New Logbook

[Bdavide]

Hi everybody!

I'm a FAA CPL pilot and recently I obtained my EASA CPL and ATPL theory.

As an FAA pilot, I used to have one FAA approved logbook, but my european FI told me to switch and take the EASA approved.
Now I bought the EASA one, but I still have some "european-hours" logged inside the FAA's. My instructor suggested me to re-write those hours inside the new logbook.

The problem is that inside my old american logbook there is the stamp of the EASA examiner that attest that I passed the CPL Checkride and of course I cannot re-write the stamp inside the new logbook.

What do you think? Is a smart idea to write those hours inside the new logbook, or maybe it's better to leave like that and start to write down from the next flight?

[SeventhHeaven]

There is no such thing as EASA approved. You could write it on a piece of toilet paper as long as it mentioned all the required details. Format does not matter.

I personally don't use a European logbook - I started another one a long time ago and no CAA has ever objected.

That said: You can start a new logbook and continue from there, or rewrite the old hours in the new logbook and just add a photocopy of the necessary stamps and signatures in the back. Pretty common.

[rudestuff]

Is it really necessary? The main reason for having a separate logbook is the difference in logging PIC time. The people most likely to care are the CAA for licence issue - but you've done that already. I got an EASA CPL issued with my FAA logbook with no problems. You could put an extra column in, or work it out: EASA PIC = Total time - Dual received

[Bdavide]

That's right, there isn't a required format, completely forgot!
Anyway I'm going to switch, as rudestuff said, because of the difference in logging the PIC hours and also because the old logbook is a really great mess: written with blue, red and black pen and full of correction. I need something more "professional".

Anyway thank you for your advice, I'll add a copy of the page with the stamps in the back.

[RTN11]

People get so worried about logbooks, but the truth is that noone actually cares as long as you have the required information written somewhere.

I filled three logbooks, and now I just keep digital one. I originally logged everything to the minute, until one instructor pointed out that decimal is perfectly accepted, so when I started the next page I wrote at the top "from this page on all times are logged in decimal" signed it, and noone cares.

That first logbook is full of crossing outs, tip ex, corrections to bad addition or putting stuff in the wrong column, it's been to the CAA at least a half dozen times over the years what with applications for PPL(A), CPL(A), IR(A), FI(A), Type rating, and ATPL, and it has never been commented on.

Stop worrying so much about which logbook you are using, I would just keep everything in the one place, just so long as you are logging all of the required information.

[Genghis the Engineer]

I agree with RTN.

I've got FAA and EASA licences, and use an old pre-EASA UK commercial logbook that meets none of the current "approved" formats, backed up by my own electronic logbook.

Probably over a hundred various civil, military, UK, EU, US people have had reason to see my logbook. Not one has ever complained about anything but my handwriting.

G