Stamped & Signed logbook entries

[Woodwrecker]

Being new to the contract pilot game, I have a question for you old hands out their who make their living flying contracts.

I have an employment package from different contractors, for various assignments in India, SE Asia and Central Asia. They all request copies of the last 2 to 3 logbook pages "signed and stamped by authority".

I keep my time in the little red pocket logs available at most pilot shops. I haven't logged flight time in a Master Logbook in many, many years. First, how does one go about getting his logbook signed and stamped, and by whom would this be done? Secondly, do most of you guys keep time in the pocket logbooks, or is it in a Master Logbook, just for this reason?

Any insight into this would really be appreciated.:confused:

Woodwrecker

[cochise]

The Civil Aviation Authorities in most countries other than the US require the company or institution to "certify" logbooks with a stamp that basically in theory is to prevent logging hours that did not happen.
This is done most of the time by the flight operations department.
I know quite a few pilots in the US that keep pocket books and computer logs but most Colonial/ex-Colonial countries in the world like to see a standard paper logbook.
:uhoh:

[Panama Jack]

In the past, I have known of some pilots who do this through a Notary Public. Basically, you are swearing that the times are certified true and correct, and the Notary Public puts his/her stamp to that. Then they have taken that to the State level (in your state capital) at the courts, and they certify (yet another stamp) that the Notary Public's stamp is legal. Then you could take it to the State Department, whose stamp authenticates the stamp at the State level.

This is what is known as a "chain authentication," and it doesn't prove much but is normally acceptable to foreign authorities who like big impressive looking rubber stamps. You can read more about it here:

http://travel.state.gov/family/abduction/hague_issues/hague_issues_562.html

Absent of that, ask your local FSDO if they can do a rubber stamping for you. It is unfortunate that you have "little red logbooks." While completely legitimate, they look less "official" than the bound things and are less often used outside of the US. Oh well, just one of those things about International Flying.

[galant1]

Again we are talking in the US, at the company I work for everything is on computer, could a printout of the total company time, plus time per equipment qualify? Because I also have about 18 of those red books and have not even seen my last major logbook in 9 years.

[Panama Jack]

That is the answer I have tried to provide, obviously not to your satisfaction. The situation I cited pertained to Spanish pilots who trained in the United States. So, as far as what you propose to provide them-- maybe it is acceptable to them, maybe not. I guess it is up to them when you bring the 30 foot long strip of paper printed out by the Company's Epson printer.

You say you are new to the contract pilot "game." With any game, it helps to have the right equipment to play it with-- don't try to play golf with a hockey stick, if you know what I mean. If you are successful, and you get to asia, you may want to pay someone to carry your last 9 years of flight time into a normal log book. Depending on the country you work in, this should not cost too much.

We all get lazy when it comes to resumes and logbooks, especially when we've been in a secure feeling job for many years. The crunch comes when looking for a job again. Remember how it was the last time you were job hunting and crossed the "'t's" and dotted the "i's"?

[galant1]

Panama Jack

Thanks for the info, I was just asking so maybe I could reduce the crampping of the wrist. You know.

[Panama Jack]

I understand. That is why I try to do my logbook regularly to avoid too strenous activity ;)

[alatnariver]

I had the same problem you are facing now. I was very lazy for years and logged my flighttime only in a small shirt-pocket-size logbook, mine was blue instead of red :* .

Regarding verification that the flighttime is true and correct I provided a letter of the flight operation depertment of all my previous employers showing the flighttime I logged while flying for them. This letter was stamped and signed by the chief pilot or some one who was in charge of the record keeping. In most cases this was accepted by the airlines or local authorities.

Remember in most parts of the world the authorities love stamps and signatures, and some get more than excited if you provide a round stamp (onnce I had to provide a sick leave certificate while on vacation in my home country and the airline didn't accept it because there was no "round" seal like stamp on it. Thank's god a bit of stampink on a coin did its work :bored: ).

Back to the topic, I would ask the agency or airlines you are dealing with, if they and their authority would be happy with such a letter. And for the future start collecting stamps and signatures and stamps and signature...

Have fun:ok:

[zuka]

I've interviewed with 3 airlines in the US and was successful with all the interviews. For each interview I presented my original pen and paper logbook with ink and also an electronic logbook with all hours > 1400 that was really neat and printed out with each page signed. I didn't log anything with pen and paper after 1400 hours. I had about 2500 hours at the time of interview and about 1000 of them were not logged with pen and paper, just printed electronic logbook. They didn't have any problems with this.

How about in Asia? Ever hear of an electronic logbook being accepted in Asia? What if it was stamped?

[typhoonpilot]

Being new to the contract pilot game, I have a question for you old hands out their who make their living flying contracts.

I have an employment package from different contractors, for various assignments in India, SE Asia and Central Asia. They all request copies of the last 2 to 3 logbook pages "signed and stamped by authority".

I keep my time in the little red pocket logs available at most pilot shops. I haven't logged flight time in a Master Logbook in many, many years. First, how does one go about getting his logbook signed and stamped, and by whom would this be done? Secondly, do most of you guys keep time in the pocket logbooks, or is it in a Master Logbook, just for this reason?

Any insight into this would really be appreciated.:confused:

Woodwrecker

A computer printout from your company signed, and preferably stamped, by the chief pilot would do nicely.

At my old major we had a lifetime flight display screen that was very handy for just such a need.

Since most U.S. airlines don't have stamps you can go have one made and do the stamping yourself. :ok: The foreign bureacrat will love that. Just goes to show how meaningless the whole exercise is.


TP