Logbook entries and signoff

[AWC]

I have 2 questions that are bothering me...

First off, I have not updated my logbook in a while now (probably since mid-August, although I do have the records, I just need to put them in the book). Therefore when I finally do update it this weekend I will more than likely have a few (or more) log entries that are out of order. Will that be a major issue or not? And if so, should I just buy a new logbook and rewrite everything in order?

Secondly, I keep reading online and from other people that they have their logbooks signed by their instructors, and that they also get it signed after getting their PPL. My instructor never signed my logbook anywhere; not for my solo flights, nor for my flight test. Therefore there's nothing apart from my own comment that says I did my first solo and that I past my flight test and such. What should I do? I am currently working on my night rating and the hours are taken from my logbook, so I want to have everything in order before I really get myself into a black hole. I had around 73 hours at the time I got my PPL (including some missing log entries), and I have flown another 13 hours since.

I am starting to freak out and I don't know if this is a huge deal or if I am being over-dramatic for a simple rectification.

P.S. I have all the missing flight times at my disposal (minus what each flight was exactly for, i.e. what exercise each flight was)

Also, for PPL instrument training, do I log that as instrument or still normal VFR, and does that PPL instrument time count towards CPL and ATPL licenses?

[photofly]

You’re being over dramatic. There’s no need to have logbooks countersigned. It’s *your* personal log and you are the one that keeps it.

The only time someone else should lay a pen to your logbook is the endorsement by an instructor required to meet the recency requirements after a five year or longer absence from flying.

If you have a few missing entries, my advice is to add them on the next blank line(s), date them correctly, and add an asterisk’d note on the page where they should have been recorded, so that anyone who needs to look at a flight on that day knows to refer forward.

Nothing says me credibility to me more than a neat and legible logbook where a few errors are corrected with tidy crossing out and inevitable omissions are fixed as soon as they are noticed in a clear and transparent way.

Mind you, who cares what I think.

[ahramin]

You're not going to have any issues with not having signatures in your logbook. I don't have any in mine and it's almost never been a problem.

Aside from the issue of aspiring to have a licence that allows you to be in command of an aircraft with over 500 persons on board without being organized enough to record the progress towards that licence, I don't know of any CAR that requires the entries in your personal log to be in order but it does look pretty bad. Again shouldn't be a problem unless your record keeping comes into question (which seems distinctly possible), in which case it reduces the credibility of your logbook. If you apply for a CPL with just the minimum requirements, I would expect it will delay the application and could lead to requirements to prove the hours in your logbook with other records. If you apply with way more than the minimum requirements, I'd be surprised if it mattered in the least.

As for logging instrument time, it's an endless discussion on here and TC does not seem interested in clarifying. Any dual instrument training should be logged as such, and instrument times required for any licence or rating are total, not extra since a particular licence.

[AWC]

Thank you very much for the responses! *breathes again*

I knew from the start that not being careful would not be a good idea, and I even started with having an Excel sheet to log everything during the progress of my PPL, including exercise, cost, personal comments etc... But when I forgot one day, then it became 2, then 3 and on and on. Obviously when I get myself back up-to-date in the book I'll learn from this experience and hopefully this won't happen again. And just to clarify, I just got my PPL signed off on Sept 11 (and finally got the damn thing in mail yesterday). I'm now flying at MRU and thus training goes by fast; I'm already 1/2 way through the process of getting my night rating. Hence why I'm already concerned with CPL and ATPL stuff.

So if I understand correctly, my personal logbook doesn't need any signature to say I got my PPL, and thus I'm assuming that's also the case for different ratings (night VFR, instrument, twin/multi etc...)?

[AWC]

And I'll probably end up buying a new logbook and rewrite everything in order when I do apply for an interview (of course I'll keep the old one), just to really make sure everything is crystal clear.

[jg24]

And I'll probably end up buying a new logbook and rewrite everything in order when I do apply for an interview (of course I'll keep the old one), just to really make sure everything is crystal clear.

That's what I did. Upon completing all my training, I rewrote a new clean logbook as my 'interview' logbook. I still keep my old one up to date, it's just nowhere near as clean as the bottom of my shoe. I just do so for a backup. I'll probably stop in the near future.

When I rewrote my new logbook, I also created a digital online logbook. Much easier before I started accumulating hours and flying every day. Filling out a new logbook is tiring, better doing so at 200-250hrs rather than 500 hrs. I highly suggest you start a digital logbook soon, it's equally tiring inputting data for all those flights. A few people I know just wrote one line with all their hours to start off (for their digital logbook) instead of separating all individual flights.

[photofly]

Also, for PPL instrument training, do I log that as instrument or still normal VFR, and does that PPL instrument time count towards CPL and ATPL licenses?

You don’t log VFR time. You log time, and if it was instrument time log it additionally as one of hood (simulated), ground (approved FTD) or actual (when you were in IMC).

[co-joe]

Time to switch to an electronic logbook.

As for getting it signed off, I had a CFI tell me that his 200 hour students that were getting interviews with Jazz needed their logbooks signed off. Just once, by the chief flying instructor or heck even by whoever takes your money at the front desk. Anyone who can certify that the entries in your logbook are the same as those in the aircraft journey log. Most schools and companies have a stamp that they do and then just sign.

[ahramin]

I wonder what happens at a Jazz interview when you didn't go to a school. Do they want to see your journey log entries and then sign your book themselves?