How or When to fill out a log book?

6 Answers

1. Best Answer
   
   

   
   

   Paul Tocknell on Feb 27, 2011

   Usually, your logbook is filled out directly after the flight.  The flight instructor will usually fill in the entries for you.   

   During primary training, here are the columns that will be filled in.  I also included some sample entries.

   Date: 1-27  (the year is usually located in the column header)

   Aircraft Type: “C152”

   Aircraft Ident: “N5224P”

   From: MGY (aircraft identification code departed)

   To: MGY (aircraft identification code arrived)

   Remarks and Endorsements: “Slow Flight, Stalls, X-wind landings. CFI Signature. CFI Certificate and Expiration Date”  

   NR LDG: Number of Landings “3”

   Aircraft Single Engine Land: “1.2”   This is where the flight time is recorded by aircraft class.  If it was a multi-engine airplane, the the flight time would be entered under multi-engine land or other appropriate columns.

   Dual Received: “1.2”  The flight time spent with an instructor

   Total Duration of Flight: “1.2”  The flight time is recorded here as well

   Again, your flight instructor will generally fill this out for you and hopefully explain the different columns and his remarks.   Once you begin soloing, your instructor will encourage you to fill out it yourself so that you begin feeling comfortable with the entries.

    

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2. 
   

   
   

   John D. Collins on Feb 27, 2011

   Ditto on what Paul answered.

    

   Normally your instructor will fill out your logbook when instruction is being given.  In the case of a Young Eagles flight, the person providing the flight may not be an instructor. Since you are not currently a pilot, the flight time will not count towards any pilot certificate experience requirement unless the pilot was an instructor and endorsed the flight as instruction, in which case he/she will make the logbook entry.  This is not likely to be the case, but I would still record the flight in the logbook as it is an important flight to remember.  I would enter the date, aircraft make and model, the aircraft ID (N number), where the flight took place, and in the remarks section put the name of the pilot and note that it was a Young Eagles flight. I would not fill in any of the other columns with the possible exception of the flight duration, although even this information could be included in the remarks section. 

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3. 
   

   
   

   James MacGregor CFI on Feb 28, 2011

   Paul’s got it. Keep in mind some have more columns than others and different layouts.
    
    As for the when, after each flight, best to keep up on it so you dont forget to log a flight, also remember to tally up your totally right when you fill up a page. One of my pet peeves with my guys is they dont tally up their pages untill I hound them for a few days lol

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4. 
   

   
   

   Matthew Waugh on Mar 05, 2011

   I’m with John – you should log your Young Eagles flight, even though it is of no use in moving you towards a rating.
    
   I’m guessing that the group running your Young Eagles event decided not to fill out your logbook because there was a violent discussion among the group with doubtless many heavy objects thrown and no end of people no longer speaking to each other. At one extreme would be the people who say you shouldn’t log it because it doesn’t count as PIC time for when you go to an airline interview, and the other extreme would be the long haired, tail dragger flying instructors who think you should log any time you think about flying in the shower as Ground Instruction.
    
   I kid because I love 🙂

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5. 
   

   
   

   Thomas Vaillencourt on Mar 08, 2011

   As we all have our own preferances as to how and when to fill out a flight log, many pilots (most actually) will log EVERY flight of which they are at the controls for any portion of the flight. Just be sure to only log actual time at the controls, and to only fill in dual time when actually on an instructional flight with a CERTIFICATED INSTRUCTOR.
   For your reference the F.A.A. spells out what flight time MUST be logged, and how it should be done in the FAR AIM.  (14CFR 61.51)
    

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6. 
   

   
   

   Ron on Aug 10, 2014

   When is simulator time allowed to be logged? Is it only logable when I am being instructed in an instrument rating or when maintaining instrument rating currency? … and when overseen by a CFI?

   Thanks for your response.

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