I am in the process of digitizing my plane's logbooks for a number of reasons. While the actual act of scanning or taking a picture of the documents is easy enough, I'd like to get some thoughts on the best way to organize them. By logbook, logbook page, year, total time, tach time, etc? Each logbook into a single PDF file? All logbooks in a single PDF file? Also to complicate things a bit, the propeller log was not split out into it's own seperate logbook until about 5 years ago... so there are old log entries that should be in the propeller logbook that are in the ariframe logbook, etc. I also have a huge book of receipts and such that i might as well digitize too. Anyone have any thoughts on what worked for them?

I'd like to hear some ideas on this topic myself.

One thing I recently realized is that you receive digital copies of all the 337s and STCs, as well as registration and airwortiness info when you order aircraft documents from a source like aerospacereports.com. It's not cheap (although there's a price-break for AOPA members). But I'd consider paying it rather than spending all that time trying to photograph, scan, upload, etc, etc.

-DP

Yeah I have all that stuff as well. If you have a few weeks to spare, for $10 you can get the same files on CD from the FAA. The IT nerd in me wants to store all this in an online database but PDFs organised in some fashion would probably be easier for more universal viewing.

WARNING: nerd alert!

I was on TDY with a bunch of time on my hands and did the following:

-Transcribed my entire book into word.
-Scanned all the pages of my logbook
-Cropped each entry
-Pasted each entry on top of the text that I transcribed for the entry
-Placed side notes throughout to reference the next book, etc.
-Made a master list of shops with contact info at the end that was linked from each entry.
-Placed the AD compliance sheet and modifications in with references back to the applicable log entry

I carry a Thumb drive with this thing as well as a copy without the pasted scans of entries. Took a great deal of work, but I can find the last time the flux capacitor was serviced in ten seconds. Control F and type. Takes me to either the transcribed entry or the scanned version with the text underneath. I've used 12 shops in the last 5 years. This makes my transition to a new shop super smooth.

In addition, I put mods and ADs in as well. Probably saved several hundred dollars by going through AD compliance with mechanics where the AD is linked back to the entry where it was performed.

Brett

If someone likes fooling around with their computer doing this sort of stuff, that's fine, but my thought is that this is a solution in search of a problem. I've never felt the need to digitize my airplane records. I've owned 3 airplanes- with each of time, I organized the paperwork into a 3-ring binder, with a separate section for parts receipts, 337's, W&B, AD's, and annuals. The logbooks are kept in the binder too, in a 3-hole pencil pouch that zips closed. Very easy for me or my mechanic (new or old) to easily lay our hands on any required information.

I agree the utility vs. effort ratio may be questionable... there's some value to me in keeping a safe and searchable copy of everything, and it's nice to have all the records digitized when it comes time to sell... but yeah it is not for everyone. Just something I'd like to do.


At this point I am kind of leaning towards displaying everything with HTML as sort of a lowest-common-demoninator approach that should withstand the test of time for the forseeable future, nearly everyone has a web browser, and it can be both online and on a thumb drive. May put it in a database first and then use that to generate the HTML. A database with a proper schema would be cool cause then you can just dump everything in and slice it and dice it how you want (i.e. just list receipts, just show engine logbook entries from 1968, etc.). Overkilling a problem is part of the fun.

scottf wrote:Overkilling a problem is part of the fun.

Well I have finished digitizing all know records of the plane (logbooks, receipts, w&b, lots of misc. stuff). Hundreds of sheet of papers. This has been a very interesting project. If you want to become intimate with your plane's records, transcribing every logbook entry will sure do it. I've learned:

* Many mechanics have very poor handwriting

* Some mechanics are very bad at simple math and/or double checking their math

* Logbook entries gradually get much much more detailed as time goes on






And, at least with my plane, that overhauls were much more common/frequent in the early years (1950s-1960s), at least with my plane. Can't really explain it as the engine was flown very frequent and appears to have been well kept (~25 hour oil changes, frequent maintenance inspections & issues addressed). For example (plane is a 1956 model):

Plane flew alot in its early years. It was owned by a private businessman and he flew it all over the midwest nearly daily. By late 1957, with 733 hours on the plane, the engine was replaced with different, overhauled engine.

Two years later in 1959, with 631 hours SMOH, the engine was overhauled again.

Three years later in 1962, with 381 hours SMOH, the engine was overhauled again.

Two years later in 1964, with 694 hours SMOH, the engine was overhauled again.

After that things seem pretty normal as far as engine overhauls go. Yearly hours went down to a more "normal" level. Just can't explain why they were so eager to overhaul since it wasn't due to the damage history (and the same prop remained on the engine for many years). What did an overhaul cost in the late 50's?

Scott, what solution did you end up going with?

