Logbook

In aviation, logbooks serve as official records for both aircraft and pilots:

Aircraft Logbook: A set of documents that record every flight, inspection, maintenance action, repair, modification, and airworthiness directive compliance for an aircraft, its engines, and propellers. Aircraft logbooks are legal documents — they establish the aircraft's airworthiness history and are essential for determining its value and legal status. An aircraft with incomplete or missing logbooks may be considered unairworthy and can lose significant value.

Pilot Logbook: A personal record of a pilot's flight experience, including date, aircraft type, route, flight time, number of landings, instrument time, night time, and type of pilot function (PIC, SIC, dual instruction, etc.). Pilot logbook entries serve as evidence for meeting experience requirements for certificates, ratings, currency, and employment.

While paper logbooks are still common in general aviation, most airlines and many professional pilots use electronic logbooks that automatically import data from scheduling systems and integrate with regulatory compliance tracking.