an Exel sheet that’s stored in the Dropbox is cheaper than L 30 / year, no?
I still use a paper log book, backed up by re-entering into an excel spreadsheet (which is simply a copy of my paper logbook).
The excel spreadsheet is nothing fancy….just the same layout.
But it’s saved in dropbox so is perfectly safe.
Until DB kill your account because
This isn’t really much of an issue, because all dropbox does is sync the files across your various machines. You still have a copy of the spreadsheet across multiple machines, so you don’t need Dropbox to get access to it.
The biggest danger with dropbox is creating bit of a mess by updating on a machine that isn’t internet connected regularly, and then you end up with conflicted copies. But even then, the copies are safe, you just have a bit of a mess to sort out.
I don’t trust apps or web applications because I figure that I hope to continue flying for another 25 years at least, and in that time frame, very few such apps/websites will still be around. Even the hardware is likely to be radically different. But a .csv file is a useful bit of info, and is likely to be able to be upgraded along the way.
I agree with this.
I initially created an Excel file that just duplicates the pages in my old paper logbook. As time went on, though, I wanted to extract more information about my flying so started to include various analyses including currency for things like instrument approaches, night etc as well as splitting out my business vs personal flying.
It’s backed up on various machines via Dropbox and every so often I print off the flights that I have added so I have the comfort of a paper backup.
I have to say that I agree with those not wanting to rely on an app developer being around long term.
I have a pepper logbook without a spellcheck function, unlike my iPhone.
Using a tablet an instructor can also sign off entries
How does that work?
Open the web page on a device with a touch screen and a scratch pad is available to place the signature. Logbook.aero also backs up the data as a CSV file to Dropbox
I recall flying with one fairly high profile UK instructor, for some commercial/IR training, who absolutely refused to do anything but sign the actual physical logbook.
He said if he signs anything but the actual logbook, people could and apparently did sometimes transfer the sticker (stickers were often used for endorsements etc) to somebody else’s logbook.
I wonder what he does nowadays? I have to say that if I had suspicions for some reason…. the basic issue with most logbook endorsements is that nothing goes to the CAA, so if you re-used it, nobody would ever know.
My first flight was 27/7/1964, in paper log book 1. It can still be read using current techno!ogy. What will you electronic log guys be using in 2065? 
Paper – I use an electronic log book as a backup not as the primary log book
I use a paper log book for signatures. Most online logbooks allow csv exports so technology risk is actually lower than the risk of losing a paper log book.
I use an electronic logbook with paper for the occasional signatures.
The logbook backs up to dropbox as csv, which I back up with snapshots to a local drive as well (I use dropbox for a bunch of things).
Logbook.aero looks really nice.
Exporting to CSV is a pretty save means to transfer the content to your average 2065 technology along the way.
However, I understand you will still need the primary paper log book for signatures because they can’t be exported to CSV.