Hey Scott. This is actually something I'm planning on doing this winter. I just want a digital backup in the case of a house fire, flooding, etc. i wish i had seen this before we met a few days ago so I could have picked yoyr brain. Can you give some more detail about how you organized it? I'll probably just go with PDF files.

Thanks,
Cory

I came across this old post because I just spent the last few days digitizing my logbook. To be honest it was the first time I had looked at the old logs since I bought the plane in 2007. I found a decent way to make copies of the logbooks using Microsoft Powerpoint. It is stored as a slide show with each slide representing a photo of the pages in my logbook. At the bottom of each slide is a caption summarizing the key points for each logbook page. Powerpoint makes it easy to blow up the photos so the entries are easy to read and the whole process did not take that long. It was much faster than making PDF files and transferring photos. I agree with what other's posted that it is a great way to really get to know your airplane better. It is good to have a backup now and I can give a copy of the PP files to my A+P. I made a summary of the most pertinent entries on a timeline.

Fun to read old posts like this. So here is my follow up. I scanned them all into pdfs and organized them by STC, 337s, Receipts, Engine Logbook 1, etc. You get the idea. Going forward a lot is done by year as well. So if I know I did a mod in 2017, it’s easier to find the STC.

I also have everything backed up on google drive. This has been a must. There have been many times when I needed to look something up when I’ve been at my hangar or traveling for work and I’ve had access to everything.

I always digitize all the logbooks of every aircraft I buy. The easiest way to turn a commercial capable aircraft into an airport drive pole display is to lose them. There is the occasional customer that tries to blackmail you by withholding them, or the disreputable shop that withholds them trying for a bit more money. So I am kind of; knock yourself out, I have digital copies of them all. Takes the wind out of their sails.

Then there is the fact you can have everything with you on a SD card, so you only have to bring the card, not the books and a shop issue a sticky. This way they never leave your possession. It saves wear and tear on the books, which become quite fragile, like something from Tutankhamun's tomb. It is a rainy day job.

I use one of my collection of digital cameras, set on a tripod (upside down, reverse the neck) with two lights on either side. It helps to use a polarizing filter, it cuts down light hot spots on the pages. Binder clips help keep the pages flat. Make a JPEG of each page. Personally, I use Photoshop to process them, first auto color, then auto contrast. Rotate and crop, size to reasonable and then save as a Photoshop PDF. I then combine them all with an ancient copy of Acrobat Professional. Importing the pages one at a time (If I try batch import it always mixes them up to some random order), Optimize the document after they are all in and save each book complete and separate. Violá, digital logbooks. Of course, then it is up to you to keep updating the files as things happen to your plane.

I did the last Caravan while I was in Mumbai. I may have mentioned wilding around there at night is not an attractive option. Traffic is essentially gridlocked day and night. So I sat in my room at the Emerald Hotel and passed the time copying them all. The 206H, well that took almost 15 minutes, there are only around 8 pages of entries (228 hours and all).

Best tool I’ve found is an I phone app called CamScanner, and its free.

It takes a picture then auto corrects it so it looks like an actual document.

Super tool. And even i can make it work

MTV

I've got something similar, Scanbot. It seems to choke if I'm doing a box of logbooks. Then again, I bet I'm doing something wrong. Or maybe you are far more evolved than I. I suspect you even have opposable thumbs, I'm thinking of upgrading my paws with them. I'm Still getting used to the walking upright thing.

I scan every log of an airplane. I also have been scanning customers logs on long projects so they have them. Just open Adobe Acrobat, lay each page on the scanner and hit go... One large PDF for each of Engine, Airframe, and Prop.

dogpilot wrote:I've got something similar, Scanbot. It seems to choke if I'm doing a box of logbooks. Then again, I bet I'm doing something wrong. Or maybe you are far more evolved than I. I suspect you even have opposable thumbs, I'm thinking of upgrading my paws with them. I'm Still getting used to the walking upright thing.

The CamScanner app allows you to save images as jpg, pdf, or a couple other formats. Really easy to use, believe me.

MTV

For those who use Iphones and MACs there is a cool app called airdrop that allows you to import all of the photos at once rather than having to import them individually or by connecting to the computer. Pretty easy to use and allows you to place all of the jpeg files into one folder. I just discovered it and it made it so easy to load 250 individual jpegs from my phone.

I think I am going to do the same thing with my flight logbooks. Especially with all of the endorsements.

Each of my airplanes has had it's own Gmail account. I use the tail number and the home [email protected]

Gets me unlimited photos, you tube, Google drive etc. All free. Save every thing and organize easily. If in a hurry just email whatever to that account organize it later. Rather than having to find everything scattered amongst the rest of my personal data, each plane is it's own separate thing.

When you sell a plane you just give someone the login and password. Done. Super easy and free, the limits to how you can use are only confined by your imagination!

That's clever! I like that.