A&P logbook software

hello all,

we are about to go into our busy annual season, and the IA and i were wondering what it would take to convert our logbook entries over to a printable sticker type... we keep paper copies of work we have done so can recreate logbooks if the need arises, but kinda want to switch it all over to digital. plus it would be kinda nice to be able to have templates ready to go for things like annuals, 100hr, oil changes and the like.

anyone have any ideas on a software like this?

thanks,
Chase

I don't know of any software, but I would be interested also. For the last few years we have just used Microsoft Word for our logbook entries. You can format the "templates" however you want and save them.

lowlevelops said:

I don't know of any software, but I would be interested also. For the last few years we have just used Microsoft Word for our logbook entries. You can format the "templates" however you want and save them.

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ditto, whichever word processing software and just save as template the first one you make of each...

some free ones:
www.openoffice.org

also if you want to be able to do them online/have access from anywhere you might check out
http://docs.google.com

I use the "AD Tool Box" for my AD research. They provide several logbook sticker templates. When I was using T-Data I believe they had something similar. You might look at what you are using, it probably has something buried in the program somewhere. http://www.zookaviation.com/

I use TotalFBO and love it. Its pricey but it I think it will do all your looking for.

Chase,

I don't bother with pay services anymore. FAA website is such nowadays, that pay services are a waste of $ IMHO. I recommend doing as I did and using Excel to create your own custom form for annuals, etc. Once the data is populated for each aircraft, it's just a matter of entering in the A/C TT and date (landings and cycles too if applicable) - everything is then updated automatically. Really makes it nice at the next maintenance, service check, annual, etc. There are all sorts of sticker sheets available online at the office supply places. Just a matter of set up/trail & error to get them down pat for print out. Recommend a using a laser printer since ink jet smears/washes out if the logbook ever gets wet. I have about $150 total - just prints B&W - in mine with extra high-capacity cartridges and all. I use it to print manuals too.

Tom

not to hijack another thread again.....but..

how about adding a page(s) in the wiki http://www.supercub.org/mediawiki/index.php?title=Main_Page for software, and sample verbiage for log entries?

Check Six said:

Chase,

I don't bother with pay services anymore. FAA website is such nowadays, that pay services are a waste of $ IMHO. I recommend doing as I did and using Excel to create your own custom form for annuals, etc. Once the data is populated for each aircraft, it's just a matter of entering in the A/C TT and date (landings and cycles too if applicable) - everything is then updated automatically. Really makes it nice at the next maintenance, service check, annual, etc. There are all sorts of sticker sheets available online at the office supply places. Just a matter of set up/trail & error to get them down pat for print out. Recommend a using a laser printer since ink jet smears/washes out if the logbook ever gets wet. I have about $150 total - just prints B&W - in mine with extra high-capacity cartridges and all. I use it to print manuals too.

Tom

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I tried using the FAA website for my AD research for a while but it seemed to take more time to navigate than it cost me in subscriptions plus they don't have the service information that a lot of AD's reference from the manufacturer. I also like to save the AD list and only have to add to the existing file next year. I am sure there is a way to do it but I would have to figure it all out. Guess I am a slave to the subscription for the time being. :x

thanks for all the help. we currently use avantext, i haven't been able to find any log book templates in there but i will look some more.

AD log looks just as good, and seems to have some more user friendly uses.

thanks again,
chase

For Cubs, I prefer minimal log book entries. Our latest Cub has a logbook containing every single flight since its airframe overhaul, and one can get very little info out of it.

I do like the stickyback idea for the A/D summary, but for the annual, a simple stamp and pad takes up lots less room. A sticky on every page triples the thickness of the log. Most Cub logs I see make it incredibly difficult to locate the important entries, so I generate a summary.

Just the paper research on a Cub can be well over six man hours - a sticky back will save maybe ten minutes?

All opinion.

After pouring over many many logs over the years trying to determine what has and has not been done to an airplane over it's lifetime I really like the type written stickers. So much easier to read. If you use a highlighter you can make it easier to see the pertinent log book entries over the normal lube and oil changes.

I like the stickers too, although I still use my stamps a lot (annuals, 100 hours, service checks, etc.) and, as Steve mentioned, the computer printer stickers are so much easier to read than the chicken scratches associated with a lot of hand-written logbook entries.

