Used to swear by the old paper logbooks for tracking my work, but after getting dinged on a ramp inspection last July I switched digital.

Had an FAA inspector point out three entries I missed in my paper log from a C-check back in March, so I caved and started using a tablet with a maintenance tracking app. Anyone else find the transition annoying or was it just me fighting it?

2 comments

2 Comments

faith_carter1mo ago

Used to swear by the old paper logbooks" is pretty much exactly where I was at before. I heard a buddy of mine say the FAA is cracking down harder on missing entries in paper logs because it's so easy to skip one by accident. Figured I'd rather switch than risk another ramp check headache. The first few weeks with the app were a pain, kept forgetting to tap things in, but now it's second nature. Still hate staring at a screen all day though, feels less real than a pen and paper.

keithbutler1mo ago

Man that C-check miss is exactly the kinda thing that forced my hand too. I dodged a bullet last year when a Delta guy I know told me theyre running software now that cross references your entries against the manufacturers service bulletins automatically. Crazy how fast all this changed. The screen thing still bugs me though, feels like I'm playing a game instead of actually doing the work. My buddy tried mounting his tablet on the toolbox but it kept falling off when he rolled it over a hose. Now he just leaves it on the bench and walks back and forth, which honestly seems worse than putting up with paper. I swear half the battle is just getting the damn thing to stay charged during a long shift.