AOPA Pilot Magazine - November 2019 - 22

PROFICIENT PILOT

Dear Diary

BY BARRY SCHIFF

Writing volumes of collected experiences

BARRY SCHIFF

made his first
logbook entry in
1952 and has filled
almost 12 volumes
(shown above) with
more than 28,000
hours.

ONE OF THE MOST CHALLENGING ASPECTS of writing a
monthly column for 29 years is developing a fresh subject every month that you hope will interest your readers.
One way to do this is to brainstorm with another writer
who can empathize with such a problem. So it was that
I found myself discussing potential topics with my good
friend, Martha Lunken, a columnist for Flying magazine.
Not surprisingly, we share the same frustration. One of
us finally blurted, "Logbooks. How about a column about
logbooks?" We both liked the idea, but which of us
would use that subject? We
finally agreed that each
of us could as long as
our approaches to the
topic were somewhat
different.
When I was an
FAA-designated examiner, I obviously had to inspect
applicants' logbooks. These varied from being illegible to works
of art. One in particular was a calligraphic masterpiece, the creation of a
pilot who took great pride in her entries.
Whenever she flew a new type of aircraft
or landed somewhere for the first time, she would enter
the aircraft type in red and the airport name in green.
This allowed her to keep track of her growing "collection"
of aircraft and airports. Unusual comments were highlighted in yellow, which allowed her to easily review her
remarks. This logbook was as much a diary as a record
of flight.
I was so impressed with her logbook that I began to
employ a similar system of highlighting and even added
a few embellishments. When landing in a foreign country for the first time, for example, I paste local currency
beneath the logbook entry reflecting that visit.
The most entertaining and memorable aspects
of most logbooks are the written comments. My first
such remark, however, evokes a memory of stark terror. It reads, "Encountered rain!" This might seem like
an innocuous event to you, but to a 16-year-old far from
home on his first solo cross-country, this was absolutely
terrifying. I had no idea what to expect when flying
through rain in a fabric-covered Aeronca held together by
nails and glue. All I knew is that my paper models didn't
fly very well when they got wet. You cannot believe how

22 | AOPA PILOT November 2019

relieved I was when the brief rain shower ended minutes later.
On another page I wrote, "Don't do that again." I wish
I could remember what I did to warrant that comment,
although I can think of many things I did that I should
not have done.
Those who enter airports in their logbooks using official designations are cheating themselves of precious
memories. Although you'll always know where JFK and
LAX are, you likely won't always remember where flights
to L52 and F70 took you. Write out airport names so that
you can more easily recall your adventures.
Most pilots-especially newbies-log flights with
the diligence of a high-schooler making entries in a
diary. After all, our logbooks are like diaries, records
of our life in the air. Some pilots, though, don't log any
of their flights. These pilots need to be aware that they
are required to log all flight time needed to demonstrate
currency and to qualify for a new certificate or rating.
Nothing else need be logged.
Can a pilot log time in a hang glider? Sure, but it
won't count for anything. You can even log time driving
a Humvee, although it won't count for anything either.
I once knew a pilot who maintained a second logbook, one in which the only items entered were the errors
made during each flight. "After all," he said, "we make
mistakes and learn lessons every time we fly." Such a log,
of course, is for one's personal use and is not intended for
the eyes of others. It is a record to be reviewed on occasion and serves as a reminder of our vulnerability. It also
helps us to avoid repeating mistakes-even though most
of us would rather forget them.
A second logbook is not for everyone. It is especially
not for those who never make mistakes. For us mortals,
however, a simple, ongoing list of lessons learned can be
equally effective.
Increasingly, pilots are logging their flight time digitally and storing their adventures on a server. As far as
this dinosaur is concerned, electronic logging seems cold
and impersonal, whereas traditional logbooks allow us to
flip through pages for a better sense of our aviation prowess and experience.
The saddest logbook entry, of course, will be our last.
It will designate a time when the sun has set on our life
in the air. The remaining blank pages will forlornly await
the pen that no longer writes.
AOPA
barryschiff.com

http://www.barryschiff.com

AOPA Pilot Magazine - November 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of AOPA Pilot Magazine - November 2019