I've switch basically all of the Part 91 aircraft I'm taking care of over to a regular high-quality 3 ring binder for the maintenance logs (with owner's permission, of couse). Master Index with sections - Airframe, Powerplant, Propeller(s), AD master with Applicable/Non-Applicable, ADs One Time, ADs Recurring, SLs, SBs, Tracked Components, 337s, STCs, etc., etc. - seperated by tabbed dividers. Everything is very organized and easy to find/research - lots more so than the average GA aircraft logbook - and it sure is a lot easier to work with. The inspectors at my FSDO like it and - biggie here - it really helps out a bunch when an aircraft is sold or relocated to another area/FBO. It's incredible how many manhours are spent on records verification and research when an aircraft comes in that I haven't dealt with before - especially if the logbooks are the normal run-of-the-mill GA logs. Problem is, if I tried to charge the customer for all of those manhours, they'd have a cow.....

Tom

There are computer programs currently available that are great for quickly and easily creating aircraft maintenance logbook entries. To research the subject further, go to your favorite internet search engine and type: logbook entry creator

Does anyone have a preset logbook format that you can share to input into word or something like that? I’m wanting to have a reusable format to print our “LABELS” and stick them into my logbooks. Thanks Will

I just d something like this is Open Office or Word. I save it and modify it for the next one.

1-6-2017 PiperPA18-150 N14043 Serial # 18-8986 TT 12647 Tach 12588
Replaced air filter. Patched left frontbaffle. Patched top cowl on left side of center stiffener.
Steve Pierce !@#$%^ A&P

Ditto on the ADToolbox Subscription. They have a lot of tools. W&B, IA activity reports, several ad listing formats, recurring vs all ADs. it keeps the AD research reports for the future and you can change the date on the report if nothing changed. They recently created a work order module too. I don't use that but it should be great for a small shop.

My IA uses AD Toolbox. What's a subscription to that cost?
I like sticky entries in logbooks, mainly because they're typed out and legible.
Hand-written logbook entries are often hard to decipher.
No big deal for a tire replacement or similar,
but it's really nice to be able to actually read the entry for an inspection or complicated repair job.

For logbook stickers, whether for CFI or A&P applications, I just use MickeySoft WORD, and use the "Mailings" tab. In "Mailings" there's a "Labels" button, and once you open the labels function there are size templates for all the popular label sizes. You can just type out your entry, paste it into the label, and print it out. Easy peasy!

When I got my PA-12 last year I copied every page of the log books and all other documentation that came with the Plane.
Scanned it into a pdf form and put it on a CD as well as a removable Hard drive for safe keeping.

Talked to my AP/IA about this and he was very happy with the format as well as the information because he can search by date, word, item , pretty much any way that he wants.
I keep the current log book pertaining to engine, prop, and airframe with the plane and a copy of the current log book on CD with the plane.
All other log books are kept in a safe as well as the hard drive.

For annual I will just take all of the info on Hard drive to the AP/IA so he can search for what ever he wants and he is assured that all info is in system.
Created a spread sheet by date on every log entry and transcribed the info as well as the AP/IA name and number associated with entry, then next to the entry did a macro to locate the original page in PDF form so he can back check if he wants for the transcribed info.
Also listed all Ad's associated with the aircraft and when they were addressed. ( still not Shure I have all of the AD's for this aircraft due to modifications).

Also got all of the FAA info as sent to the FAA that they have in their files.
Working on that part now.

I expect that I have about 120 hours in the first part of the Log book project and still working on it.

The nice thing about this system is when I do a search , as an example , on any AD inspection I can query the AD # and all dates that are associated with that AD# pop up and I can see who, where when what was addressed as well as the complete AD info at a glance. If I have questions about the info I can hit the macro button and pull up the original copy of the log book and read the original entry.

I figure I have about another 50 or so hours to enter the rest of the FAA information.

Also pictures can be macroed to each entry for before and after pictures or work in progress documentation.

I figure the picture documentation will be worth it weight in gold when I really start to work on this plane with the AP/IA's oversight.

This has been a real project due to the hours on the airframe ~7000 hours, multiple engine changes, multiple prop changes as well as instrumentation and w/b changes since 1946.

Pen and Paper works for me.

Awesome, I want to do something different

mit greb said:

Pen and Paper works for me.

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mit greb said:

Pen and Paper works for me.

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You obviously haven't tried to read my hand writing. 8) Maybe that is a good thing.

Mine is horrible, and people in the future deserve better!

Trying to read the entry’s since 1946 was painful and prob sometime purposefully hard to read.


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j3cubcapt, you have a PM.