Every Pilot Should Take 5 Min For This (You’ll Thank Yourself!)

Take a moment to digitally back up your pilot logbook, but don't miss the deeper lesson we can take from scanning through our logbook for a few minutes. I hope this video encourages you in your aviation journey. Please leave a comment to encourage a fellow aviator and share how patience and perseverance wins the day!

Video Chapters:
0:00 - Take 5 Minutes for This!
0:15 - Steps 1-3
1:05 - #3 Reason to Do This
1:38 - #2 Reason to Do This
2:48 - #1 Reason to Do This
4:25 - My Encouragement to You
5:43 - How You Can Encourage Someone in the Next 30 Seconds

[robertbriggs]

Charlie, Morning! Another insightful video. After 52 flying years, 19, 300+ hours and 13 logbooks of various sizes these paper records serve as a DIARY of memories accumulated in the sky. Nothing matches the 'book' of triumphs, lessons learned and signatures of those with whom I've been privileged to share the journey! Memphis CHEERS!

[PilotJourneyPNW]

I have one entry in my log book so far! 😁 But more to come! Yeah, I'm going to stick to my paper old fashioned log book for now.

I appreciate the encouragement and the unique tips you share in this and the other videos!

[AirplaneAcademy]

I'm learning that my actions need to be evaluated on a daily or weekly basis but the outcomes need to be evaluated more in months and years (and not minutes or hours). i.e. did I do the things today or this week that are leading to the things I want over the long haul? And not have a shorter time horizon than that. It's really hard in a day and age when everything is so instant... but the best things in life are things that happen over the course of time (relationships, goals, personal growth, etc.). Funny how a quick exercise of numbering my logbook can lead to some deep reflections. Thanks for watching!

[Rogueaviation]

Last century, when I was looking for colleges, I got into a flying school in Colorado. Chronic knee problems closed the door on that. I went to a civilian flight school in the early 2000s and got my COM and CFI shortly thereafter. I got picked up by the FAA for a controller spot in 2007. I'm getting back into flying with my CFI-I check ride coming up in a month or so, hopefully.

It's been a fun and challenging trip in aviation for me. I hope this video encourages others, it's got a great message. 👍👍👍

[six_twentythree]

Great idea. I'm a student pilot (just waiting for my PPL checkride!) and I've been using both a paper logbook and duplicating it in ForeFlight simultaneously. I think the extra step of taking pictures of the paper one is a great idea. I take pictures of the airplane (and maybe sneak a few while flying) that I always attach to my ForeFlight entries so I can remember it better. I really like your point about the best things in life not being instant. So true!

[jobsavage]

I use Safelog as an online logbook. Often times when getting added to other people’s insurance policies you’ll be asked how much radial, tailwheel, retract, etc time you have. Safelog categorizes everything to the extreme and makes it really easy to find times for specific types of airplanes. Safelog also goes to the cloud so I can use it on various devices. I also recommend adding additional columns to your logbook if your logbook provides space. I have a separate column for tailwheel time.

[johnopalko]

I think my favorite logbook entry is one for an hour of dual I got shortly after earning my Private certificate. The Remarks section reads, "Stalls, Spins." That was a fun flight!

[joemalpass]

Got my PPL yesterday. Took a looong time fitting it in between other responsibilities (no kids when I started, have two now). About 100 hours, lots of logbook pages - will definitely be numbering them! Glad to have finally "arrived" and get to just fly for the fun of it for a while now. I've enjoyed many of your vids along the way, thanks for the encouragement.

[chrismysona]

I haven't flown in 11 years coming on 12. Never have I missed something so much that I broke down crying.... I've been watching many videos, bought a FAR/AIM to study, and getting to get healthier. Hard work pays off and your words are motivation ❤

[cggage]

You spurred me to do this. I have had this task on my list for years. I finally just took 30 minutes, numbered the pages, took cellphone camera pics of the pages, and stored the whole lot in DropBox. Thanks for reminding me!

[keenantrue]

So I recently got back into flying. I originally got my PPL 23+ years ago when I was going for an airline career path. I switched tracks for a lot of reasons but ultimately I knew I wanted to return to flight someday. I started flying again in Oct 2023 and really enjoyed it but it was also a lot of work not just to re-learn the skills but also overcome fears and gain back/establish a confidence. There were lots of time I both wanted to fly but had to overcome my uncertainty but looking back at a year now I feel like I'm back to where I was 23 years ago and so excited for what I can continue to build going forward.

