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.”

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