Pilot Record Keeping

Bill Hughes

Logbooks: 61.51 requires you to record flight instruction and experience used to meet the requirements for a certificate or rating and for meeting recent flight experience requirements. Any time used for these purposes must be recorded to the extent that 61.51 requires and includes: date, T.O. and landing points, aircraft type and registration number, type experience (dual, solo), and was it day or night. If the flight time is instructional time it must also include a description of the training received.

Beyond the regulations it might become very important to record all flight time. A recent court decision found that an insurer was not compelled to pay a claim where the flight experience of the pilot was not proven by written records. The policy required specified minimum flight experience in that type aircraft and the PIC, who was a fatality in the crash of the covered aircraft, had not logged that minimum. The owner was certain that the pilot had the experience, and other people came forward with the same assertions but, all in vain. The court recognized the frailty of the human mind, and the lack of documentation precluded it even getting to trial.

Is there any requirement that you record ground instruction? If you satisfy the biennial flight review requirements of 61.56 by accomplishment of the flight review in lieu of the alternate methods of conformance you must have the person performing the review, record it. This record should specify both the flight and ground training accomplished. It is permissible for you to receive each part of the review from different instructors. And, if you are rated in multiple categories your ground training could be in one category and the flight instruction in another.

The popularity of BFA safety seminars as a way of refreshing a pilot’s knowledge may also satisfy the ground instruction portion of 61.56. To do this, the seminar content must review part 91 general operating and flight rules. If so, have the instructor conducting that portion of the seminar log that instruction for you.

If you are to carry passengers (for hire or not), you must show a record of having made 3 takeoffs and 3 landings in the same type aircraft, within the preceding 90 days. A peculiar little twist to the requirement being that, if you are to carry those passengers at night, those 3 takeoff and landings must not only be at night, they must also be to a full stop.

A commercial pilot certificate for free balloons entitles the holder to exercise the privileges of a flight instructor. With this privilege comes some additional record keeping responsibilities. 61.189 requires you to: sign the logbook of each person to whom you give flight or ground training, and for you to maintain a record of who they are (also applies to any student pilot certificate you sign), and the date it occurred. If you recommend anyone for a knowledge or practical test you must record the kind of test, the date, and the results. I’ll bet very few pilots have a record of the results of the test by their student recorded. All this must be retained by you for 3 years,

We are all aware that we can lose our pilot privileges for violating any number of FARs while in the balloon. You might note that all these record keeping requirements are a part of the same regulations that we fly by, and violation of them has the potential for the same enforcements. Take a peek at 61.59

Bio: Bill Hughes

A former Navy pilot, he started flying balloons in 1970. Bill has flown in numerous national and international competitions and was part of the Forbes crew for the first US transcontinental flight. He has trained many pilots in the Northeast US and recently took over Liberty Balloon School from former student, Carroll Teitsworth. His training background includes being Director of Training for American Eagle Airlines and Air Logistics, the largest helicopter operator in the US.