Starting first private pilot flight lessons next week… should I go with this Jeppensen professional pilot logbook? Thinking of eventually going for instrument then commercial. So I would like to buy one logbook from the start instead of needing to upgrade later. Get used to to format. I prefer paper but would also create a Digital excel backup.
Which Logbook
- Thread starter FutureFly
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Mongoose Aviator
Line Up and Wait
@FutureFly - Good enough. Do not over think it.
Focus on flying.
Ignore the predictable rants on log books that will follow.
Just. Fly. Learn. Do good. Have fun. Get your medical. Ignore the static.
Focus on flying.
Ignore the predictable rants on log books that will follow.
Just. Fly. Learn. Do good. Have fun. Get your medical. Ignore the static.
Agree totally about focusing on flying. But a word of advice…
I was doing the same as what you are planning…traditional paper log with Excel backup. After my CFI lost his logbook (with no backup) I started making photocopies of completed pages and kept them in our safety deposit box.
Good luck with your training.
I was doing the same as what you are planning…traditional paper log with Excel backup. After my CFI lost his logbook (with no backup) I started making photocopies of completed pages and kept them in our safety deposit box.
Good luck with your training.
Capt. Geoffrey Thorpe
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Lowflynjack
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I have 5 logbooks filled up, halfway through the 6th... I didn't plan as well as you!
I use ForeFlight to log my flights, then I put them in Excel, then once every few months I put them in my paper logbook. Luckily I keep the Excel backup because I had Garmin Pilot and when my subscription expired... it took my log entries with it!
I use ForeFlight to log my flights, then I put them in Excel, then once every few months I put them in my paper logbook. Luckily I keep the Excel backup because I had Garmin Pilot and when my subscription expired... it took my log entries with it!
Daleandee
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That's just cruel & cold hearted right there ...
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The "professional" logbooks seem to be more useful for someone who has a lot of ratings, a flight instructor certificate, or both. I ran out of pages in my Sporty's basic pilot logbook before I ran out of columns in it. It's in a safe now that the pages are full and I am fully digital other than for flight review and similar endorsements. Any logbook aimed at pilots (as opposed to truckers or birdwatchers) should suffice through your commercial pilot certificate with ratings for ASEL, AMEL, and IRA. Just get one and start filling it out with flight experience.
Were you able to email them to get an exported version? Seems like a reasonable request to me.
I backed up my logbook first with a digital SLR camera, and now with my iPhone camera. Works fine.
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Lowflynjack
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I might have been able to, but luckily I had already pulled it and put in in Excel. It's something to think about if you try to change from one to the other though. My last instructor to do a flight review with me signed it off in ForeFlight only. If I ever switch, I guess a screenshot of that would work... who knows?
Pinecone
En-Route
I started with a basic log book that worked fine for many years. I moved to one like the one shown, and it worked fine.
The biggest thing is, back up with digital, and don't carry your physical logbook unless you need to do so (flight review, add on rating, etc).
I use SafeLogPro as my primary. And a moderate paper one also.
The advantage of an actual digital logbook versus scan or photo is that you can do all sorts of slicing and dicing. Need to know how many tailwheel landings, easy. How many night multi engine landings? Easy. How many hours in XYZ make and model? Easy. How many hours over the past 3 years? Easy.
I also like that SafeLogPro syncs my data to their cloud server, and each one of my devices (two desktops, a laptop, two tablets and a phone). So MANY backups.
One caution, some CFIs may look at you strangely if you show up to your first ever flight with a Jepp Pro logbook. It seems a bit pretentious.
The biggest thing is, back up with digital, and don't carry your physical logbook unless you need to do so (flight review, add on rating, etc).
I use SafeLogPro as my primary. And a moderate paper one also.
The advantage of an actual digital logbook versus scan or photo is that you can do all sorts of slicing and dicing. Need to know how many tailwheel landings, easy. How many night multi engine landings? Easy. How many hours in XYZ make and model? Easy. How many hours over the past 3 years? Easy.
I also like that SafeLogPro syncs my data to their cloud server, and each one of my devices (two desktops, a laptop, two tablets and a phone). So MANY backups.
One caution, some CFIs may look at you strangely if you show up to your first ever flight with a Jepp Pro logbook. It seems a bit pretentious.
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Really? I couldn’t care less what logbook a student shows up with.One caution, some CFIs may look at you strangely if you show up to your first ever flight with a Jepp Pro logbook. It seems a bit pretentious.
I never thought about what kind of log book I should use when I was training in 2015. I used a paperback one that was given to me by the flight school for the first few months. Then I got a regular bound one from Sportys when it filled up. I am on my 5th one since 2015 with 1250 hrs flown so far. I used to log each airport I landed at on each line. Now I try to use one line for each day of flying. But sometimes if I go to too many airports in a day I use more than one line. I don't think I need a professional one since I do not fly for living.
I like those little ASA-SP-30's due to the small size. It's nice for training to have paper so the CFI can sign it and you can hand it physically to the DPE. When I complete a page I number it and take a photo which is backed up to the "cloud", so if I needed to reconstruct a book I could, although it would be time consuming. I also started using myflightbook as well about a year ago and really love it. It's super helpful when filling out an insurance application or any other form where they want things like complex time or time in type.
Between flightaware and foreflight I have enough back ups if I did lose my current log book that I do carry with me since I keep my medical in it. Yes I have copies of my medical along with my AME. 3 things are always in my hand when I walk out of the house in the morning and when I get into the plane each trip. An ipad, logbook and cell phone.
Keep all my logs for the plane and me in a fire resistance box at home.
I also keep this log in the plane for each flight I make and any maintenance that was performed that I could use as a backup if I lost my log book.
Keep all my logs for the plane and me in a fire resistance box at home.
I also keep this log in the plane for each flight I make and any maintenance that was performed that I could use as a backup if I lost my log book.
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