Digital logbook recommendations

This forum has been developed to discuss aviation related topics.

Moderators: sky's the limit, sepia, Sulako, lilfssister, North Shore, I WAS Birddog

Hilroy
Rank 2
Rank 2
Posts: 82
Joined: Sat Aug 25, 2018 3:15 pm
Location: Vancouver, BC

Re: Digital logbook recommendations

Post by Hilroy »

Is there any issues with ATPL application if you only bring the pages of your electronic logbook?
---------- ADS -----------
 
Master of Cessna 172
It has been 0 days since I've almost died in an airplane.
Never trust a student with fuel and oil.
User avatar
Adam Oke
Rank (9)
Rank (9)
Posts: 1317
Joined: Sat Feb 04, 2006 4:30 am
Location: London, Ontario

Re: Digital logbook recommendations

Post by Adam Oke »

Hilroy wrote: Sun May 12, 2019 8:27 pm Is there any issues with ATPL application if you only bring the pages of your electronic logbook?
I printed out my MCCPilotLog (now CrewLounge PilotLog) and spiral bound it to look presentable. Digital signatures on each page. No questions asked.
---------- ADS -----------
 
--Air to Ground Chemical Transfer Technician turned 4 Bar Switch Flicker and Flap Operator--
User avatar
complexintentions
Rank 10
Rank 10
Posts: 2183
Joined: Thu Aug 19, 2004 3:49 pm
Location: of my pants is unknown.

Re: Digital logbook recommendations

Post by complexintentions »

Any good proprietary logbook software will have the option to output your data in a more raw format (ie .csv, comma delimited etc) so the fear of losing your data due to obsolescence is a bit overblown. Excel is great for complex accounting, total overkill for a logbook, and fugly as any other MS product. But it is ubiquitous.

I've been using LogTen Pro forever, but I was given lifetime licenses for the desktop, iPhone and iPad versions after I complained to them about the ridiculous, never-ending upgrade charges. I won't give them money ever again and certainly won't pay inflated subscription charges just to sync my data. So I just record my flight times in the spreadsheet (Apple Numbers/iCloud) I use for each flight (my electronic version of the personal checklists many use) and then transfer the times to the desktop version of LT Pro. Don't bother with the iOS versions of LT at all. A hybrid system I guess you could say, with no ongoing costs. Probably if I was starting from now I'd take a look at MCCPilot or whatever it's called.

Bottom line, unless you're certain you're going to be at the same employer for life get an electronic logbook. Or else be ready to spend crazy amounts of time with a calculator when it comes time to fill in a job application.
---------- ADS -----------
 
I’m still waiting for my white male privilege membership card. Must have gotten lost in the mail.
User avatar
Adam Oke
Rank (9)
Rank (9)
Posts: 1317
Joined: Sat Feb 04, 2006 4:30 am
Location: London, Ontario

Re: Digital logbook recommendations

Post by Adam Oke »

complexintentions wrote: Mon May 13, 2019 7:20 am A hybrid system I guess you could say, with no ongoing costs. Probably if I was starting from now I'd take a look at MCCPilot or whatever it's called.
Unfortunately, MCCPilotLog (now CrewLounge PilotLog) has moved towards a subscription based system. I was able to be grandfathered in with a lifetime subscription, but I think new subscribers are out of luck.
---------- ADS -----------
 
--Air to Ground Chemical Transfer Technician turned 4 Bar Switch Flicker and Flap Operator--
AirDoan
Rank 3
Rank 3
Posts: 130
Joined: Sun Jan 24, 2016 12:33 pm

Re: Digital logbook recommendations

Post by AirDoan »

So, can mcc or LogTen also track duty and flight times for you? I've been using a spreadsheet an old employer was using but it is set up for the old rules.
---------- ADS -----------
 
User avatar
Snowgoose
Rank (9)
Rank (9)
Posts: 1835
Joined: Sun Mar 07, 2004 1:04 pm
Location: Duty Free Shop

Re: Digital logbook recommendations

Post by Snowgoose »

Been using a homemade excel logbook for nearly 20 years. Easy, modifiable and free. Great way to learn excel and VBA. Among other things, I have it print pages which I put into a binder and use an HP sprocket to add pictures to it.

A pilot once said about a logbook, Make it your own, for most it's the only book some people will ever write.

