By Mason Ross
As pilots, we have to keep records of our flying experience “in a manner acceptable to the Administrator”. The FAA has outlined these requirements in § 14 CFR 61.51: Pilot logbooks.
The Oxford Dictionary defines a logbook as “an official record of events during the voyage of a ship or aircraft.” If a record is to be official, it must be accurate. Your pilot logbook should reflect a high degree of precision in every entry.
At a minimum, you must log any training or aeronautical experience used to meet the requirements for a certificate or rating, as well as experience needed to maintain recency of your pilot privileges. In other words, any flight time toward earning a new certificate or rating, or maintaining currency, must be recorded.
Even if a flight is not used toward either of the above purposes, you must still log the date, total flight time, departure and arrival locations, aircraft type and identification, and the name of a safety pilot if you have one onboard.
You also need to document the type of pilot experience or training received, such as solo, pilot-in-command, second-in-command, and flight or ground instruction from an authorized instructor. Include the aircraft category and class, as well as flight conditions: day, night, simulated instrument, or actual instrument.
Most logbooks have dedicated columns for these times and a remarks section. While the FAA provides little guidance on remarks (the word does not even appear in § 14 CFR 61.51), an instructor should use this space to list specific maneuvers, procedures, takeoffs, and landings, along with their signature, CFI number, and expiration date. If the training is being used to meet a specific requirement, flag that page and highlight the entry.
For personal flights, remarks are at your discretion, but detail is valuable. Did you use the flight for currency? Where did you go? Visit a new airport? Carry a passenger? Spot something interesting during the flight? Be specific!
However, the details of your logbook’s remarks section are not the only space where accurate information is needed. The actual flight times must also be correct and totaled properly in their respective columns. Most logbooks have the following column arrangement: ddate, make and model of aircraft, identification number, route, category and class designation, instruction received, pilot-in-command, second-in-command, ground trainer, day, night, cross-country, actual instrument, simulated instrument, instrument approaches, number of day/night landings, total flight time, and then space for the remarks.
This can all be a bit overwhelming at first, but to keep things accurate, remember these five “golden rules”.
- Each line of your logbook must be written in ink, not pencil. This ensures entries cannot be erased or altered once they are recorded (and signed by your instructor, if needed).
- Each column’s times must be totaled accurately and written at the bottom of the page. (These can be in pencil, since math errors are common.)
- Your day and nighttime totals, when added together, must equal the total in your flight time column.
- If you make an error in an individual entry, do not use whiteout or greenout. Instead, make a single-line strikethrough, place your initials next to it, and add a correction line if necessary. This keeps the log neat and avoids suspicion about what was covered up.
- Once a page is complete, sign it in the space provided. This certifies that all the information on that page is true and accurate.
“Blank Space” may be the title of a great Taylor Swift song, but it’s not something you want in your logbook. With these tips, you can ensure your hard-earned flight hours are recorded accurately and have minimal issues keeping track of your aviation journey.