Switching from a paper logbook to digital (is it legal, and how)

Short answer: yes, electronic logbooks are legal. 14 CFR 61.51 (official current text) requires that you keep a reliable record of the time used to meet requirements for a certificate, rating, or recency; it does not require paper. The FAA's Advisory Circular AC 120-78A additionally recognizes electronic signatures and electronic recordkeeping. Examiner and airline acceptance of digital logbooks is routine.

Two migration strategies

1. Carry-forward totals (fast). Enter one "carry-forward" line per category that brings over your paper totals (total time, PIC, cross-country, night, instrument, landings, and so on), then log everything new digitally. Keep the paper logbook as the supporting record for the carried-forward numbers.

• Best when you have many years of history and no need to query old flights.
• Your paper logbook remains part of your records; bring it to checkrides that rely on old experience.

2. Full transcription (complete). Enter every historical flight individually. Slower, but your entire history becomes searchable, totalable, and report-ready, and your digital logbook stands alone.

• Best for pilots heading to airline interviews, where time-by-type and date-range breakdowns get requested.
• You can split the work: transcribe the last few years in full, carry forward the rest.

Protect the paper either way

• Photograph every page of the paper logbook before it goes in a drawer. Pages fade, books get lost in moves, and endorsements are hard to reconstruct.
• Store the photos with your digital logbook so everything lives in one place.
• Never discard the paper original; it is the primary record for everything in it, including instructor endorsements.

How KármánLogs makes the move easier

KármánLogs imports your history from CSV and from other logbook apps (see import your logbook), supports carry-forward style entries, and stores photos of your paper pages and endorsements alongside your flights. Your data then lives in your own iCloud, encrypted and synced across your devices: see where your data is stored.

This guide is educational and summarizes the regulations as of the date above. Always verify against the current 14 CFR text when in doubt.

Still need help? Email support@karmanlogs.com.