ForPilots Logbook

(c) 2000-2007 SB-Software

smbaker@sb-software.com

Thank you for choosing ForPilots Logbook.
ForPilots logbook has been designed to offer you the latest technology in maintaining an electronic version of your logbook.

Table of Contents:

  1. Getting Started
  2. Using ForPilots Logbook
  3. Special Features / Problems / Issues
  4. Frequently Asked Questions
  5. Registration
  6. Revision History
  7. Contacting the Author

Getting Started: Using the New Flight Wizard

Flights are generally created by using the new flgith wizard. The new flight wizard is accessed by the "Add New Flight" button in the main window:

The new flight wizard is shown below. The wizard will guide you through a series of screens where you can enter various parameters of the flight. The new flight wizard is intended to be very intuitive and self explanatory. If you are confused about an option, feel free to experiment and see what the results are.

It is possible that your flight uses an aircraft and/or a model that is not already in the database. In this case, the New Flight Wizard has links to the New Aircraft and New Type wizards:

You can use the New Flight Wizard to populate the logbook with as many flights as you want.

 

Editing Flights

There are two ways to edit flights that you've already created:

  1. By using the Edit Flight Wizard. This works much like the New Flight Wizard described above. The Edit Flight Wizard is accessed by using the "Edit Flight" button which is adjacent to the "New Flight" button.

  2. The wizard can be a bit awkward if you just want to make a simple change. For this reason, you can edit a flight by clicking anywhere in the logbook and typing new information without having to open up the wizard.

 

Setting Display Fields

Columns in the logbook are referred to as "fields". These include such things as date, N-Number, From, To, etc. ForPilots Logbook includes a great many fields, in fact there may be so many that some of them are getting in the way (do you really fly balloons and gyroplanes that often?). The "set fields" button allows you to select which fields are displayed in the logbook. Deselecting a field will not delete the data in the field; It just hides that data from view.

 

Viewing Graphs

One of the benefits of ForPilots logbook is the beautiful and informative graphs that it can create. These graphs may be viewed by selected in the Flight Graph, Aircraft Graph, or Type Graph tabs:

 

Importing from CSV files

The Import form CSV file option allows you to import logbook data from other sources, such as a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet (saved in CSV format).

The import function is very particular and requires you to enter some extra data into your spreadhseet before you attempt to import it. Forpilots Logbook needs to know how to match up the columns in your spreadsheet to Logbook fields like Total Time, From, To, etc.

The way to do this is to insert a row at the top of your spreadsheet and enter the ForPilots Logbook field names for each column. Here is an example of an excel spreadsheet:

It's very important that the column names match column names in the ForPilots Logbook fields. Here is a list of Forpilots Logbook Columns:

Date
N-Number
Type
From
To
Stops
Remarks
TotalTime
TakeOffs
Landings
InstAppr
SE Land
ME Land
 SE Sea
ME Sea
Balloon
Glider
Gyroplane
Helicopter
Other Class
Complex
High Perf
Night
ActualInstr
SimInstr
Simulator
XCountry		 CFI
Dual
PIC
Instructor
Student
Night TO
Night Land
Holds
Tracking
User-Defined-1
User-Defined-2

 

Upgrading from Version 1.2 (or below) to Version 1.3

Version 1.3 includes several new files that require upgrading of the logbook format for users of previous versions of ForPilot's logbook.

The upgrade process has been made completely automated and should not cause any problems. If you attempt to open a Pre-1.3 logbook with version 1.3, a dialog box will appear asking if you wish to upgrade the format. If you select "Yes", then the logbook will be upgraded. If you select "No", then the program will continue to operate using the old format, but the new features will not be available.

The new (upgraded) files are fully compatible with older versions, so you should not worry about upgrading.

In the event that the upgrade causes a problem, your existing files will still be available with a special "save_" filename. For example, if your current logbook is named "default", then the upgrade will save your current logbook as "save_default".

The upgrade process has been thoroughly tested, but in the event you do experience a problem, please email me at smbaker@forpilots.com

Backing up your Logbook

One of the advantages to having an electronic logbook is that it is easy to back up, as opposed to a paper logbook, which requires the use of a photocopier or xerox machine!

