Unique service helps you maintain logs, but also offers much
more!
By ANN Reporter Juan Jimenez
Short of the shock of suddenly
hearing silence where there was previously the sound of a running
engine while the wheels are still well off the ground, most
aircraft owners would agree that there are few things scarier than
the thought of losing your aircraft logbooks and not having a
backup, somewhere, to replace them. This one event can create an
impressive amount of grief, not only because of the instant
devaluation of the aircraft by as much as twenty percent or more
due to incomplete logs, but also because of issues such as
insurance documentation requirements, liability, and the potential
inability to prove that required work was done to the aircraft.
It is obvious that people who own
aircraft are aware of the importance of their logs. However, most
aircraft owners don't realize how much information can be gleaned
from the books. It is into this niche that Mr. Thomas Goodwin,
president of PlaneLog.Com, decided to enter with a vision of a
service that focuses on those all-important logbooks.
At its core, PlaneLog.Com uses the power of the World Wide Web
to simplify the task of keeping aircraft logbooks up to date. Its
software is designed to ensure that all FAA required maintenance is
performed so your insurance remains in effect when you need it the
most. This includes all AD's as well as all mandatory factory
Service Bulletins for all components of your aircraft. The software
also tracks TBO's for critical items and contains alerts to let you
know when a component is due for replacement. The data for your
logs is backed up continuously, but it should be noted that it is
not meant to be used as a replacement for your regular logs and the
normal care of these documents.
In addition, the service can also identify trends for you. For
example, one of PlaneLog's customers was not aware that the vacuum
pump on the aircraft was failing more or less about the same time
every time it stopped working - approximately every four years.
Identifying this trend helps him avoid a potential vacuum failure
situation. Normally this wouldn't be such a big deal - except this
customer flies heavy IMC on a regular basis. Log analyses can help
you extract information from the history of your aircraft,
everything from instrument errors to the average life of important
components, such as your engine mags.
PlaneLog can also scan your logs and enter them into the
computer for you. This service is not for everyone - if the
aircraft is older there are several logbooks, the work can take
some time to complete. However, once the work is done, you can go
to the PlaneLog.Com website, login and view any and all pages of
your logbooks. This means that you can print out critical pages, or
simply look for information without having to retrieve the logbooks
from their safe storage location.
Finally, for those interested in the service, PlaneLog includes
a tour of its services on its website. You will also find that the
service is offered on a 30-day free trial basis.