As for flight time limits and duty day, same thing, pretty easy to program. If you have a working one now, even easier to look at the formulas or VBA code to mod it to the new rules. (provided it isn't protected)
---------- ADS -----------
 
It's better to break ground and head into the wind than to break wind and head into the ground.
User avatar
AirFrame
Rank 10
Rank 10
Posts: 2610
Joined: Sun Oct 11, 2009 10:27 pm
Location: Sidney, BC
Contact:

Re: Digital logbook recommendations

Post by AirFrame »

AirDoan wrote: Mon May 13, 2019 1:42 pm So, can mcc or LogTen also track duty and flight times for you? I've been using a spreadsheet an old employer was using but it is set up for the old rules.
If it's a spreadsheet, you can probably edit the formulas in the spreadsheet to check the new rules.
---------- ADS -----------
 
J31
Rank (9)
Rank (9)
Posts: 1233
Joined: Thu Feb 26, 2004 7:21 am

Re: Digital logbook recommendations

Post by J31 »

How is CrewLounge PilotLog (Formerly MCCPilotLog) work for folks? is it worth the subscription fee's?
---------- ADS -----------
 
TSAM
Rank 2
Rank 2
Posts: 98
Joined: Tue Sep 18, 2018 5:11 pm

Re: Digital logbook recommendations

Post by TSAM »

.
---------- ADS -----------
 
Last edited by TSAM on Wed Apr 08, 2020 3:53 pm, edited 1 time in total.
notwhoyouthinkIam
Rank 7
Rank 7
Posts: 514
Joined: Wed Mar 04, 2020 9:49 am

Re: Digital logbook recommendations

Post by notwhoyouthinkIam »

With all of the time off that I am expecting in the next few months, I am looking at a project to keep me busy.

I was thinking of an online logbook.

What features would you guys like to see in an online logbook?
---------- ADS -----------
 
User avatar
AirFrame
Rank 10
Rank 10
Posts: 2610
Joined: Sun Oct 11, 2009 10:27 pm
Location: Sidney, BC
Contact:

Re: Digital logbook recommendations

Post by AirFrame »

notwhoyouthinkIam wrote: Mon Mar 16, 2020 8:17 pmWhat features would you guys like to see in an online logbook?
1. Free. No cost, ever.
2. Open. No restriction on exporting the data to a standard format (csv, xls, ods)
3. Eternal. The website should be there for the rest of my flying career.
---------- ADS -----------
 
broken_slinky
Rank 4
Rank 4
Posts: 266
Joined: Wed Aug 29, 2018 5:48 am

Re: Digital logbook recommendations

Post by broken_slinky »

AirFrame wrote: Tue Mar 17, 2020 6:37 am
notwhoyouthinkIam wrote: Mon Mar 16, 2020 8:17 pmWhat features would you guys like to see in an online logbook?
1. Free. No cost, ever.
2. Open. No restriction on exporting the data to a standard format (csv, xls, ods)
3. Eternal. The website should be there for the rest of my flying career.
:D LOL, that's the perfect business model to use to develop software. I want it to automatically pull the flights from FlightAware and FlightRadar24 and calculate my hours for me. Pulling the LiveATC feeds would be good too. Always nice to hear myself on the radio. It should archive the data by airport, alphabetically and by date sequentially. It should work offline as well. Perhaps updating all my devices via Bluetooth? Oh and be available to hear our complaints 24/7 if there's even the slightest glitch.

As for myself, I just use an Excel spreadsheet and have it saved to Dropbox and OneDrive.
---------- ADS -----------
 
f70d40
Rank 0
Rank 0
Posts: 10
Joined: Wed Jan 29, 2020 3:04 pm

Re: Digital logbook recommendations

Post by f70d40 »

.
---------- ADS -----------
 
Last edited by f70d40 on Tue May 23, 2023 7:51 pm, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
Adam Oke
Rank (9)
Rank (9)
Posts: 1317
Joined: Sat Feb 04, 2006 4:30 am
Location: London, Ontario

Re: Digital logbook recommendations

Post by Adam Oke »

J31 wrote: Sun Mar 15, 2020 10:04 am How is CrewLounge PilotLog (Formerly MCCPilotLog) work for folks? is it worth the subscription fee's?
It was a painful year of weekly updates, tickets, and issues. I think I can safely say that CrewLounge PilotLog is finally a good product once again. I've also been playing with CrewConnect as a RosterBuster competitor and I'm please with that app as well.
---------- ADS -----------
 
