Do I need a logbook ?
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Joined: Feb 2000
Aviation Qualifications: CPL
Posts: 14,480
Likes: 178
From: UK
The main spreadsheet has three pages: logbook, calculations, and summary.
Logbook page looks, well, rather like a logbook. First columns are Date (hidden column turning that into a digital date), type, reg, generic type (useful as I'm not interested in hours in C172Ns, but I am interested in time in C172s), PiC, Other seat, from, to, details, take-offs, landings, approaches, departure time (hh:mm format), arrival time (ditto), hidden column calculating flight time as a decimal, visible columns showing hours and minutes separately (just works better that way in Excel), Then I have multiple columns for the usual totals - and in Excel you can obviously have as many as you want, rather than the limitations of your paper logbook. In my case, my paper logbook has 12 columns but my electronic logbook has 20 - it's useful to keep track of things like FAA X-country and high performance time, but no need to clutter up my main logbook with it.
I find that having values in the columns as hours to 3 decimal places works well as you get no rounding errors, totals are all automated at the top of the page with a simple formula to turn that n.nnn hours to hours and minutes. Select all of that as a formatted "print area" to make it easy to print out. To the right I have various automated columns that keep track of things like Cessna hours, single seat hours, vintage taildragger hours as I occasionally get asked these things and it doesn't need to be visible in the main body.
Second page is calculations - it works out things like hours on each generic type, approaches in the last 182 days for my FAA IR, take-offs and landings in the last 90 days... That isn't visible to anybody but me and is happily scruffy but functional.
Third page is formatted as a 1 page of A4 to be printed out as a full logbook summary. From it you have "at a glance" hours in my main types, classes, and roles (e.g. instructor, tailwheel, single seaters, Piper singles), Separate FAA and EASA totals as they reckon things differently, dates of my medical, CofV, BFRs, rating expiries, visa and vaccination expiries with it automated to turn dates running out in the next 3 months orange, and expired red. A couple of boxes with manually updated / entered information like aeroplanes I've flown first flights on, licence numbers and ratings, dates of exam passes, ejector seat time - stuff that belongs in a flying CV (which in effect that page is) but not in the main tabulated logbook part. Essentially everything there
Thing is, create something simple that works, start populating it, then start complicating it with the stuff that matters to you. But a good robust basic structure from the start helps a lot. Use Excel's automation as much as you can.so that ideally you just enter data and it all ripples through - and can tweak the code from time to time when you want it to work out something new.
G
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 1,014
Likes: 1
From: England
I have a paper logbook as primary, and electronic (written by me in Excel as none of the commercial products suited my personal needs) as secondary. When I need to send anything to the CAA, they get a printout of the Excel logbook (printed on A3 it works out about 100hrs per side of paper), with my signature on the first and last pages stating "I certify that this is a true copy of my original logbook". I then shred the printout once they've sent it back with my licence.
They've always accepted it. The Excel logbook is backed up to two different places automatically as part of my normal data backup.
G
They've always accepted it. The Excel logbook is backed up to two different places automatically as part of my normal data backup.
G
Moderator
Joined: Feb 2000
Aviation Qualifications: CPL
Posts: 14,480
Likes: 178
From: UK
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 1,014
Likes: 1
From: England
Well , it took 2 months. Now it's done, just about to send it off to the CAA to test your theory...
As you say it was a satisfying experience and going forward I'm tempted just to stick with Excel. The paper logbook seems quite dated by comparison. Thanks for the tips.
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 1,014
Likes: 1
From: England
Joined: Apr 2009
Aviation Qualifications: ATPL
Posts: 1,482
Likes: 489
From: A place in the sun
Not only is it a legal requirement, but it is useful in later life. I have been writing, in my old age, stories about various aviation experiences and have found old log books invaluable to jog the memory. Unfortunately, after several house moves and between countries too, I have lost two of them and miss most dreadfully the dates, times and notes therein.
