AOPA Turbine Pilot Magazine - March 2025 - 91

HOW TO /
Digitizing logbooks
Because we are living in a digital world
BY ALICIA HERRON
looking at a screen again was soul sucking.
So, I paid AcuLog $600, a hefty (to me) fee
for their service. Yes, it was pricey-with
two logbooks it became an amount I actually
had to budget for. Did I eat a few more
Maruchan-CFI-era dinners that month?
Yes, I did. Did I feel lazy paying someone
else to do it? Yes, a little. But the AcuLog
process was easy and straightforward, and
it saved me many hours of work and frustration.
They even caught an error I made
very early on in my second logbook that
threw off totals for the rest of the log. I'm
grateful for their accuracy and attention to
detail, and that I have no doubts that it was
done correctly. I paid for the service, and I
also paid for peace of mind.
Once a transcription is complete, you
IN A WOR LD where nearly everything can
be done digitally and remotely, it makes
sense that the paper components of flying,
including logbooks, are trending toward
digitization as well. And even though it is a
departure from the long-beloved tradition,
digital logbooks might make the most sense.
A common question when switching to
digital is, are they legal? Yes, they are. They
qualify as having the required information
and are deemed acceptable by the FAA.
Brand-new pilots have the option to
start with a digital logbook straight away.
But if you already have hours logged on
paper, you'll need to transfer them, either
line by line or totaled, to treat the digital
log as your new record. For pilots who will
want specific totals and the most complete
backup, line by line is the way to go.
There are two main options here-digitize
yourself or pay a service to do it for
you. To digitize it yourself you'll need some
spreadsheet software and rows for dates
and columns that mimic your logbook. As
long as you're fairly computer-literate, this
is a simple if time-consuming process. Save
the spreadsheet in multiple places to have
a backup and you'll be set.
If you decide you'd rather pay for this
service, you have a few options. Individuals
online offer transcription-just drop a
question in a pilot group on social media
to find someone-as does the company
AcuLog Conversions. Paid transcription is
typically priced by the entry, and depending
on the size of your logbook that price
will rise quickly. For those on the pro path
or who intend to go that way, the sooner
you start a digital logbook the better. And
if you want to be sure it is done right, paying
AcuLog might be the way to go.
I recently switched to a digital logbook
despite initially resisting out of sentimentality
for the tangibility of paper logs.
Initially, I tried to do the data entry for my
two logbooks and over 1,700 hours myself
and realized I would rather rip off my own
fingernails and dip my hand in lemon juice
than continue the process. When I'm not
flying around reporting stories, I spend
almost my entire day in front of a computer.
The idea of spending my free evenings
can keep this as a simple digital spreadsheet
log or get an app like LogTenPro by
Coradine. This is the industry standard
and tracks all your currencies and duty
times, plus makes it easy to log flights.
Endorsements and signatures can be
made digitally, though it is recommended
to keep hard copies for safekeeping. There
is both a desktop version and a mobile version
with several options for importing and
exporting data. If you created your own
spreadsheet, Coradine will help you import
the file, and if you went with AcuLog, they
will facilitate that for you. LogTenPro
requires a subscription, although I did get
a few months free via AcuLog.
Now that I've had the digital logbook
for about six months, I can say that I like
it, but it isn't the same. It is convenient and
functional. I'm glad I have it-and it makes
sense for me to have it (does it sound like
I'm trying to convince myself?). But I miss
the ritual of filling out my Jepp logbook
with my special logbook pen (black ink
only), the pride I'd feel completing a new
page, and the paper proof of all the hours
I'd flown and memories I'd made.
Sentimentality aside, I'll stick with
the digital logbook because of the volume
of hours I log, the security of having
a backup of my flying career, and the ease
of use. There's probably going to be a way
to do this easily with AI soon, but for now,
it is up to you whether you need a digital
log. It couldn't hurt anything but your
wallet to try.
alicia.herron@aopa.org
AOPA PILOT / March 2025
91
MIKE FIZER
AOPA Turbine Pilot Magazine - March 2025

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