Keep an Accurate Logbook

When you learn to fly, you are required to make a note of your flying hours in a logbook alongside a description of some sort,  in order to have a record of your experience.  This is for both you and the next instructor to see where you’re at.  Invariably at some point or another, many pilots soon give up on keeping their logbook.  After one gets to a certain milestone their personally looking for, logbook keeping seems to fall away. I for one struggle to keep my logbook current, but I always do it. Fortunately, Naviter now offers a logbook that can be set to automatic if you use an Oudie or the Navigator app, which then connects to the cloud. So if you’re one to let your logbook lapse, I think this is a big mistake – but why is it always a good idea to keep your logbook up to date?

• My favourite one first. A logbook allows you to track your development!  Remember, your learning doesn’t stop once you go solo – so you can keep track of your development through a logbook, myself personally through the logbook, but also through my Facebook page ‘Adam Woolley’s Gliding Adventures’.  There I often share a photo or quick video of my day/flight.  Firstly, because I love to share my passion for the sport and my experiences with others, but secondly, because I find it to be the best debrief tool.  One that I can reflect on and learn from my good and poor points of the day as I dissect it piece by piece.
• You can write down in your logbook what you learnt from the day
• The task you flew and the speed achieved
• Climb rates, heights, CU or blue, general conditions
• The forecast vs reality; did you interpret it correctly?
• CG you flew with and what weight you took off at too?
• Mates you flew with
• Competition results, distances flown, highlights
• If you don’t keep a log of your hours, you’ll only ever guess at the amount you have, this is usually an exaggeration or one that favors you at the time. So this is the main and primary reason is to provide an accurate assessment of the hours you have.  I for one want to know how many hours I have when I retire,  not a guess.
• It allows you to accurately log and assess how many hours your personal glider has. If you don’t know how many hours it has, how can one judge when it’s due for a service? Perhaps skipping or simply missing one of these maintenance items, you put yourself, a friend, or a new owner's life in danger.
• Everyone overestimates their hours when it suits them, then on the day the glider is for sale, it suddenly becomes less. When buying a 2^nd hand glider would you trust someone with an accurate logbook or someone who says approximately 1200hrs... I for one, want to know an accurate figure.
• Keeping a track of your flights allows you to review your learnings over time, then plan what you need to do next in order to progress, goals, to help identify strengths and weaknesses.  Keeping this log can help you remember site-specific conditions, so you can be up to speed quicker the next time you fly there.

Have fun with your logbook, it’s yours after all!  You can add pictures, draw on it (maps and synoptics perhaps?).  Looking back on it when you’re 80 will provide such great memories!

Lookout, it’s more fun if you do.

Banner photo by Petr Kolmann

 Adam Woolley was born into the gliding world, being the 3rd generation in his family. Going solo at 15, his thirst for efficiency in soaring flight & quest for a world championship title to his name has never wavered. One big passion is sharing his experiences & joy with other glider pilots all around the world. Adam is an airline pilot in Japan on the B767 & spends his off time chasing summer around the globe. He has now won 7 national Championships & represented Australia at 5 WGC's & 1 EGC.