What is easiest way to scan logbooks?

Scanner on a computer. There is an app called CamScanner that will allow you to take a photo and then it converts it to a PDF. Might try that.
 
Kinkos or FedEx office or whatever its called today.
 
Due to the size of most logbook usually the easiest way is just snap photos of it with you phone or other digital camera.

Brian
 
kgruber said:
I am thinking my phone camera and Google photos..................??
Click to expand...

Go to a Staples, and bring a USB flash drive with you. Their self-serve copiers can be used easily as a scanner. You pay at the machine using a credit card. No contact. The scans are really good, much better than with a phone. I’ve done this with legal documents and I was very pleased.

Afterwards, if you want to crop the pages, Adobe Acrobat DC works well, if you’ve already got it, but I wouldn’t buy it just for that.
 
I used to use the biggest copier I could find at work; now I just take photos with my phone. Life is so much easier.
 
I used Office Lens, it's a free app for android from Microsoft. Did a pretty good job.
 
I've had a Canon scanner for years....it's rather old, but does the job. One of the reasons I keep an older Mac around. The software doesn't work on anything newer than 10.6. Trying to decide if I should get a newer one. But the only thing I use it for are the log books. And real estate documents. And anything that's legal on paper because whoever won't send me an electronic version. Like the IRS.

Major advantages of the scanner - I don't have to worry about sufficient lighting on the document, don't have to worry about off-center or rotated, don't have to hold the phone in any special position to get a good image, can choose color or B&W to reduce file size, being flat screen it mitigates any wrinkles on the document, and so on.
 
Last edited:
Apple's Notes app has a built in camera scanner function. Will correct for camera tilt and not quite squared up.

I have been finding Notes to be a more powerful utility that I previously gave it credit for.
 
I haven't tried it for a log book, but I use an Apple app called ScannerPro for sumitting invoices. It takes a picture and you can then email it.
 
I too use ScannerPro for just about everything. You can then direct where to save it. I save all my Logbook pages (my flight, engine, airframe, registration docs, everything) to Google Drive to ensure it's accessible.
 
RTK11.
Will scannerpro combine the pages into one PDF or do you just end up with a bunch of separate images? I need to scan in my logbooks and my current app keeps them all separate.
Gary
 
I am curious why you need to scan the logbook? Long time ago I copied everything over into an excel spreadsheet. I use a physical logbook only for endorsements such as flight reviews and IPC, but that happens only about once a year.
 
sarangan said:
I am curious why you need to scan the logbook? Long time ago I copied everything over into an excel spreadsheet. I use a physical logbook only for endorsements such as flight reviews and IPC, but that happens only about once a year.
Click to expand...

Presumably these are maintenance logbooks which don't easily carry into excel
 
sarangan said:
I am curious why you need to scan the logbook? Long time ago I copied everything over into an excel spreadsheet. I use a physical logbook only for endorsements such as flight reviews and IPC, but that happens only about once a year.
Click to expand...
Airplane, propeller, engine logbooks. Mine stay in the safe deposit box unless I need them. Every year after the annual, I burn 3 sets - the shop gets one, one is in the airplane, and the third is at home.
 
AggieMike88 said:
Apple's Notes app has a built in camera scanner function. Will correct for camera tilt and not quite squared up.

I have been finding Notes to be a more powerful utility that I previously gave it credit for.
Click to expand...
I agree. I just used Notes to scan my log books. Worked quite well.
 
GaryV said:
RTK11.
Will scannerpro combine the pages into one PDF or do you just end up with a bunch of separate images? I need to scan in my logbooks and my current app keeps them all separate.
Gary
Click to expand...

@GaryV, Scanner Pro will combine all the pages into 1 PDF as desired. You can even re-take a page if you don't like how it was scanned.

I can even go back to items I've scanned and add pages (great for log books, other documents that get updated frequently), and it still scans as one PDF unless you want to split out to another document.

I have to admit that it is my go-to scanning device unless I have a lot of pages to scan, then a flat-bed scanner is faster. Very satisfied with the application, and the nominal cost. Definitely feel I got my moneys worth.
 
Last edited:
kgruber said:
I am thinking my phone camera and Google photos..................??
Click to expand...

I use an app on my phone called TurboScan. It works really well. Can take a single page and make an emailable .pdf file, or can take multiple page snaps with your camera and create a single file. It automatically crops at the edges of the paper if you put it on a contrasting background, takes 3 photos of the page and resolves them with software so you get a clean, clear image that is readable.

I actually downloaded it a couple of years ago specifically to copy logbook pages using my phone camera. Impressed me enough I use it for biz documents when I am not at my office with our large scanner.
 
My airplane is a half century old. I might scan the last few years of logs, but not all of them. Someone "needs' that they can buy someone else's airplane.
 
I used adobe scan on the iPhone ... I was so bored when the plane was down for avionics upgrade that I scanned the entire POH just for the heck of it
 
WannFly said:
I used adobe scan on the iPhone ... I was so bored when the plane was down for avionics upgrade that I scanned the entire POH just for the heck of it
Click to expand...
You’re not alone. I did exactly the same thing. Logbooks and POH are now searchable thanks to Adobe Scan. Then I put them in GoodReader and it saves to all my devices.
 
I copied mine on a flat bed. Making two copies.. then scanned one. I have it on my computer, on a cloud, a hard copy at my moms and a hard copy at home.

she’s got every log for 73 years and they aren’t going gone on my watch!
 
I scan every page after it is filled, as well as keep an excel sheet.

Remember to back up your scan / keep it in a safe place. I have mine on my PC which is backed up (Carbonite).
 
kgruber said:
I am thinking my phone camera and Google photos..................??
Click to expand...

Photograph for sure. I have done this many times for pre-buy logbook reviews and it takes about an hour, give or take. Go for fairly high resolution if your camera has settings for that.
 
Easiest? Pay someone else to do it for you. Then, keep it up to date using the suggestions here.
 
Use a digital camera with a high quality lens. I used a Canon EOS 5 and the results are clear and very legible.

-Skip
 
Huckster79 said:
... a hard copy at my moms ...

she’s got every log for 73 years ...
Click to expand...

If you’re talking about maintenance log books, that’s incredible.

If you’re talking about your pilot log books, that’s beyond incredible. Mom would be at least 105 years old.
 
NoHeat said:
If you’re talking about maintenance log books, that’s incredible.

If you’re talking about your pilot log books, that’s beyond incredible. Mom would be at least 105 years old.
Click to expand...

All the maintenance logs of my beloved Shirley, a 1947 Cessna 140, every entry since her test flight in Kansas in August of 47 :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top