--Air to Ground Chemical Transfer Technician turned 4 Bar Switch Flicker and Flap Operator--
Scuderia
Rank 3
Rank 3
Posts: 131
Joined: Sun Dec 06, 2015 3:27 pm

Re: Digital logbook recommendations

Post by Scuderia »

broken_slinky wrote: Tue Mar 17, 2020 6:50 am :D LOL, that's the perfect business model to use to develop software. I want it to automatically pull the flights from FlightAware and FlightRadar24 and calculate my hours for me. Pulling the LiveATC feeds would be good too. Always nice to hear myself on the radio. It should archive the data by airport, alphabetically and by date sequentially. It should work offline as well. Perhaps updating all my devices via Bluetooth? Oh and be available to hear our complaints 24/7 if there's even the slightest glitch.

Completely within the realm of possibility despite your pessimism... you might be surprised to see the innovation and level of community contributions and upkeep in the opensource field.
---------- ADS -----------
 
User avatar
AirFrame
Rank 10
Rank 10
Posts: 2610
Joined: Sun Oct 11, 2009 10:27 pm
Location: Sidney, BC
Contact:

Re: Digital logbook recommendations

Post by AirFrame »

broken_slinky wrote: Tue Mar 17, 2020 6:50 am :D LOL that's the perfect business model to use to develop software. I want it to automatically pull the flights from FlightAware and FlightRadar24 and calculate my hours for me. Pulling the LiveATC feeds would be good too. Always nice to hear myself on the radio. It should archive the data by airport, alphabetically and by date sequentially. It should work offline as well. Perhaps updating all my devices via Bluetooth? Oh and be available to hear our complaints 24/7 if there's even the slightest glitch.
Well that was kind of my point. Given you can do all of the things I listed with a spreadsheet, there's no reason to stop using a spreadsheet.

That said, as someone else pointed out, everything you describe is possible today. The problem with any of those features is just as you get them all working, flightaware, flightradar, liveatc, etc. will make some change to their API and bork your entire package. So a software company will need to support it forever to keep it working for someone's entire career.

Much better is to spend a little time learning how to use Excel (or LibreOffice, which I use, or Google Sheets) and make your own that meets all of your needs.
---------- ADS -----------
 
User avatar
privateer
Rank 7
Rank 7
Posts: 507
Joined: Sat Jul 23, 2005 10:49 am

Re: Digital logbook recommendations

Post by privateer »

Does anybody have a code for Excel/Numbers for a logbook? I am not very good at it.
---------- ADS -----------
 
broken_slinky
Rank 4
Rank 4
Posts: 266
Joined: Wed Aug 29, 2018 5:48 am

Re: Digital logbook recommendations

Post by broken_slinky »

privateer wrote: Wed Mar 18, 2020 6:28 pm Does anybody have a code for Excel/Numbers for a logbook? I am not very good at it.
Shoot me a private with your email and I can send you a copy of mine.
---------- ADS -----------
 
broken_slinky
Rank 4
Rank 4
Posts: 266
Joined: Wed Aug 29, 2018 5:48 am

Re: Digital logbook recommendations

Post by broken_slinky »

AirFrame wrote: Wed Mar 18, 2020 6:54 am Well that was kind of my point. Given you can do all of the things I listed with a spreadsheet, there's no reason to stop using a spreadsheet.

That said, as someone else pointed out, everything you describe is possible today. The problem with any of those features is just as you get them all working, flightaware, flightradar, liveatc, etc. will make some change to their API and bork your entire package. So a software company will need to support it forever to keep it working for someone's entire career.

Much better is to spend a little time learning how to use Excel (or LibreOffice, which I use, or Google Sheets) and make your own that meets all of your needs.
Exactly. Then the data is in your possession and yours to manipulate as you need.
---------- ADS -----------
 
User avatar
AirFrame
Rank 10
Rank 10
Posts: 2610
Joined: Sun Oct 11, 2009 10:27 pm
Location: Sidney, BC
Contact:

Re: Digital logbook recommendations

Post by AirFrame »

privateer wrote: Wed Mar 18, 2020 6:28 pm Does anybody have a code for Excel/Numbers for a logbook? I am not very good at it.
Send me your email in a Private Message and i'll send you mine. I have a copy with my content removed and some dummy content in there so you can see how it works.
---------- ADS -----------
 
Post Reply

Return to “General Comments”