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4 Answers

On the Lighter Side…. favorite pen??

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Flight Instructor

Howdy all - as I get more and more into this CFI role, I see how hard it is to cram all of my notes (and signature) into that tiny little space in the logbooks.   Since that seems like a common Hazard Of The Profession, i wonder if there are any pens that you all have run across that have a fine enough tip and are comfortable enough to write legibly in essentially 1-point font?

Ball points seem to have a lower limit as to how fine they can be, and some of the thin markers the ink is wetter so thickens as you write, making it illegible.

Surely there are some widely acknowledged tools of the trade that would make this a little easier?

 

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4 Answers



  1. Gary Moore on Jun 12, 2019

    I never understood why we all thought we could only use one line per flight….is it so terrible if a flight takes up more than one line 🙂

    Ok – I the question was about pens – I’m partial to the UniBall Roller Micro in Black 🙂

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  2. KDS on Jun 13, 2019

    As Gary wrote, miniature handwriting is not a requirement for a CFI certificate, but you would think it was to see some logbooks. Personally, I find that more space and more notes are well worth it. Always keep in the back of your mind that someday, you may find yourself in court defending your actions. Good notes in the logbook of the person to whom you gave instruction (ground and / or flight) may turn the case.

    There are only two downsides to using multiple lines that I can think of. The first is you have to stop and think before you make the next entry because it isn’t the next line. The other is that the trainee will have to buy another logbook sooner. Just tell them how cool they will look going in for a later advanced test with more than one logbook. I also like stickers. The preprinted ones that don’t miss anything where all I have to do is fill in a couple blanks.

    To the question of a pen, I use one with black ink. I may just be too anal (I’ve been told that more than once), but I think logbooks that go back and forth between colors of ink look sloppy. Blue has many shades. Black is black. Then it is just a nice normal black ballpoint pen; not something where the ink will bleed through to the opposite side of the paper.

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  3. Gary Moore on Jun 17, 2019

    good point on the multiple colors looking sloppy…..also some blue inks don’t photocopy well and you ARE making frenqueent photocopies of your logbook right 🙂

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  4. ayavner on Jun 17, 2019

    You make some very … fine points! (couldn’t resist).

    Thanks! Unfortunately I think the multiple colors ship has sailed for most of us but i’ll certainly consider using multiple lines where needed. I may try a few different ultra-fine pens out and report here – to the extent that some entries will be confined to one line, may as well make it as legible as possible!

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