Recording Hobbs

"Andrew Sarangan" wrote in message
ups.com...
I don't know why you would need to write them down with such precision.
Is it for tax purposes? Or is it an employer requirement? If it is just
for the personal logbook, I don't see why you need a PDA to do this.
Just remember it in your head, or write it down on a scrap piece of
paper until you get home.




BG wrote:
Does anyone use a PDA to record in a small spreadsheet the departure
airport, your destination airport, and the Hobbs & Tach readings when
you land? If so, what would be the brand and the main features of the
PDA? Thanks


I have a PocketPC with a small version of Excel. I have a W&B (including the
chart) customized for my plane. The Lake is somewhat CG limited. It's easy
to be too far aft starting out. And just as easy to be too far forward after
fuel burns off. So anything other than typical loads gets put in to check
the range as fuel burns. My chart plots the line from starting fuel down to
5 gal. remaining. I figure if I have less than 5 gal, a little forward CG is
the least of my problems.

I do have an Excel file with my flight information. I use it as an easier
way to determine flight currency for medical applications, insurance forms,
IFR currency, and the trivial passenger currency. It's also a backup, in
case I lose my logbook.

It's kind of nice to be able to crunch Excel formulae to determine, for
example, how many hours do I have in C172s? in the last six months. At
night. Solo.

I have a section at the bottom that lists the typical currency numbers and
displays colored text to warn me that I need to, for example, get some IFR
approaches in before it's too late.

I do copy this chart to my PocketPC but I don't enter numbers using the PDA.
Too small and I really want the master on my PC anyway. I have flight note
sheets in my kneeboard that have a customized form at the top with room for
start-up/shutdown time, start-up/shutdown tach, start-up/shutdown hobbs, and
othe stuff. One sheet per flight. I collect them and transfer the info to my
logbook and the Excel file periodically.

-------------------------------
Travis
Lake N3094P
PWK