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3 Answers

Logbook Remarks for Dual Instruction Flight

Asked by: 9177 views ,
FAA Regulations, Flight Instructor

I know this sounds basic, but what is the best way to enter the lesson details in the remarks section of a student's logbook?  I usually log everything we did for that lesson, ie. power on/off stalls recognition and recovery, steep turns, turns around a point, etc. I usually fill up my student's remarks section and have to write across other boxes that were not filled in for that flight.  This looks horrible and I fear that my students will get incorrect totals because of flight times being hard to recognize over all the extra writing.  

I have seen a couple students logbooks that only state the lesson from their syllabus, ie. Cessna Phase 6 Scenario 3.  However, when signing a student pilot off for solo privileges, 61.87(d) states- "A student pilot who is receiving training for a single-engine airplane rating or privileges must receive and log flight training for the following maneuvers and procedures:"

Does this mean that each maneuver has to be written out? Or is the scenario name and number where each maneuver was performed sufficient?  

Also along those lines, what is the best practice for CFI's to log the flights in their own logbooks?  I know I have been trying to copy my student's logbook word for word into mine, but this is a large task when doing a lot of maneuvers in a lesson.  Then my logbook ends up becoming cluttered.  

I do keep all of my flight instructor required records in the back of my logbook separate from my flight times. 

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3 Answers



  1. Mark Kolber on Nov 30, 2013

    I’ve seen the process you talk about – listing a lesson # only – done, primarily in training environments where they are using a standard syllabus. I’ve usually seen it in 141 environments but it has been adopted by some Part 61 programs.

    In general, I don’t see a problem with the concept. There’s nothing in the FAR that specifically precludes a reference to external documents for the contents of a lesson. In fact, the concept was discussed during my CFI oral. The biggest problem I do have with the system, one of the reasons I don’t use it, is that syllabi change and, at least outside of a formal training environment, control over what lesson from what revision of a syllabus can be problematic.

    Here’s what I personally do (and I know a number of organizations that do something similar). The most important regulatory thing to me for logging student training in the student’s logbook is ensuring all required maneuvers are covered. So, rather that try to include everything that was accomplished in a lesson, I enter the primary maneuvers covered. A good syllabus helps with that but I also have a checklist f requirements I keep for each student to ensure that it’s done.

    Independent of the student’s logbook, I use a form that allows me to check off every PTS/required task accomplished during a flight That form is signed by me and my student, and we both get a copy. (sample for instrument lesson: http://midlifeflight.us/downloads/files/LessonSampleRedact.pdf)

    The only thing I enter is my own logbook is the student’s name and “see training record.”

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  2. Sam Dawson on Nov 30, 2013

    Dove tailing on what Mark wrote, I have had students come to me to finish up training. As you mentioned, however, endorsements for solo and check rides specify that the training has been done IAW the applicable subpart of 61. If all I can read is “Flight lesson #1, ground lesson #1”, etc, then I have no way of knowing what was covered unless I have a copy of the applicable syllabus, so I must retrain the student.

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  3. Wes Beard on Nov 30, 2013

    I’ve always listed the maneuvers that we trained and are in the applicable FARs. If I am teaching a pre-solo student I would keep my comments to those listed in 61.87(d). After the pre-solo phase I would limit my comments to those listed in 61.107(b). It should make it failrly simple to determine where the student is in their training.

    In my logbook, I simply placed the students name. The only thing I was wanting to prove was that I was the authorized instructor. Anyone could follow the trail and see what training I performed if they really wanted to.

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