse covered.

When I start doing IFR, I'm just going to create a new page in my logbook and have my CFII do everything in the book.
Click to expand...

I love LTP. Rather than going back and logging on paper, it's pretty easy to get a PDF copy of your logs. Just save that guy every month.
 
EricBe said:
Disclaimer: I'm the author of MyFlightbook.

I'm not sure that you need to go to the effort of printing/transcribing your electronic logbook. Just make a backup.

In the case of MyFlightbook, you can download a spreadsheet snapshot at any time, so even if MyFlightbook were to go away (not going to happen any time soon - especially since I'm not doing it for the money so lack of revenue doesn't play into my longevity), you would still have all of your data.
Click to expand...

Heck, I love the "Save to Dropbox" option in there.

Click the button, and a CSV of my whole logbook gets saved to my Dropbox account, and is thus backed up on multiple computers.

All of the other options, nothing beats the value for money of MyFlightBook...it's an incredible piece of software, and the fact that it's free is even more incredible.
 
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