January-February 2022 - 37

F O R T H E R EC O R D
Opportunity
I'm often asked by aircraft owners and non-aviation people alike " Why are aircraft
logbooks important? "
The answer is simple: logbooks back up and support
the Statement of Airworthiness that an aircraft
needs to be able to fly. And since logbooks are one of
the major items that determine if an aircraft is to be
considered Airworthy, they have a tremendous impact
on the aircraft's value.
Logbooks will either prove or
By Larry Hinebaugh
Larry Hinebaugh
is the executive
director of the nonprofit
company
The Foundation for
Business Aircraft
Records Excellence. He
is a 40-year veteran of
the Business Aviation
Industry.
disprove the validity of an aircraft's
Airworthiness when examined.
Anyone trying to prove an
aircraft's Airworthiness knows
that if the record demonstrates
that all items have been accomplished
to render the aircraft
Airworthy ... then the aircraft is
determined to be Airworthy.
However, if information necesThe
last statement is, of course, far from the truth.
Time and time again when one or more of an aircraft's
logbooks are missing, we find that the aircraft is
impacted in value. The generally accepted depreciated
value of an aircraft with damaged or missing logbooks
is 30 percent or more. Even one document missing from
the record may mean work on the
aircraft must be performed again,
or a life-limited part replaced with
another of known time and cycles.
In 2022, we find our industry
A 10-year-old business jet's record.
sary to prove the aircraft's airworthiness is missing
from the record and can't be proven on the aircraft
itself; the FAA considers it the same as if the event
never took place ... and the aircraft is determined to
be Unairworthy.
Additionally, when an aircraft is involved in an
incident causing damage, personal injury, or loss of
life; chances are a lawsuit or NTSB investigation will
follow. In this case, an aircraft's logbooks may either
convict, or absolve, maintenance personnel that have
recently worked on the aircraft.
With so much riding on the condition of an aircraft's
logbooks, you would think, as an industry, we would
be highly focused and concerned with the aircraft's
records. But let's face it, the condition of most aircraft
records and logbooks today are ... horrifying.
If you've never seen a set of aircraft logbooks for even
a relatively new $20, $30, $40 or more million-dollar
jet, you're in for a shock!
If you have, then you know that the logbooks and
the records inside them are usually:
* found in paper form, many are handwritten, and
are put together in various shapes, sizes, and formats,
all in the same logbook,
* falling apart due to wear and tear,
* unorganized and chaotic, often missing critical
information,
* never appear to have any value.
grappling with COVID-related
absences; retirements of a large
number of industry veterans and
leaders; new technologies like
battery-powered aircraft and
supersonic flight; quieter, ever
more fuel-efficient, longer-range aircraft; and the
constant demand of a growing and expanding market.
Yet, with all these difficulties, also comes opportunity.
As an industry, we now have the opportunity
to fix a problem that we, as an industry, have created.
We can improve how we do aircraft records and the
aircraft record keeping practices we use today.
We take pride in the sophistication of the aircraft
we operate, in our diverse capabilities, and in the professional
manner in which we conduct business. So
why shouldn't aircraft logbooks be included in this
way of being? To do so is so simple. Aircraft Logbooks
should be:
Standardized like most of the things we have and
use in our industry.
Cared for and given the respect such a valuable
resource is worthy of.
Insured like any other asset we depend on.
For that to happen, aircraft operators, and their
maintenance departments, need to start taking logbooks
more seriously and be held accountable for the
care and condition of the valuable documents in their
charge. And like many undertakings, improving the
way things are done usually takes education. As an
industry, we should start this education process today.
Once we start giving logbooks the care and respect
they should have, our problem with logbooks will begin
to diminish. And that's good for everyone.
www.AviationPros.com 37
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January-February 2022

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