How to Prepare Your Logbook for an Airline Interview or Licence Application

Published 31 October 2026

Short answer: find out exactly what is being asked for, gather every logbook you have, make sure your totals add up, and get any missing signatures. Then present it the way your authority or airline wants. Start weeks ahead, because signatures and corrections are what take the time.

Your logbook is the evidence behind every hour you claim. A licensing officer or airline recruiter may spot a total that doesn't add up in minutes, and it can delay an application or lead to awkward questions. This checklist covers the usual problems.

1. Check what is being asked for

Requirements vary, so read the instructions before you do anything else:

	UK (CAA)	EASA countries	USA (FAA)
Logbook format	UK AMC1 FCL.050	AMC1 FCL.050, with the details set by your national authority	Records in a manner acceptable to the FAA (14 CFR 61.51)
Paper logbooks	Scans or photocopies of all relevant pages, or the originals	Check your national authority's process	Keep the records that show you meet the requirements
Electronic logbooks	Submit the file, electronically signed, or print it and hand-sign one page	Check your national authority's process	Keep the records that show you meet the requirements

In the USA, you must also show your logbook if the FAA, the NTSB or a law enforcement officer reasonably asks to see it, so keep your records in good order even when you aren't applying for anything.

For an airline, follow the assessment invitation exactly. There is no standard list, and airlines differ on whether they want originals, printouts or a summary.

2. Gather every logbook

Collect everything from your first training flight onwards, including old paper logbooks and any records held by a flight school or operator. Moving to an electronic logbook doesn't replace the earlier ones, so don't throw them away. In the UK, the CAA keeps the right to ask for your original logbook at any time.

3. Make sure your totals add up

Carried-forward totals: check that each one matches the page or logbook before it, especially where you moved from paper to digital.
Function times: PIC, co-pilot, dual and PICUS time should add up to your total time for each flight. Don't enter the same time under two functions.
Night, IFR and multi-pilot time: none of these can be more than the total time of the flight.
Your CV and application form: the hours you state should match your logbook exactly, so make them agree before you send anything.

4. Look for entry errors

Duplicate flights are common after an import. Also look for flights that overlap in time, and for simulator sessions logged as flight time. If you are working towards an ATPL or ATP, make sure cross-country time can be identified, as EASA, UK and FAA requirements all set a minimum for it.

5. Get missing signatures early

This is usually the slowest step, because you are relying on other people. Instructors move on and captains change airlines.

Training under EASA and UK rules: SPIC time and flight time under supervision must be countersigned by the instructor. Skill tests and proficiency checks should always be detailed in your Remarks.
PICUS time: the PIC must countersign it, and their name and signature go in your Remarks.
FAA training time: the authorized instructor must endorse it, with a description of the training, its length and their signature.

6. Collect your supporting evidence

Hours alone may not be enough. For a UK ATPL, the CAA asks for a PICUS letter from your airline and logbook pages or UK AOC hours confirmation. If you work for a UK AOC, you can supply the ATPL Flying Hours Confirmation (Form CAA5013). Claiming multi-pilot credit also needs documentary evidence from the operator. Requests like these depend on other people, so make them early.

7. Complete your personal details

This is the easiest step to overlook. The UK CAA returns logbooks with a blank section on the personal details page, which delays the application. Check your name matches your licence, and include the cover or personal details page with anything you send.

8. Check the format, sign and send

If you use an electronic logbook, export it in your authority's format rather than sending a generic spreadsheet.

For a UK application, you can sign the file in your logbook app or apply a digital signature in a program such as Adobe. Alternatively, print it and hand-sign one page with the date, your full name, your signature and your CAA reference number, then scan it. In EASA countries, ask your national authority how it wants electronic records signed and submitted, as practice varies.

Going to an airline assessment?

Follow the airline's instructions first. If they don't say otherwise, it's sensible to bring:

all your logbooks, or a complete printed copy of an electronic logbook
a one-page summary of your hours by type and function
your licence, medical certificate and passport
your CV, with hours that match your logbook

Be ready to explain anything unusual, such as a gap in your flying, a failed check or a change of operator. Recruiters are looking for accurate and honest records as much as for the hours themselves.

Back up your records

Losing a logbook can be expensive and slow. In the UK, a sworn affidavit is no longer accepted as the main evidence of your hours. You have to report the loss to the CAA, attend an interview and pay a fee, and report any loss or theft to the police. Scan paper logbooks now and keep the copies somewhere separate.

Preparing your logbook in Logbook.aero

Audit it: run the Logbook Audit from More options on the Flights page. It checks for duplicates, overlaps, times exceeding total time, simulator entries and function time that doesn't add up. Click a flight to correct it.
Check your opening totals: if you started with hours from an earlier logbook, confirm your Previous Experience matches it.
Collect signatures: instructors and PICs can sign on your device, or by email with Remote Sign, without needing an account.
Export the full PDF: choose your authority's format under Export. For an application, leave filters off, as a filtered PDF leaves out your previous experience and its first page starts from zero.
Create a summary: use General Summary under Other Exports for a PDF summary of your flight experience to take to an interview.

Sources

This article is general guidance, not legal advice. Rules change and vary by authority, so check the current requirements with your own licensing authority.