Log Book

Log Book:

All pilots, at all times, record every flight they take in their log book. Log books tally flight hours, but they are also used to keep track of where the pilot flew, and sometimes other information. Data from the log book is used whenever a pilot applies for a new F.A.A. certificate such as an Instrument Rating, a Commercial Rating, or a Flight Instructor Rating. The F.A.A. needs to know how many hours, for example, were spent in Night takeoffs and landings, if a pilot wants to be certified for night flying.

When my husband got his pilot's license 39 years ago, he used a standard Log Book such as the one below. It's a walk down memory lane when he gets it out and looks at all the time he's spent flying, and where he's gone.

But these days, instead of an old-fashioned book, he uses an electronic one, an app on his IPad. He has now clocked about 2700 hours of flight. About half of those hours, I have accompanied him!

Have you ever looked at a pilot's log book? If you inherited one that belonged to a relative or friend, don't throw it away! Log books are very special. They are akin to personal diaries.