Definition
A permanent written record in which a pilot or aircraft owner enters required information about flight time, training, endorsements, aircraft maintenance, or inspections. For pilots, the logbook records flights, training received, solo time, cross-country time, instrument time, and instructor endorsements used to demonstrate eligibility for certificates, ratings, and currency requirements under the applicable regulations.
Plain English
The official book where a pilot writes down every flight and lesson, and where instructors sign off that the pilot has met the requirements to take a test or fly solo. It's the proof of what you've done and what you're allowed to do.
Context Anchor
Seen throughout training, especially before a practical test, when an instructor or examiner checks that the required flight experience, training, and sign-offs are recorded.
Derivation
From 'log,' originally a piece of wood thrown overboard to measure a ship's speed, which led to the 'log' being the running record of a ship's voyage. 'Logbook' carried that meaning into aviation: a continuous, dated record of operations.
Why Pilots Care
Accurate logbook entries are required to demonstrate eligibility for certificates, ratings, currency, and employment.
Intuition Check
A logbook is not just a personal diary of flights. In aviation, it is a formal record used to show required experience, training, and instructor sign-offs.
Example Sentence 1
Before the checkride, the examiner asked to see the applicant's logbook to verify the required cross-country time and the instructor's endorsement.
Example Sentence 2
Before the practical test the examiner checked the applicant's logbook to confirm total flight hours and recent training.