This months Kick The Tyres column. Flight logs - do you log your flights?

[leccyflyer]

Reading Graham Ashby's Kick The Tyres column in this months RCM&E I was interested to see his listing of the models that he'd flown in the past few years and the number of flights logged. Graham was logging between 112 and 137 flights per year across 15-19 different aeroplanes in any one year, asking for feedback on those numbers. I liked the idea that he was logging his flights per model, which he said was to keep an eye on whether the models were earning their keep or might be offered up for sale. Graham asked that readers drop him a line saying  whether and how they recorded their flights. I'll probably do that, as it's something that interests me.

 

Since moving up north just over a decade ago I've kept an extensive -and ever growing-  Excel spreadsheet for logging models, equipment, flights, ongoing repairs and maintenance and sundry other bits and pieces, which I'd modified just last year to keep better track of when any particular model was last flown. I fill this in whilst having a brew after each trip to the field and it really helps me to get an overview of what's going on with my fleet. There are side benefits, such as the spreadsheet also lists which transmitter and battery packs are linked to particular models, which mean I can review the charged packs on the morning I go to the field to plan which models will get a trip to the field, weather permitting and be sure that I take the correct transmitter and correct battery packs. 

 

Here's a couple of screen grabs of relevant bits of pages - the last flight column (Column F) has conditional formatting tweaked to give a green if the model has been flown with the past year - oranges and red denote models which haven't been flown for some time and which are overdue for an outing.

 

 

Each year has it's own worksheet, which logs trips to the field, weather, models taken, number of flights and any notes. Total flights and total trips to each flying site are summed via simple formulae at the bottom of the page. There's also a counting function where you can enter a model ID and the function will count the number of flights by that model made in that year.

 

Do you log your flights and if so, how do you do that?

 

 

 

[Adrian Smith 1]

Yes I log every flight on a spread sheet with details per model of flights, trims, EPAs, Expo, lipos and discharge rates/capacity. Spec of motor and ESC +prop size added along with temperature and weather conditions and wind direction. That pretty much covers it all, but it is a useful exercise. Not so sophisticated as you LF but serves it purpose. 

[Ron Gray]

7 minutes ago, leccyflyer said:

Do you log your flights

No.

[leccyflyer]

I like the idea of recording that extra information for each model on the spreadsheet as well. I don't currently include the prop or ESC on the spreadsheet, but it's on the separate data sheet for each individual model, which then feeds into my online blog. Weather conditions go on the individual entries for each flying session, toghether with any notes on the flights, which I find incredibly useful looking back - such as where I've tried an alternative prop or battery. Those sheets also record the general details of each flight and are colour coded for crashes, any issues which means a model could not fly and successful maiden flights.

[Don Fry]

I used to keep a log of what equipment is in each model, so after an arrival, if fit to use again( judgement) the arrival was recorded, and also maintainence schedules. 
I stopped doing it, with some regrets.

[Geoff S]

No, but I have a rough idea what I've flown from memory. Logging flights would make a chore out of a pleasure for me. 

 

My wife's is the arch logger.  She checks her blood pressure weekly, how far she walks, where we've replaced light bulbs, and where we bought them - and lots more!  I once recorded my annual cycling miles and was disappointed to fall short of 10,000 miles by 30 miles because of heavy snow at the end of the year - I didn't bother again 🙂

 

At my doctor's request, I've just recorded by blood pressure and heart rate every day for the past week. That was enough!  134/66 and 52bpm today as you're asking 🙂

[leccyflyer]

Didn't add the second screengrab to my OP - this is an extract from the annual flight log sheets.

 

[john stones 1 - Moderator]

A No for me, would find it a chore.

[leccyflyer]

30 minutes ago, Geoff S said:

No, but I have a rough idea what I've flown from memory. Logging flights would make a chore out of a pleasure for me. 

