You’ve put in the hours, honed your skills, and are ready for the next step—whether it’s a big job opportunity or another checkride. But even small logbook mistakes, like a missing endorsement or a misclassified flight, can lead to extra questions, delays, or missed opportunities. Fear not! While these unintended logbook mistakes happen more often than you think, the right digital logbook can easily help you avoid them.
AIROS is the intelligent logbook that simplifies record-keeping, enhances accuracy, and ensures regulatory compliance. Read on to see how its embedded intelligence keeps you compliant and ready for what’s next.
1. Missing Required Flight Information
The Mistake: Many pilots fail to log required details such as aircraft type, registration number, location, duration, and flight conditions (e.g., day/night, instrument time). FAR 61.51(b) mandates that all logged flights include these elements.
How AIROS Helps: Embedded intelligence avoids logging errors. Enter the tail or flight number and AIROS autofills the other flight details, avoiding math mistakes and ensuring no crucial information is overlooked.
2. Inaccurate or Incomplete Endorsements
The Mistake: Student pilots and CFIs often make unintentional errors with endorsements, which must be precisely worded per FAA Advisory Circular AC 61-65. Missing or incorrect wording can invalidate an endorsement, creating an unintended regulatory violation.
How AIROS Helps: Built-in endorsement templates that exactly match AC 61-65 ensure accuracy and compliance with FAA requirements. And AIROS offers the convenience of issuing and signing endorsements remotely.
Hey CFI’s, remember that requirement to keep all issued endorsements on record for three years? When you issue an endorsement through AIROS, it’s kept safely in the app so you are regulatorily compliant without any additional effort.
3. Logging Incorrect PIC, SIC, and Flight Time Categories
The Mistake: Misclassifying flight time—such as Pilot in Command (PIC), Second in Command (SIC), cross-country, or night time—can result in discrepancies that might be flagged during checkrides or job interviews.
How AIROS Helps: AIROS prevents misclassification by intelligently auto-categorizing time. It also calculates cross-country and/or night time automatically and converts HOBBS or OOOI Times to Total Time instantly.
4. Failure to Log Instrument Approaches Properly
The Mistake: FAR 61.51(g) requires instrument approaches to be logged accurately for currency purposes. Many pilots forget to log their approaches or do not specify the type of approach flown.
How AIROS Helps: AIROS includes dedicated fields for instrument approaches and tracks currency requirements automatically. Its interface prevents inadvertently logging instrument approaches without all required information. It also presents your instrument currency-related data on the dashboard at all times, so you can determine your currency with a quick glance!
5. Disorganized or Hard-to-Read Logbook Entries
The Mistake: A messy, unorganized logbook can raise red flags with FAA inspectors, Designated Pilot Examiners (DPEs), and airline recruiters. Inconsistencies or illegible handwriting can make verification difficult.
How AIROS Helps: AIROS creates reports that can be exported for AirlineApps and IACRA, helping you complete applications easily and quickly. It also provides a clear, structured, and professional logbook export that can be beautifully printed and interview-ready.
6. Not Backing Up Flight Records
The Mistake: Paper logbooks are susceptible to loss, damage, or theft. Many pilots fail to keep a backup, risking years of lost flight data.
How AIROS Helps: Cloud-based logbooks ensure flight records are secure, backed up, and accessible on any device. AIROS also stores important documents like certificates, endorsements, and more.
7. Forgetting to Sign Logbook Entries
The Mistake: CFIs and student pilots must ensure that required signatures are included for dual instruction, endorsements, and checkrides.
How AIROS Helps: AIROS lets you digitally sign logbook entries and endorsements, either in-person or remotely, conveniently ensuring all training records remain compliant.
Import Your Logbook to AIROS and Get a Free Regulatory Compliance Audit.
Avoiding these common logbook mistakes is crucial for maintaining compliance with FAR 61.51 and ensuring a smooth aviation career. AIROS error-proofs your logbook —so you can focus on flying with confidence.
Start your free trial and log 20 hours on us to experience the gold standard in digital flight logging.
