Subscriber question:
"I just transferred my logbook to an app. Should I also keep updating my paper one?" — Rob B.
Jeff:
“That depends on why you’d be keeping the paper one. Electronic logbooks are fully acceptable to the FAA, including for endorsements when the right conditions are met. Pretty much any major app or software logbook meets those conditions. That means you don’t need a paper logbook for tracking purposes, demonstrating currency, pursuit of higher ratings, reporting to insurance, etc.
What you do need is a backup of your logbook. That could be a digital backup. Just don’t count on a cloud version of your same app for this. It’s unlikely, but if the company is hacked, you could lose your data across all of their systems. Download a copy of your logbook using an export function, or running a report, and saving it. (Tip: sometimes the web interface for a digital logbook is better for this than the one on your phone or tablet.) Store that copy in another cloud location (like Google Drive), or on a local computer or thumb drive. Or even print it out.
Just doing this backup once a year limits the amount of data you could lose. Also, consider filling out a form FAA 8710 with IACRA, and therefore the FAA, when you get a flight review and list all your flight hours. That’s a documented record of at least flight totals.
Your logbook backup could also be … a paper logbook. There’s nothing wrong with keeping your own handwritten copy. Paper logbooks feel great in your hands and tell a story of your flying history in a way digital logbooks never will. Your great-grandkids won’t treasure the family heirloom of your digitized flight hours. But your physical logbook? That’s a different story.”
How do you record your flight hours?