There are several ways you can backup your logbook:

  1. Write the contents of the logbook to a CD-R disc with a cd-writer. This has the advantage of making a permanent non-erasable copy of the logbook, and the CD-R media is very durable and will last a long time. However, if your computer does not have a cd-writer, then you cannot do this.
  2. Backup the logbook to a floppy disk. Floppies are not as reliable as CD-R media, but are often times more widely available in peoples computers.

Backing up to CD-R disc via CD-ROM drive:

ForPilots Logbook does not include a mechanism to automatically back-up to a cd-rom -- you'll need to use the software that came with your cd-rom disk. Your logbook files are stored in the same directory as the ForPilots Logbook program files. Usually this is "c:\my programs\sb-software\forpilots logbook\". If you are unsure of where your logbook files are, then you can find them by doing the following:

  1. Start ForPilots Logbook (your logbook should be opened automatically; if not, use the File:Open command)
  2. Select the "File" menu and the "Properties" command. This will bring up the logbook properties dialog.
  3. The properties dialog will display the names of all of the files that are used by the currently open logbook.
  4. If you want, you can even use the "Explore..." button to open the windows explorer, where you can drag and drop the logbook files into your CD-burning program

Backing up to a Floppy

Forpilots Logbook includes a built-in facility to backup and restore from floppy disks. The backup and restore options can be reached from the "File" menu on the ForPilots logbook menu bar.

 

Locking and Unlocking the Interface

ForPilots logbook includes a function that allows you to lock or until the logbook tables in the main interface. What we're talking about here is the large grid that displays the contents of your logbook. Normally, this grid is unlocked, and you can click anywhere on the grid and start typing information into the logbook.

However, some users have asked for the ability to lock the interface, so that no changes can be made. The reason for this is to prevent you from accidentally changing an entry. Imagine, for example, that you're not paying close attention to what you're doing, and you accidentally hit somekeys on the keyboard. You could end up inadvertantly changing a logbook entry, without realizing what happened, and you could have a difficult time trying to find out which entry you changed accidentally.

For this reason, there is a "lock" and "unlock" option on the Edit menu. Locking the interface will place the logbook grid in "read-only" mode where you cannot edit it. You can still use the "Add New Flight" and "Edit Flight" commands to add and edit flights, since those commands are more difficult to make an inadvertant change with. The idea here is that you would only need to unlock the interface when you have some complicated change that you need to make to the on-screen logbook grid.

You can also use the Insert (+) and Edit (^) navigator buttons when the interface is locked. These buttons are located on the little button panel right above the logbook grid. Pressing insert (+) will automatically unlock the interface while you are entering the new record. Pressing Edit (^) will prompt you to unlock the interface, and then unlock it for the duration of the edit.

Don't feel pressured to use the lock and unlock features -- some users prefer to use them, and some do not.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I specify an aircraft as complex or high-performance ?

High-performance and complex are computed automatically. High performance time is logged if the aircraft has greater than 200 horsepower. Complex is logged if the aircraft has a constant-speed prop and retractable gear. There is no checkbox for "flaps", so we are assuming that if your aircraft has a CS prop and is retractable that is also has flaps.

Help! My logbook is experiencing errors, how can I repair it ?

Corruption of the logbook data files is very rare, but has been known to happen under some circumstances, such as powering off your computer in the middle of saving the file. There are two built-in repair features located under the file menu: repair index files and repair logbook. If you have any trouble repairing your logbook, then you're welcome to send me an email at smbaker@forpilots.com and I can look into the problem, or even take a look at your logbook files myself.

Registration

>>> You may register online at http://www.forpilots.com/order/ <<<

This program is shareware and must be registered with the author for continued use. Registering supports the author's efforts in developing the program and helps to fund future work, fix bugs, and add more features. There are several ways to register, including: using your credit card, sending a payment in the mail, or using paypal.

Registration is a one-time only item, is good for life, and applies to all future versions of this software. Your registration will never become obsolete.

See http://www.forpilots.com/order/ for more information

Revision History

Contacting the Author

By email:

smbaker@forpilots.com or smbaker@sb-software.com

Website:

ForPilots.Com: http://www.forpilots.com/

SB-Software: http://www.sb-software.com/