Really enjoyed this video, especially the points about keeping up with it and how its not instant and not easy, but worth it to get to achieve and truly feel alive in our physical (vs fleeting dopamine hits in a digital) world!

[AboutTheAirplane]

When I look at my logbook I think about all the people I’ve flown with and feelings I had when flying.. the crazy memories and scary moments and the bad flights and the good flights.. the times I thought about giving up but kept going.. the times my instructors were disappointed in me and the times they were proud of me.. and just the time spent at airports meeting people and conversations I’ve had.. the most wonderful world to be a part of ♥️✈️

[frankdaniels]

Fellow aviator and new subscriber to your channel here. I use both an EFB and a paper logbook, started with the paper copy and began backing up earlier flights to the EFB. As you and some other commenters have stated, the paper copy serves as both a diary as well as a reminder of all of the trials and tribulations of my flight journey. I look through the pages (which I began taking photos of and backing up a while ago) over a cup of coffee on those days I wish I were up flying but can't for whatever reason. When I read some of the entries, I am taken back to that flight where something memorable happened. I remember doing things that I never thought I could actually do, and smile every time I recall those days. There were many days where I almost gave up, thinking it was too hard or too expensive to continue. But, I persevered and the day I earned my wings is one of the greatest days in my entire life. If you have ever thought about earning your pilot's certificate, DO IT!!! Don't let anyone or anything stop you - it is something you can do that you will never regret or ever forget.

[AlphaWhiskeyAviation]

So I’ve been struggling with the timeline of what I expected vs what I am seeing in my PPL, and this video about the logbook being a look at how far you’ve come is really on topic, on time. Just made it over 40 hours since starting my PPL training and I am realizing getting to the check ride in 45 hours was very unrealistic. The ads out there online pitch a quick track to an airline and it’s hard to remember to slow down and enjoy the journey. At the end of the day, you have to love this to pursue it. I’ve been trying to slow down and remember that these first pages of my log will be such great memories down the road one day. So I’m 5 pages down, a lifetime of aviation left to go.

Love the channel and the content you keep putting out.

[Colin_Holloway]

Great advice! When I was learning the school recommended that logbooks be kept at their office, and when I took a break due to a health issue, when I went to get back into flying... the school had been sold and no longer existed. Fortunately the CFI was a top bloke and took all of the logbooks with him and I was able to retrieve mine from him from another school. So much relief to have it in my possession.

[ScottAlanAnderson]

I have been out of the cockpit for 14 years. I have an appointment with a CFI tomorrow. I stumbled across your video while trying to get up to speed on what has changed in flying. This is one of the best videos I've come across. Great advice. Great attitude. Great wisdom.

[matthewbruun]

Hi Charlie! I began my flying in 2008 at 41 years old and stopped after 25 hours. In November 2021, I returned. I passed my private pilot check ride in November of 2022, after 6 months of training and another 6 months of schedule juggling with a DPE. Now 56 years old with 161 hours and working toward my instrument rating, the old log book has been backed up in Foreflight. I keep up with both copies with tabs in the hard copy like my FAR AIM, marking all critical entries for easy reference. It probably saved my DPE 20 or 30 minutes and I'm sure it will be handy in the future.

[nyontozel]

I want to start my ppl journey in 2025, I’ll be 37 by then. I hope not to give up and be financially ready.
I’m in Quebec,

[RhymingLemon]

I do both. I have foreflight because the reports are just really nice to have. The currency checks are over the top easy.
I keep the paper trail because it reminds me of the work and the achievement. I have my SEL and MEL. I am working on my IFR.
I put each check ride on a page by itself to remind myself just how big of a deal it is. It yells, "I DID THIS!"
Anyone working on their ratings and licenses, keep it up! I promise. It's worth it.

[jonathonhinson]

Last winter I slowly entered 1, 500 flights from my paper logbooks into Excel. It took over a month, but it was also fascinating to see my progress as a pilot. One of my goals was “backup” to the paper logbooks. Secondly, it’s great for completing pilot history forms for insurance or possible jobs. For example I recently had to determine how many high-performance hours have I flown at night in the last 90 days- sort, subtotal, done!