Excel Logbook
Thread Starter
Excel Logbook
Here's a (free) Excel spreadsheet you can use as an electronic logbook.
Its designed from the Australian requirements, but probably best for low-time pilots, otherwise simply entering every flight you've ever made would be too time consuming to be worth it.
Australian VFR Logbook
Its designed from the Australian requirements, but probably best for low-time pilots, otherwise simply entering every flight you've ever made would be too time consuming to be worth it.
Australian VFR Logbook
Before I try it out I thought I'd check CASA's requirements.
Reg 5.51 tells me that I need a suitable log book and the CASA website states:
"A log book consists of a number of pages permanently bound together in such a way that pages may not be replaced or removed;
An electronic record is not acceptable as a log book, however, a computer printout bound together in the form of a log book and maintained up to date is acceptable;"
My whole life is becoming electronic. I see no reason to print the Excel spreadsheet on paper after every entry and have it bound. So, my interpretation of a suitable logbook maybe differs from CASA's. I checked my dictionary for definition of "page" - yes, that can be electronic. "Bound" can work electronically as well.
Just having a problem with the next requirement:
"All manual entries to the log book must be made in permanent ink;" If I make a manual entry to an electronic logbook, how do I do it in permanent ink?
Reg 5.51 tells me that I need a suitable log book and the CASA website states:
"A log book consists of a number of pages permanently bound together in such a way that pages may not be replaced or removed;
An electronic record is not acceptable as a log book, however, a computer printout bound together in the form of a log book and maintained up to date is acceptable;"
My whole life is becoming electronic. I see no reason to print the Excel spreadsheet on paper after every entry and have it bound. So, my interpretation of a suitable logbook maybe differs from CASA's. I checked my dictionary for definition of "page" - yes, that can be electronic. "Bound" can work electronically as well.
Just having a problem with the next requirement:
"All manual entries to the log book must be made in permanent ink;" If I make a manual entry to an electronic logbook, how do I do it in permanent ink?
Thread Starter
I use this as an electronic logbook, but only for my own reference. I see no reason to stop using my paper logbook, so I fill out both.
Some people might complain about wasting time doing things twice - fair enough. For me, I dont see it as too great a hardship entering things in two logbooks. If you feel strongly about it one way or the other, remember its your choice to use electronic logbooks or not. My 'real' logbook is still my paper one, and shall remain so for the forseeable future.
And on 'permanent ink', I would question that an entry into an electronic logbook is a manual entry. You instruct the computer to make the entry (by typing), and the entry appears automatically in the logbook. So, because its not a manual entry, it doesnt need to be permanent ink.
(thinking of white-out on the monitor...)
Some people might complain about wasting time doing things twice - fair enough. For me, I dont see it as too great a hardship entering things in two logbooks. If you feel strongly about it one way or the other, remember its your choice to use electronic logbooks or not. My 'real' logbook is still my paper one, and shall remain so for the forseeable future.
And on 'permanent ink', I would question that an entry into an electronic logbook is a manual entry. You instruct the computer to make the entry (by typing), and the entry appears automatically in the logbook. So, because its not a manual entry, it doesnt need to be permanent ink.
(thinking of white-out on the monitor...)
.. you stirring the pot again, Dave ?
Where possible I want the rules to spell out the outcome to be achieved and not be excessively prescriptive.
Just read a letter in today's Herald-Sun.
"...many more people are dying as a result of medical errors...I rose to deputy director and there was no assessment of my visual disability or formal performance review. This, despite what I subsequently discovered were concerns of the nursing and medical staff, including my boss." I know who needs logbooks. I know which profession could benefit from CASA's efforts.
Thanks for the logbook, Lasiorhinus, I'll trial it. I'll do more research on CASA's requirements i.e. what they have written on paper signed by some-one in authority, not just words on a website.
I can keep my logbook on a Yahoo server so that I can have access from anywhere. Backed up to my PC often so I don't lose my records. All the stamps, signed endorsements etc I'll scan in and dump into the Excel worksheet - originals kept safe somewhere rather than in my logbook which falls into the hands of other people on a regular basis. Perhaps CASA could provide a server for us all to keep our logbooks online. They could print a paper copy of everything every day and everyone would be happy.
Thread Starter
VRB03 - Should be easy enough to modify that sheet to include duty times. I'd be happy to play around with it and fit it in, but I'm sadly not at a stage in my flying where duty times have much of a meaning to me.
