Logging Your Time

 

I've talked with multiple IPs, CFIs, and other student pilots about keeping a logbook.  Most student pilots do not understand the importance of keeping a logbook, but if you've ever flown in the civilian world, you will know that it is important.  The Army will keep track of all of your flight time on a digital form 759.  However, you will find out at some point that the Army does not log flight time the same as the civilian world.  Logging your time in your own personal logbook will help you keep a record of your time when you transition to the civilian market after you get out of the Army, and it also provides a backup in case there is a discrepancy on your 759.

Differences in Logging Army Flight Time and FAA Flight Time
As I said a second ago, the Army does not log time the same as the FAA designates.  There are a few key differences that I'd like to point out.  First the Army logs "FLIGHT TIME" from the time the helicopter lifts off the ground, to the time the engines are stopped, or crew changes.  The FAA designates it as "time that commences when an aircraft moves under its own power for the purpose of flight and ends when the aircraft comes to rest after landing."  That may not seem too different, but if you always taxi before takeoff, the Army does not log that, and the FAA would say that you can.  To me, it doesn't equate to much of a difference, so I just log Army "FLIGHT TIME" in my FAA logbook.

Night Time - The Army logs night time between the hours of official sunset to official sunrise.  The only caveat being that in the Army you cannot log 2 "conditions" of flight at the same time.  So if you fly at night using NVGs, you would only log "NG" time for the Army.  In your logbook, you would log it as "NIGHT" and "NG" time.  Same goes for "Weather" and "Hood" time.  If you do those at night, you'd only log one in the Army, both in your logbook.  Now, the FAA has 3 different definitions of "night".  Generally it's the "time between the end of evening civil twilight and the beginning of morning civil twilight".  If you really wanted to get technical, you could figure out and log the difference if you fly at night, however to keep things simple, I just log "night" in my personal logbook the same as the Army.

Where To Log Your Flight Time
There are a couple of ways to log your flight time.  You can use a digital logbook, a paper logbook, or both.  I personally use both.  There are multiple options for digital logbooks so do your research before using one.  I use MyFlightBook because it's free, stores everything online, I was able to import all of my prior time that was already in an excel file, it has an Android app, and there are columns for just about anything you can imagine.  The biggest benefit to digital (in my opinion) is that it will sort your flight time for you.  When you go to apply for a job after leaving the Army, potential employers will want to know how many hours you have in specific areas.  The digital logbook easily adds it up for you and you can modify how you want it sorted.

I tried to use ZuluLog prior to MyFlightBook, as there is a free and a paid version, but I could not import my prior time with the free version so I opted not to use it.  Other than that, it seemed like an awesome option to me and I would be using it today if I could import my current data.  There are also a lot of good paid options.  One that I hear a lot about is Logbook Pro.  I've never used any of the paid versions, so you'll have to research those on your own.


DISCLAIMER: I am not an expert on logging flight time or Federal Aviation Regulations (FARs).  The information I provide is just based on my own knowledge, and that of others in the industry that I have spoken with.  You MUST do your own research and read the Federal Aviation Regulations before deciding how to log your flight time.

How to Log Your Time in Flight School
Primary

If you don't have any helicopter ratings when you get to flight school, it's pretty simple.  There are a lot of tutorials online on how to fill out your logbook, so I'm not going to go over that, just the things that apply specifically to Army flight school students.  However, I would recommend getting into the FARs on your own to at least understand what the FAA thinks is acceptable for logging time.  This can be found in 14CFR §61.51.  In Primary, you should log all time as DUAL RECEIVED, TOTAL TIME, ROTORCRAFT TIME, and DAY.  In addition you can log your landings and any remarks for the flight.  Be sure to log the 'N' number of the aircraft and I would also note the IP's name.  Under aircraft Make and Model, you can either put TH67 or B06B3.

The only time you will log anything different is during your solo.  It is not technically a solo or PIC time per the FARs, so I didn't log it as solo time.  Even though you will log PC time per the Army, the FARs do not warrant logging it as PIC time.  (I did add an extra column on my logbook to log Army PC time though, and I put it there.)  Log it the same as normal only don't log dual received for the "solo" portion of your flight.  Now, the FARs state that you need a CFI's endorsement for logging training flights, but there are 2 reasons that I don't think that you do.

1) I've posed this question to some IPs and on the Vertical Reference Forums, and the most legitimate response is that it is not required.  One guy on the forums (whom I've met at Rucker) and is a CFII with ATP certificate posted this.

2) In that part of the regs, it is referring to logging time to count toward a certificate.  Well, technically your time is not counting toward a certificate, you can get a commercial helicopter certificate after you graduate flight school just by taking a military competency exam.

But, you can interpret however you want and log it as you see fit.  Remember it is your logbook, but if your hours ever come into question you have to be able to back it up.

