PIREPs and Flight Logs/Journals

[beaky]

What you may not realise, I have recently left a FS Site, (under a cloud!), which ran a very successful, very simple,  on-line .PIREP system for all the Multiplayer Pilots. Logging every Members flight details, which could be read by other Members, and transferred between FS Sites...Very interesting!

That's a great idea. Feel free to set that up anytime...  ;)  ;D

I'm glad you use a proper logbook- and a little embarrassed that I haven't started doing that yet.  

[beaky]

As promised, here's a scan of a page (which is two "leaves") from my RL logbook, for the benefit of those who don't have one, but are curious.

Please bear in mind the following:

I could not make it any bigger here without breaking it up even more, which would make it even harder to understand. If anybody wants a blow-up or deciphering of the Remarks column (which is hard to read sometimes even with the book in hand), I'll be happy to post that.
I am not trying to impress anybody.
I am not saying this is the best, or only way to fill in a logbook.
I am not trying to say this is the best format for a logbook.
This is not intended to look like an airline or military logbook.
I have blurred out some signatures for identity security purposes, because I am uploading this and posting it online. Not hiding anything.
It is black&white because I could not present it in its natural shade of green at this size without busting 100Kb.
Yes, I am aware that "it only takes 40 hours to get your PP", but it took me a lot longer because I am a truly incompetent pilot.



This page represents an interesting period: it starts with me failing my first PP flight test (blew the nav portion), continues with some review and my re-testing of the nav portion of the practical, then my first three flights as PIC with passengers aboard, followed by my first rental checkout as PIC and first solo flight outside my home area, and ends with an hour of aerobatics dual.
Note also that I did not fly at all in 1998, and the 10-month hiatus in 1999... I was wasting what little money I had on stuff like food and rent during those periods.
What's very odd is that I did not remember not flying at all in '98... must be early senility.
Most of the rest of my logbook is pretty dull reading: "Normal pattern ops; short&soft; ground ref. maneuvers, blah blah..."  ;D

Left side:

     

Right side:

[Splinter562]

Yup, that's a real good example on that page because you can see most of the columns have some time in them. I'm not sure if you know this already but here's an explanation of some of the columns that may be confusing.

- Actual / Simulated Instrument: Actual is time you are actually in the soup. It's not whenever you're on an IFR flight plan. Sim is "hood" time, or basically time in visual conditions where you are wearing a device to restrict your vision only to the panel (usually called a hood). You can simulate this in FS by panning down in the 3D cockpit until only the panel is visible, or using one of those nearly full screen instrument panels.

- Flight Simulator: In the real world this is time on an FAA approved flight training device (not just MSFS).

- Cross Country: A trip that is over 50 NM in straight line distance from the base airport (at least in the States that's the rule, not sure about other countries)

- Dual Received: This is time where you are flying with a CFI (Certified Flight Instructor). Notice each of the rows where dual is logged there is (or in this case was) a corresponding signature. The CFI has to sign your log book to certify that the flight instruction was given.

- Pilot In Command (PIC): PIC is time that you are the sole manipulator of controls of that aircraft. Before you are rated in that category & class, you cannon log PIC unless you are on a solo flight. So before getting your private, you cannot log PIC except when soloing. And before you get your multi, you cannot log PIC in a multi. If there are two pilots flying the aircraft, you have to split the time (doesn't necessarily have to be split in half, just distributed so only one is logging PIC at a given time.) There is an exception to this if one of the pilots is a CFI, then both can log PIC. (Depending on where you are and who you talk to, safety pilot time or time when you are flying with someone practicing under the hood can be logged as PIC by both pilots)

[Xyn_Air]

Rotty and Splinter,

A big, heartfelt thank you to you guys.  Both the example log posted and the explanations have really given me a clear picture of where I want to go with my log book.  I hope to start logging my flights this evening after I get home from work (going to be a long day  :'(  ;D ).

If I get a chance later this week (or maybe on the weekend), I will scan in what I have set up (doing it all by hand as I don't have access to any real logbooks at the moment; DIY-style for me) and how I have started filling it out.  Would love to get your input then, as well.

Again, a big thank you!  This is uber helpful! [ch12393][ch12358][ch12418][ch12354][ch12426][ch12364][ch12392][ch12358][ch12372][ch12374][ch12356][ch12414][ch12377][ch12290]Doomo arigatou gozaimasu!

All the best,
~Darrin

[beaky]

- Pilot In Command (PIC): PIC is time that you are the sole manipulator of controls of that aircraft. Before you are rated in that category & class, you cannon log PIC unless you are on a solo flight. So before getting your private, you cannot log PIC except when soloing.

Good expansion on what I presented, but you're wrong on one count:

You will see that my time as a PPASEL applicant on the checkride was logged as PIC... as per the DFE's instruction. I didn't get it either, but that's the rule. The idea there, I guess, is that the DFE is an observer; it's not really an instructional flight (although they sure get paid like it is- ouch!). So the applicant is, in fact, PIC.

[Splinter562]

You are absolutely correct, I forgot about that one. Hopefully that situation only occurs once in a pilot's career (or at least once for each category and class).