Digital aircraft logbook: how to keep it right

Paper logbooks get stained, lost and left in the hangar. A digital copy fixes the practical problems: you can search it, back it up and send the right page to a buyer or a mechanic in seconds.

What a digital logbook is, and what it is not

A digital logbook is an organized, searchable copy of the maintenance history of your aircraft. Whether a digital entry has the same legal standing as the paper original depends on the rules of your country, so keep the original books and confirm with your local aviation authority before relying on a digital record alone.

What every entry should contain

• The date the work was completed.
• A description of the work actually done, not just 'inspection' or 'service'.
• The aircraft's total time at that moment, and the engine and propeller times when they apply.
• Who did the work, with their certificate or license number.
• Parts installed, with part and serial numbers.
• The next due date or hours for that item.
• A photo or scan of the signed page.

Moving paper logbooks to digital, step by step

1. 1Gather every book: airframe, engine and propeller.
2. 2Scan each page flat, in good light and at a readable resolution, in order.
3. 3Name each file by book and date range so it can be found later.
4. 4Type in the key data of each entry (date, times, work, next due) so you can search, not only look at images.
5. 5Check that times only grow. Mark any gap or jump instead of hiding it.
6. 6Keep the originals somewhere safe and dry.

Sharing it with your mechanic or a buyer

A digital logbook pays for itself when someone asks for a record. Instead of photographing pages one by one, you can send the exact entries, or give your mechanic access so work orders and entries stay in one place.