Definition
A personal record kept by a pilot documenting flight time, training, endorsements, and aeronautical experience. Entries typically include date, aircraft make/model and registration, route, flight duration, conditions of flight (day, night, instrument, cross-country), landings, and instructor or examiner endorsements. The logbook serves as the official evidence of experience required for certificates, ratings, currency, and checkrides.
Plain English
A book or digital record where a pilot writes down every flight they make, along with details about the aircraft, the type of flying, and any training or sign-offs received. It is how a pilot proves they have the experience and qualifications they claim.
Context Anchor
You will see this term when applying for a knowledge or skill test, recording flight training, or showing that required flight experience has been completed.
Derivation
The word 'logbook' comes from the old maritime practice of recording a ship's progress in a 'log' — originally a wooden float used to measure speed. Sailors recorded each speed reading in a book, and the term carried over to any record of a journey. Pilots inherited the same practice and the same name.
Why Pilots Care
Accurate entries prove the flight experience required for FAA certificates, ratings, and ongoing currency.
Intuition Check
Do not think of a pilot logbook as just a diary of flights. In aviation, it is a record used to document training, experience, and instructor approvals.
Example Sentence 1
Before the checkride, the applicant presented the pilot logbook showing all required training and the instructor's endorsement.
Example Sentence 2
Before the checkride the examiner asked to see the pilot logbook to verify the required cross-country and night hours.