Keep it clean

What do I store them in?

The records themselves may start out in a small, 1.5- or 2-inch binder, and over the years they grow into leather briefcases that may wind up in an attic, with the most recent logbooks kept on a shelf in the garage. In any case, it is important that they are easy to find. Consider a hard-case Trapper Keeper style document holder for the newer aircraft that don’t have as many records. There are larger zip-up versions at local office stores that will hold your records as the aircraft ages.

Tabs and titles

When it comes to tabbing out the “chapters” in your aircraft, we find it easy for both the owner and your mechanic to have an up-to-date list of recurring inspections in the front. Maybe it is a Word document that you keep updated or an easily repeatable file your mechanic can make changes in. However you do it, opening the front page and seeing a list of items coming due is a nice reference for everyone. Some items that come to mind:

• Annual inspection
• Pitot-static check
• Transponder
• ELT
• VOR
• GPS database

Recurring ADs

The next tab a mechanic might like to see is a list of ADs. It’s best to keep the newest list on top and older copies underneath. You may keep the current list in this binder and file older ones away in a safe place. That is ultimately between you and your mechanic. For longevity, consider placing each page in its own protective sleeve.

An FAA Form 337 is as important as the aircraft’s logbooks themselves. Any major repairs or alterations made to the aircraft without proper documentation can be costly, sometimes literally. Filing your 337s in chronological order is preferred, with the newest on top.

Sometimes major work also comes with a lot of records. I have seen engine overhauls with cutouts of the “proof of purchase” from each cylinder taped to a piece of cardboard. There’s a better way to do it. This piece of cardboard was easily photographed and printed out on high-quality paper, stored in the aircraft records, and is now digitally reproducible. If you have work done on a component, say your muffler is replaced, it’s easy enough to take all the information from the boxes, tags, work orders, and more, and digitize them, print them out neatly on another medium, and place them in a logbook. If you are adamant on keeping pieces of cardboard, perhaps they would be better saved in that old suitcase you tossed your last tire-change tags in.

Many types of document holders are available at local office supply stores to store those heavy aircraft logbooks. Do not skimp on the right tool for this job. You bought your pride and joy, and it can bring you many years of happiness. Protect that happiness by keeping the paperwork in the right place. Sturdy three-ring binders, even lockable tabs, with zipper or Velcro closure are a good start. Keeping documents in heavy-duty sleeves pays off after years of flipping through records looking for an AD that was accomplished 20 years ago. Properly tabbed sections help everyone find those all-important maintenance records that used to be secured to a piece of cardboard.

“The road to hell is paved with good intentions” could be said about aircraft records that are kept in old work satchels covered in dust, in broken suitcases in a garage, or loose papers stacked on a shelf somewhere.