Let me know (by PM if you prefer) what you need the thing to actually keep track of, and what it needs to look out for, and I'll see what I can do.
Let me know (by PM if you prefer) what you need the thing to actually keep track of, and what it needs to look out for, and I'll see what I can do.
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Sydney, Australia
Posts: 101
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Lasiorhinus,
Thanks for the offer but got it all sorted. Electronic Logbook and Duty time spreadsheet available from a very generous individual at:
http://www.users.bigpond.com/pairlawrie/
Thanks for the offer but got it all sorted. Electronic Logbook and Duty time spreadsheet available from a very generous individual at:
http://www.users.bigpond.com/pairlawrie/
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: The cloud
Posts: 409
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
logbooks
In actual fact boys and girls, that excel spreadsheet is not legal until you print it out. then there is no problem it meets all the requirements, but has to be hard copy. And as you need to hold a log book as long as you hold your licence it is a good idea.
If you lose a logbook CASA will only credit you to your last rating, I.e maybe you have 1000 hours and your last rating was CPL you now have only 150 hours as far as they will credit you, any more and you have now falsified your log book. excel spreadsheet suddenly seems a logical.
adjust it accordingly to show when renewels are due, or how many hours left until ATPL or command on type etc...
If you lose a logbook CASA will only credit you to your last rating, I.e maybe you have 1000 hours and your last rating was CPL you now have only 150 hours as far as they will credit you, any more and you have now falsified your log book. excel spreadsheet suddenly seems a logical.
adjust it accordingly to show when renewels are due, or how many hours left until ATPL or command on type etc...
Join Date: May 2002
Location: .
Posts: 74
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Laziorhinus,
Just a question about that excel spreadsheet...
What I'm, particularly interested in as a spreadsheet that adds up flight time for each aircraft type. What I've found is that this has worked for about 30 entries I've made, but then stopped working. I notice that flight times for the selected types have been added up when the column in question has a bold lines running down both sides.
For some reason when I got the bottom of the cells with the bold lines, and I entered more flights, the formatting (i.e. bold lines) did not continue.
You follow? Any ideas anyone?
Thanks,
[email protected]
Just a question about that excel spreadsheet...
What I'm, particularly interested in as a spreadsheet that adds up flight time for each aircraft type. What I've found is that this has worked for about 30 entries I've made, but then stopped working. I notice that flight times for the selected types have been added up when the column in question has a bold lines running down both sides.
For some reason when I got the bottom of the cells with the bold lines, and I entered more flights, the formatting (i.e. bold lines) did not continue.
You follow? Any ideas anyone?
Thanks,
[email protected]
Thread Starter
I dont know.. I put in about 100 lines so far and its worked well for me...
Did you email the author?
The sheet uses arrays, which I thought were around a thousand rows deep, but maybe theres something else at work there...
Did you email the author?
The sheet uses arrays, which I thought were around a thousand rows deep, but maybe theres something else at work there...
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: New Zealand
Age: 62
Posts: 98
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Why not operate the manual logbook with the spreadsheet as a backup?
Keeping a copy on disk in another location covers you for a number of unpredictable situations.(House fire, computer meltdown, etc.)
Losing a logbook without a backup is devastating.
Keeping a copy on disk in another location covers you for a number of unpredictable situations.(House fire, computer meltdown, etc.)
Losing a logbook without a backup is devastating.
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: Oz
Posts: 4
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I contacted a book binder in Adelaide on this very problem.
He advised that he could bind and provide the binder for the "pages must be permanently bound and not removeable" CASA requirement. A leather binder was available also.
After the initial binding you would need to send it back every year with a years worth of pages for binding - not what I consider an ideal situation.
I have not progressed any further than the phone call. But as my handwriting is resembling scrawl these days; this could be a possibility. (I didn't ask a price at the time)
will post if any further progress
He advised that he could bind and provide the binder for the "pages must be permanently bound and not removeable" CASA requirement. A leather binder was available also.
After the initial binding you would need to send it back every year with a years worth of pages for binding - not what I consider an ideal situation.
I have not progressed any further than the phone call. But as my handwriting is resembling scrawl these days; this could be a possibility. (I didn't ask a price at the time)
will post if any further progress
Not sure, Rob. How strong is the binding? I tested one of my old CASA log books tonight and managed to tear out one of the pages, didn't meet the "not removeable" requirement".
