bookworm wrote:
The OFP records data for a single flight, so I think it would be hard to argue that multiple flights are required.
AIUI, if you go this route, you’re supposed to keep the plans. A single plan isn’t really an equivalent of a log unless it’s the first flight. I think the common wisdom is to keep records for flights since you (last) left the country of registration. Or one could use the record keeping period EASA has for commercial operators/ operators of complex aircraft, which is for both journey log and OFP three months. I thought it was six but it’s three.
Martin wrote:
you’re supposed to keep the [operational flight] plans.
I don’t think there is such a requirement for non-commercial operations under part NCO.
Can anyone guess what the police would be looking for in the log – I mean the purpose of inspecting it?
For example if they look at your license and check you have an IR, if you just landed on an IFR flight plan, that is fairly obvious.
So, as I say, what would they look for on a jouney log.
That might be a more useful discussion than debating the regulation.
So far, I have never met anyone who has a clue what this is really likely to be used for.
Does anyone here have police presence at their airport and maybe ask them what would they look for? A simple enough question…
Cobalt wrote:
I don’t think there is such a requirement for non-commercial operations under part NCO.
There s no general requirement to save operational flight plans, but clearly to use them instead of a journey log you have to keep them.
Sounds like I am being a bit overzealous here. It seems to me that taking a piece of paper with suitable log format to record journeys on foreign trips while being able to access previous flights online should suffice. Maybe I’ll print out the relevant page from Part-NCO too.
Thanks for the comments
So far I’ve only been asked for certificates of registration and insurance, and frequently passports.
My licence has only ever been viewed for gaining entry through the GA door at larger airports.
No one has questioned whether I have an IR after making an approach or IFR flight.
But if there was an incident, I’d expect thorough scrutiny.
Can anyone guess what the police would be looking for in the log – I mean the purpose of inspecting it?
They will just check if it is present and if it is current, i.e. if the last flight has been looged.
boscomantico wrote:
Can anyone guess what the police would be looking for in the log – I mean the purpose of inspecting it?They will just check if it is present and if it is current, i.e. if the last flight has been looged.
It is purely an ICAO requirement. I assume they check it is there and current. I will be relying on the Garmin pilot logbook. Even though I have a written log which is the aircraft log used for Cessna and the engine and airframe programmes.
They will just check if it is present and if it is current, i.e. if the last flight has been looged.
So you should write the flight down when you stop the engine?
It is purely an ICAO requirement.
Sure, but that is a circular argument 
I still fail to see what use it is to the police, or anyone else.
About the only thing they could use it for that I can think of is to check when the aircraft entered EU to see whether they should dig into its VAT status. And where you have been recently, perhaps to see whether they should check the plane more thoroughly or whether you’re eligible for a complimentary rectal examination. But it would depend on what competences they have, I’m sure it differs between countries.
I can’t recall what other logging requirements ICAO has so I can imagine this was a sort of minimum record. It doesn’t really help it’s ancient and vague. One could ask ICAO directly, perhaps they still have some oldtimers around.
Yes I think it is just a relic of history when there was no other way to track what aircraft were doing. I doubt it would be of much use for anything. Think of it like a documentary ADF.