If you already have a private or commercial helicopter rating prior to Army Flight School:
You should be able to log all time as PIC, just like you did after you got your private license.

Instruments
In instruments, you will go have both simulator and flying time.  If you would like, you can log your simulator time.  I did.  In this case, write the serial number of the simulator you're using (from the logbook) and for aircraft type, I put "TH67IFT" since that's what it says in the logbook.  Make sure to specify that the route of flight is simulated.  I just wrote "simulated" in the block above where I wrote my route of flight.  You can also log the number of APPROACHES, SIMULATED INSTRUMENT TIME, GROUND TRAINER, and DUAL RECEIVED.  Do NOT log it as Total Time or anything else (day, rotorcraft, etc).  Keep track of the approaches that you do and whether or not you do missed approaches or holding.  I wrote all of this in the remarks section of my logbook.  If you are using a digital logbook, there may be a separate section to specify the types and names of approaches that you are doing.


When you get to the flightline, you can log it as you did in primary (DUAL, TOTAL, ROTORCRAFT, DAY) and you can continue to log it as SIMULATED INSTRUMENT.  If you go further than 25NM straight line distance, you can also log CROSS-COUNTRY TIME.  And, if you were previously rated, you can continue to log it as PIC.

BWS

Log all time as you did in Primary.  The only difference that I had was that instead of putting in an 'N' number for Aircraft ID, I put it as 'R' and then the last 5 of the serial number (i.e. R16921). Army aircraft do not actually have civilian registrations, so there is no 'N' number.  Also, make note every day of whether you flew an A+ or a C model.  I don't know if it's necessary, but I made sure to put the exact model (i.e. OH58A+) in my logbook.  Don't forget that you can log any flight greater than 25NM straight line distance as CROSS COUNTRY.  I'm pretty sure that every flight in BWS is longer than that.

If you were previously rated:
It is up to you how you log it.  Since you are logging PIC as time where you are "sole manipulator of the controls", you probably can't log PIC for the entire flight during BWS.  You can choose to not log it as PIC, or try to figure out how long you were on the controls every day.  I have no advice on this, just log it as you see fit.


Advanced Aircraft
Once you get to your advanced aircraft, everybody should be logging time the same.  If you had previous ratings, you can no longer log PIC for a couple of reasons.  You are only rated for aircraft below 12,500 lbs Gross Weight, and I think that all Army aircraft weigh more than that.  Also, all advanced aircraft require 2 pilots and (at least for the UH60) it requires a type rating in the civilian world.  So, you can't log any PIC until you are rated in the advanced airframe.  Other than that, continue to log it as you have been logging during flight school.  Again, remember to make note of the designation of aircraft you are flying (i.e. UH60A, UH60L, EH60A).


After Flight School
After flight school, everybody should be on the same page.  If you've logged all of your flight time during flight school, you are golden.  If not, now's a good time to start.  The UH60 has a civilian variant, the S70 and you can get (and should get) a type rating for it.  I'm not sure about the CH47 or AH64, so I can't comment on those.

In the UH60 I log both PIC and SIC time depending on the flight.  As a PI (not yet "rated" as a PC in the Army), I log time PIC when I am the sole manipulator of the controls, and SIC when I am not.  I don't start a clock every time I'm on the controls, but generally I know how much of the flight I was on the controls, so I calculate based on that.  The reason I see it fit to log SIC is 14 CFR 61.51(f)(2).  Note the "or" in that paragraph and the "or" at the end of 61.51(f)(1).  Once you make PC, you can log PIC time as any time you are designated as PC of the aircraft AND any time you are sole manipulator of the controls when not designated as the PC.

One additional thing that I do is log CROSS COUNTRY for any flight with a landing over 25NM away from departure..  This is to meet the aeronautical experience required for a rotorcraft category rating.  The only rating still being sought is the ATP rating, so continue to log this way until you get your ATP.  I also have a separate column where I log CROSS COUNTRY < 25NM.  Why?  Because Part 135 (Air Carrier Operations) dictates CROSS COUNTRY as per Part 61.1, which is any time that includes landing at a point other than the point of departure and involves the use of dead reckoning, pilotage, electronic navigation aids, radio aids, or other navigation systems to navigate to the landing point.  I don't know if this will come up in the future, but I log both ways just in case a future employer may want to see it based on a certain definition.

I added an additional column in my logbook for DUAL ENGINE TURBINE time, NVG time, and FORMATION FLYING TIME.  The formation flying time is just for me, it will probably never come up for anything in the future. Once you start doing additional mission tasks you can add columns (at least in your digital logbook) for things like EXTERNAL LOADS, FRIES, SPIES, PARADROPS, etc., so that you can keep track for yourself that you are meeting your annual and semi-annual requirements.