Flight Log for a Newbie

mwfullen

Junior Member
This is my first post here and as it might be clear I am a complete newbie to RC planes. My friends and I stumbled a crossed Maker Hanger and decided to dive into this hobby. We have only been able to go out flying twice with very mixed results but enjoyed every bit of it form the build process to the crashes.

Three weeks ago I went in for a miner surgery but I has restricted my activity and I have not been able to work on the RC planes and or fly. During this time of extreme boredom I came across Adam Savage was talking about is new quad copter and showed the flight log he made and the reasons why.

A log book sounds good to me as I am an Engineer and as my friend stated you know you are an engineer when documentation becomes part of the fun. My through is to create a log book for the flights but also a second to log LiPo batteries as it looks like you need to keep them healthy through good practices My question to you all is what do you think should be in a log book?

Here is what I have at this time:

Flight Log Entry
  • Flight Log Number: - This would be a number to correlate the flight to the battery log.
  • Date: - Whey you flew
  • Location: - Where you flew
  • Plane: - what plane was it, name or type.
  • Witness: - who was there with you, I got this from Adam’s book and his reason sound good.
  • Time: - time of day
  • Duration: - of the flight, current best 20 seconds.
  • Battery Log Number: - correlates to the battery log page
  • Weather: - current conditions, general
  • Wind Speed / Direction: - If you have this info.
  • Frequency: - I would think that this would be more for FPV
  • FPV: - if yes, check box
  • Notes / Incidents: - observations of how your flight went.


Battery Log
  • Battery Log Number: - This would be a number to correlate back to the flight log
  • Battery ID: - a way to keep track of your batteries, I was thinking for me the date I got it
  • Cells: - Battery info
  • Voltage (S): - Battery info
  • Capacity (mAh): - Battery info
  • Discharge Rate (C): - Battery info
  • Flight: - correlate to specific flight if not a charge or discharge
  • Charge: - if yes, check box
  • Discharge: - if yes, check box
  • Date: - date of use, charge or discharge
  • Starting (V): - to record what you started with overall
  • Ending (V): - to record what you ended up with overall
  • Start: - the values of each cell up to 6 before you start
  • End: - the values of each cell up to 6 at the end

Thank you for your time and sorry for the long post. –Wes
 

Tench745

Master member
Here's a thread for a log I put together for myself. Files available. Inspired by Adam Savage's logbook and my dad's commercial logbooks.
http://forum.flitetest.com/showthread.php?16992-RC-Logbook
It contains what I felt were pertinent categories for how I fly.

Can't really speak to batteries. I have labeled mine with a number and a letter. When the battery finally dies the new one will the same number and the next higher letter. Ie. when battery 2A finally gives up the ghost the battery I buy to replace it will become 2B. Not overly analytical, but does help me know which batteries get used more.

There are some flight log apps out there too, but I prefer paper.
 

Snarls

Gravity Tester
Mentor
I have seen Tench745s design and started my own when I was last home from school. I use a waterproof field notebook and have it sectioned by aircraft. Reading some of your ideas I think I'm going to add a few pages for battery use in the back as well as a date ordered list of every flight no matter what craft in the back as well. There are no standards for RC flight logging so I guess it's all up to personal preference now. I also really hope Adam produces his design for others to purchase.
 

mwfullen

Junior Member
Tench745 thanks for directing me to your post, I really like seeing I am not the only one out there that would take the time to do this. I to prefer paper as I think it would be easier to use out in the field. - Wes
 

mwfullen

Junior Member
Snarls thank you, I had not even thought about waterproof paper. That would be nice for better durability if I recall this type of paper is usually tear resistant, however I live in Nevada so rain is not too common. - Wes