One of the most often asked questions from newly-minted CFIs is: “What do I put in the learner’s logbook?”įAR 61.51-which covers the logging of training time and aeronautical experience-states “the following time should be recorded in a manner acceptable to the Administrator: training and aeronautical experience used to meet requirements for a certificate, rating or flight review, aeronautical experience required for meeting the recent flight experience requirements of this part, date, time, total lesson or flight time, location departed and arrived or if in full flight simulator, flight training device, or aviation training device, as appropriate. “Make the time to fill out, review, and sign the learner’s logbook-even if it makes you late for your next lesson,” he said, because when the lesson is dual, it is the CFI’s responsibility to make sure the logbook is properly filled out and signed.

“Never beyond three years,” he said, then added we should never sign first and have the learner fill in the tasks, because this was akin to giving someone a blank check. Would it be possible for the California CFI to write out the information, sign it and send it to the learner who would then paste it into his logbook? A call was placed to the local DPE to see if this was acceptable-then the most seasoned CFI (30-plus years and counting) warned the less experienced CFIs to be wary of the learners who “forgot” to have the CFI sign their logbook or who ask the CFI to help them recreate their logbook if it went missing. The situation inspired much discussion at the flight school. There was talk of the CFI flying up to Washington or the learner flying down to California to get the necessary signatures. The learner wasn’t sure what to write so he left the lines blank-and then left the state before the CFI could sign. The learner explained that the California CFI was very busy, rushing from one lesson to another everyday, so he instructed the learner to “fill out the logbook,” saying he would sign it later. One page in his logbook had five consecutive blank lines from flights in California that were dual lessons required for completion of the certificate. The learner had recently moved from California to Washington. He was using a paper logbook-and had been doing so for the several years he had been working on his private pilot certificate. The learner was totaling up his logbook for his private pilot check ride.

Filling out pilot logbook