The unthinkable has happened - LOST logbook...

inav8r

inav8r

Line Up and Wait
Joined
Feb 14, 2005
Messages
600
Location
Indiana, US
Display Name
Display name:
Mike B.
*sigh*

I can't believe it. Due to finances and medical reasons I've not been able to fly for almost a year now. All this time I've taken great care of my flight bag - even changing the batteries in the flashlights - all the time believing that my logbook was safe and sound inside of it.... However my log book has come up missing.

I've been tearing up my house for two days now searching for it. I can't imagine when, where or why I would have moved it from it's proper resting place.

At one time I had images of all of the pages up to the beginning of '07 - but that HD crashed a few months ago and I never gave it a second thought. I (thought I) knew where my logbook was...

I have details of everything that was in it on logshare.com - but the signatures from the various instructors and safety pilots are gone as well as the signed endorsements and the BFR are gone.

I can recreate all entries where I was pic from my records at logshare.com and 2 of the 5 instructors I've used are willing to match up what I have at logshare.com with their logbooks (the time for the other 3 don't amount to much if anything significant).

So my plan is
  • Purchase a new log book (and pray that the act of spending money causes the missing one to turn up).
  • Copy all entries from logshare.com into my new logbook.
  • Make an entry indicating that all entries prior to that point were recreated from electronic records.
  • Get a new BFR & HP endorsement.
  • Continue flying.
What else am I missing?
 
You don't need signatures from safety pilots. CFIs are to keep records of sign offs for 3 years, so you shouldn't have a problem getting a copy of your HP and FR. Just start a new logbook with first line showing totals being carried forward.
 
Reminds me... I've scanned my logbook but haven't made disc copies off the HDD yet...
 
Consider sending or taking the hard drive to one of those "forensic" data retrieval places. They are pricey, and I have no personal experience with them, but I've read that they can sometimes do good stuff. At least chat with them.
 
Baron 55 said:
Consider sending or taking the hard drive to one of those "forensic" data retrieval places. They are pricey, and I have no personal experience with them, but I've read that they can sometimes do good stuff. At least chat with them.
Click to expand...

Used one at work a number of years ago when the hard drive on my laptop quit, and my boss had been too cheap to pay for a regular backup system. Around $1700 IIRC, and they recovered everything, except for one system file (whoopee!). I've still got the CD-ROMs they sent me - www.ontrack.com was the website for the outfit. Oh, and we have an excellent on-line backup system now, too. :D

Good luck. Of course, once you spend all this money you'll find the missing logbook. It always works that way.
 
inav8r said:
I can't believe it.... my log book has come up missing.
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Without sounding insensitive, I treat my logbooks as a $10,000 dollar piece of paper that cannot be replaced. Mine are locked in a fireproof safe as we speak. When my mechanic actually needs them (rarely), I bring them in and wait while he finds the information he needs.

I hear of lost logs way too often. I really hope you have success in your hunt.
 
EdFred said:
You don't need signatures from safety pilots.
Click to expand...
Concur.
CFIs are to keep records of sign offs for 3 years, so you shouldn't have a problem getting a copy of your HP and FR.
Click to expand...
Assuming the CFI's concerned haven't disappeared into the regional system.
Just start a new logbook with first line showing totals being carried forward.
Click to expand...
Your logbook will carry more credibility if you reconstruct as much as you can from the existing records than if you just start it with a bunch of apparently unsubstantiated totals.
 
jimbtv said:
Without sounding insensitive, I treat my logbooks as a $10,000 dollar piece of paper that cannot be replaced. Mine are locked in a fireproof safe as we speak. When my mechanic actually needs them (rarely), I bring them in and wait while he finds the information he needs.

I hear of lost logs way too often. I really hope you have success in your hunt.
Click to expand...
Mike is talking about his pilot log book, not his plane one, so the mechanic would probably have no interest in it :) but even so, you're right. It represents a large investment.

Note to self. Copy your log book (again) and put the original in the fire-proof safe where it belongs!
 
I recreated my old logbook from the numbers starting in my first 8710. I then provided reasonable estimates based on the kind of flying I did during the periods of time described. After creating a summary of the time, I submitted it to an inspector who signed the sheet as a recognizable log for time requirements. I then had it notarized along with my signature.

The difference between your case and mine, you have the electronic log you've kept all along to back up your claims. You'll have a much easier time validating your time.
 
gprellwitz said:
Mike is talking about his pilot log book, not his plane one...!
Click to expand...
Doh !!!

Having a little time to think this over, I treat my pilot's log book the same way that I treat my aircraft log books. There is no requirement to have your log book when you fly so I keep a written, hand-made squawk log sheet in my flight bag. After I fill up a sheet, I take a few moments and transfer the data to my logs. In that case the worst that can happen is that I'll lose about 8 entries in my log book, if I lose the sheet. I can easily resurrect the 8 entries from the output of my Garmin 496.

With that said, I still feel for the OP. I have often thought about how awful I would feel if I lost my logs. In the mean time, I make efforts to keep that from happening.
 
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Buy Acronis. Put it in your CD drive. Tell BIOS to boot form the CD. Acronis is unix and can groc Windows files. Move your file to another location thumb drive.

Get on another computer and print the thing.
 
I took a few days off and I've not had a chance to check in for a while.

But I've still not been able to locate the log book. The only time I carry it with me is when I fly with a CFI - and my last flight was my BFR (ironically). I called the instructor and asked if he had it, and of course, he did not. (And if he did, he would have called me immediatly anyways).

I can't imagine what I would have done with it between my last flight and today. Usually it's either in my flight bag (as is the case when I'm flying with an instructor) or at home in it's normal resting place...

As for the HD that crashed - it's long gone. I'd have to head to the local landfill to try to dig it up - just not worth it. It's not like I'm building time for a flying career - or had that many hours logged (under 150 hours total time). Really what I'm worried about is all of the XC PIC time that I had planned on using if/when I ever decide to start working on my instrument rating.
 
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I try to keep my logbook safe and secure too. But I also know I'm human and will make mistakes. I keep photo copies of all my log book pages at my office in a file. I just looked in my file and I need to update! I haven't made copies since September 2007. I'm going to the copy machine.
 
Uh oh. You tossed a hard drive in a land fill!!! Expect a hefty fine from the EPA.
 
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