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A private pilot tells us about pilot logbooks and the electronic logbook he developed.
In the news, FAA releases the final Part 23 rule for GA airworthiness standards, Diamond Aircraft has attracted the attention of the Chinese, Cessna puts an end to an LSA, a study of airline pilot depression, flight attendants learn self-defense, and Airbus thinks plug-and-play for cabin modules.

Guest

Ken VeArd is a private pilot with Instrument rating for SEL and MEL with over 750 hours. In 1997 when Ken was a student pilot, he thought there had to be a better way to log flights than using a stack of paper. He developed the Pilot Partner system which continues to define how an electronic pilot logbook can unlock the potential of the data stored inside.

Ken explains the purposes and requirements for pilot logbooks, the lack of explicit standards, and who uses logbook information. We consider paper versus electronic logbooks, and how to make a transition. Ken discusses data hosting in a way that protects customers, and the CFI dashboard, a set of free tools that allows flight instructors to electronically link to the logbooks of their students, benefiting the quality of the instruction received.

Reference

eLogbook Logistics: Considerations for Moving from Paper Log to Digital Login [PDF] by Susan Parson in FAA Safety Briefing May/June 2016. (Susan was our guest in Episode 397 Airman Certification Standards.)

Converting From Paper

Easy Way – Carry In Totals: Paper Logbook to Electronic: The Easy Way

Hybrid Way – Maintain electronic and paper: Get the benefits from an electronic logbook, but have paper to backup your flight records for CFIs, check rides, and airline interviews. Take pictures of your paper based endorsements and key signatures and attach them in Pilot Partner. Log electronically first, and catch up paper later.

Convert Completely – Burn the Paper: Best done when you have little flying history or have a lot of time on your hands.  Enter or import all of your flights and attach images of all of your CFI Endorsement and Training Endorsements (Signatures).  Move forward with logging electronically.

News

Press Release – FAA Issues Final Rule on Small Airplane Safety Certification Standards

FAA issued a new Part 23 rule that overhauls the airworthiness standards for small general aviation airplanes. The Agency believes this rule will reduce the time it takes to move safety enhancing technologies for small airplanes into the marketplace and will also reduce costs.

Diamond Aircraft Reportedly Sold To Chinese Interests

Chinese firm acquires global aircraft manufacturing giant

Reportedly, Chinese conglomerate Wanfeng Auto Holding Group has invested in at least a portion of Diamond Aircraft. Details are limited, but Diamond has had a manufacturing facility in China for some time. Wanfeng is based in Zhejiang and includes aircraft manufacturing, robotics and financial services in its business portfolio.

Cessna Scraps Unsold Skycatchers

Unable to make a commercial success of their 162-model Skycatcher light sport airplane program, Cessna has scrapped the remaining inventory of its airplanes.

Airplane pilot mental health and suicidal thoughts: a cross-sectional descriptive study via anonymous web-based survey

This study of commercial airline pilots was published in BioMed Central. 3485 pilots were surveyed, with about half of them completed the web-based survey conducted between April and December 2015. “This is the first study to describe airline pilot mental health–with a focus on depression and suicidal thoughts–outside of the information derived from aircraft accident investigations, regulated health examinations, or identifiable self-reports, which are records protected by civil aviation authorities and airline companies.”

See also, Airline pilots anonymously report suicidal thoughts, study finds.

Flight and fight: Attendants learn self-defense in the air

Since 2004, the Transportation Security Administration has offered a voluntary, no-charge Crew Member Self-Defense Training Program at 20 sites in the US. To date, over 11,000 crew members have participated. U.S. statistics indicate the number of “unruly” passengers has declined since 2004, while international incidents are increasing.

Airbus Wants Airlines to Radically Rethink the Passenger Experience

Airbus’ New Jet Concept Features Swappable Spas and Cafes

The Airbus “Transpose” concept uses swappable interior modules allowing aircraft to be quickly configured as needed. This idea is similar to that used by cargo planes. Airbus says they are building a prototype.

Mentioned

Oshkosh 2016 Day 0 Crazy Arrivals

The video was captured by this episode’s guest Ken VeArd at Airventure Oshkosh 2016, and dramatically shows the pace of aircraft arrivals at Osh. Ken used Mary Latimer’s radio for the sound. Mary created the nonprofit Girls in Flight Training (GIFT) Academy that gets women into the cockpit, and she was our guest in Episode 425 Getting Women into the Cockpit.

David saw Rogue One: A Star Wars Story on opening weekend and wrote his review at Rogue One: Star Wars got Better!

Rob Mark and his editor Scott Spangler just learned that Jetwhine was named number 23 out of the “Top 50 Aviation Blogs on the Planet,” thanks to Feedspot, the RSS folks.

Max Trescott saw one of the Mitsubishi MRJ flight test aircraft at San Jose:

Man creates a model A-10 warthog that “Brrrt’s” Nerf balls on strafing runs

Chatham Islands resident has WWII flying boat in backyard

Credit

Intro music courtesy Brother Love from his Album Of The Year CD. Outtro by Bruno Misonne from The Sound of Flaps.