Logbook Preparation Checklist

Your logbook is a very important aspect of the interview process. It will be thoroughly evaluated and compared to the application you have submitted. Strive for perfection and accuracy. The information should be presented in a neat and legible format. Your logbook reflects your professionalism and attention to detail. Whether you choose to use a digital logbook or handwritten logbook make sure you are proud of what is being used to represent your career.

Action Items:

•Thoroughly review every page on of your logbook for errors or omissions

•Calculate your flight hours and compare this information to what you have provided on your application

•Make sure you have signed every page if required and any other areas that require a signature.

• Military Pilots- Your flight summary sheet/logbook provided by your records office will be used for this purpose. Make sure the information accurate with what has been provided on your application.

A Flight Summary sheet is highly recommended. This is a one page summary of your entire flying history. This information allows the interview team to see the most important pieces of information in a summary format. It saves them time and quickly allows them to evaluate your flying Experience.

Click to see example: Flight Summary

Action Items:

•Create a one page Excel spreadsheet or Download one Here and customize

• Determine the flight summary information you would like to provide.

Note: There is no standard on what this should look like

Recommended information: 

Total Flying Time- PIC, SIC

Type of Hours- Military, Part 121, Part 91, Part 135 (SIC, PIC, IP, EP, Check Airman)

Airplane Type- Heavy Turbine, Turbo prop, Piston, Multi-Engine (PIC,SIC)

Ratings and Certificates- Type Ratings, Medical, Radio Operators license

When it comes to evaluating your logbook its your job to make it as easy as possible for the recruiters. They will greatly appreciate the time and effort you put in to this. Part of the evaluation process is cross checking the events such as solos, checkrides, Type Ratings etc.

Note: If you have multiple logbooks make sure you label them in sequential order.

Note: If you have not created your logbook so that you can track these items do not make it up at this point. This is not a big item to worry about.

Action Items:

• Tab all Checkrides, Type Ratings and significant events in your flying history.

This section is for individuals that have switched from paper logbooks to digital logbooks as their primary logging device. It’s recommended that you bring your paper logbooks as a backup in case they ask to see them.

Action Items:

•Complete a page by page assessment of your paper log book comparing the information to the digital logbook

•Fix any errors or omissions and make sure each page is signed

•Tab your paper logbook with the same information you have tabbed your digital print out with.

After completing a thorough review of your logbook update your application.

Action Items:

Update the following sections within the UAL application:

• Aircraft Flow section- Flight times/Date last flown

• 12 month recency section

• Part 135/121 Experience total time

Creating a professional logbook that is organized and easy for recruiters to evaluate sets the tone for your interview. This process is unique for each individual. At this point you should be ready to finalize the logbook process.

Action Items:

• Prior to printing make sure you have logged all of the flight time that is reflected on your application.

•Print a digital copy of your entire logbook

•Create/print a cover sheet with your name and personal information

•Print Flight Summary Sheet and place it so that it is one of the first pages behind the personal cover sheet.

•Combine all pages and bind together

For our military service members the logbook process is typically an easy process. All the information you need to provide to the airline is typically provided to you directly from your record keeping office. Please see the action items below.

Action Items:

•Obtain all of your flight record printouts from your record keeping office and check for accuracy or discrepancies

•Obtain flight training records and any additional information requested by the airline

•Check your flight records and make sure you are aware of what is in them

• Create a Flight Summary Sheet which summarizes your military flying career

•If you have a civilian logbook make sure you prepare it and present it as mentioned above

Recent Feedback:

 “I had my HARM Records with every Flight, on top was the breakdown provided by the HARMS office. I also did an excel sheet that took my non -mil time and added it all up. In a big red box on that spreadsheet was my total time, which matched my resume total time, minus recent flights (sorties)…time since I printed everything out and got it ready.

No questions at all from UAL.

UAL will have your resume, and ask you to review it, all parts of it, changing whatever is wrong or incomplete with a red marker. I was told anything inside 100 hours you don’t need to update, beyond that you would write the correct time with the red pen.
Writing this from the Flight planning room in Newark, so I was successful.”

 

“No questions were asked or issue raised about logbooks. I had a personal logbook excel product I made that provided a breakdown of each individual flight / time and total summary, that matched my military harm record exactly so that between mil records, my personal log, app and resume every thing was in sync.”

 

“I made copies of my HARM and FEF folders and put those in a logbook binder. I also had a spreadsheet summary as the first page in the logbook. Make sure all times match your resume. I didn’t get any questions about my hours.”

 

“I only brought my green HARM folder with a HARM flying history report on top. No other products. No personal logs. No fancy spreadsheets. And no regrets. There were no questions or clarification requested during the interview and I got the job. For the Air Force guys and gals going to an interview, I’d spend my efforts doing interview prep and not worry about the logbooks.”

 

“I had the same experience as these guys. Brought a lot including paper logbook from when I was 15, but they only looked at my military summary and the electronic logbook I had printed out and signed every page. Had the green binder just in case but never got it out.”

 

“I just handed over my Navy logbooks with no summary, no Excel products. Nothing was tabbed or highlighted. Just the unadulterated logbooks with the very best penmanship of our hard-charging ops clerks, whiteout and all. No questions, no issues in the interview ”

 

“No issues or questions. I handed them the summary sheet with all of my aircraft and totals. They asked for my green HARM folder as well but zero questions about hours at any point in the interview.”

 

“I had no issues with standard green folder and an up to date detailed flight report since previous annual close out (needed to verify hours over last year). That and my GA log.”

 

“Navy guy, had an excel summary sheet and my 2 navy logbooks along with my civilian logbook. No questions. And I’m a P-3 guy so my hours with PIC and SIC were slightly different than my total pilot time and still no questions.”