 

My wife's is the arch logger.  She checks her blood pressure weekly, how far she walks, where we've replaced light bulbs, and where we bought them - and lots more!  I once recorded my annual cycling miles and was disappointed to fall short of 10,000 miles by 30 miles because of heavy snow at the end of the year - I didn't bother again 🙂

 

At my doctor's request, I've just recorded by blood pressure and heart rate every day for the past week. That was enough!  134/66 and 52bpm today as you're asking 🙂

I don't do any coding myself, but my boy generates all kinds of data in order to practice his data handling, including every record/track that he has listened to in the past few years, the media it was in, open air speakers, headphones and sundry other seemingly random stuff, which he then interrogates using Python.

[John Muir]

I do. Spreadsheet and everything. So I can say that last year I flew on 78 days and had 382 flights for a total of over 52 hours flight time, which, by my standards isn't too bad. I also keep notes about each session with anything odd, unusual or that might need attention included so I don't forget stuff. I had a twelve year break from the hobby and started logging when I came back as I regretted not having decent records of what I had gotten up to previously. I tend to fill in my log while I've got batteries on the charger and it doesn't take long. It's interesting.

[leccyflyer]

Excellent work Sir!

[EvilC57]

I used to in Excel, but gave up years ago.

[Graham Bowers]

No, however it wouldn't be a bad idea and I often keep field notes, so wouldn't be hard to do. 

[John Muir]

Haha, if it felt like work I wouldn't do it! I just have nerdy inclinations. I must say my spreadsheet is much less colourful and extensive than yours Leccy. Mine seems dull now.

2 minutes ago, leccyflyer said:

Excellent work Sir!

 

[Chris Walby]

Log which model and number of flights as in the early days I was more interested in the weather and if it was worth a trip to the field. Now I just use the "how windy" and do I mind having to fix the model approach. But still handy to know if its going to be blowing a gale as I end up just looking at the day's weather and not a forecast if I don't fill the spreadsheet in.

 

 

 

[Dickw]

I don't log flights in a spreadsheet or database, but I do note what I flew in a diary and usually something about the conditions.
For some of my highly stressed competition models I do keep a log of flights and equipment for maintenance purposes.

 

However, my transmitter does log my flights along with any telemetry data, so I can look at details of any particular model/flight for the last 10 years if I feel the need. I keep a backup of the Tx data log on my PC so I don't need to get the transmitter out to review data.

 

Dick

 

[Cuban8]

I'm flabbergasted............keeping such detailed records seems a bit like hoarding - keeping old Cornflakes boxes, bottle caps etc. Medical data sure, but model data for fun flying I really don't get.

[PDB]

My Tx is configured to log telemetry once it gets an Rx signal, so yes my flights are logged but I've only looked at them in the event of a problem or a maiden.

[Nigel R]

Yes. Takes but mere moments after a session...

 

Helps figure out what I'm actually really getting value from. Amongst other things.

 

 

[GrumpyGnome]

I keep a log of my planes, and their flights, in an Access database. It's nowhere near as comprehensive as some others though.

[GBG]

I keep a very basic spreadsheet of my flights, just date, place, model and number of flights. I also keep a similar spreadsheet for my lipo's which records total no. of flights for each one and date last used. It also works out the cost per flight. 

[leccyflyer]

Have never tried Access, but used to say, year on year that one day I would. I'd like to get my aviation book collection into such a database, but it's a daunting task to start from scratch. I also don't think that it's included in my MS Office 365 subscription. Updating the flight and model spreadsheet in Excel isn't time consuming at all, since it has grown organically, much of it is cut and paste and it takes 10 minutes sitting with a brew and reflecting on each trip to the field. 

[Allan Bennett]

I don't log flights per se, but I do keep a record of each use and charge of my LiPos and A123s.  This includes which model they were in for the flight, so gives me some idea (if I'm interested) of model useage.

[Outrunner]

I don't log flights but I keep an excel spreadsheet of every motor setup when building a new model or if I change motor/prop. I record the model name, motor, prop, battery, esc, Watts, Amps and any other useful information. It helps me decide on motor/battery/prop/esc on new models. Quite a few entries over the years as I started in the day of brushed Graupner Speed 600 motors.

 

[Nigel R]

My flight log is one page of a larger spreadsheet where I also work out motor setups and record a bunch of other "useful info" like servo torque and fuel cost and lipo cost and some of that can then get used to work out cost per flight of each airframe, and so on. I also do some rough figuring out of build times and build costs in other tabs.