Aircraft Management

Chapter 4: Aircraft Management

Overview

Aircraft Management is where you add, configure, and maintain your fleet information. Each aircraft record serves as the foundation for all related logbooks, components, ADs, and schedules.

Adding an Aircraft

  1. Navigate to Fleet and click Add Aircraft
  2. Enter your N-Number (without the "N" prefix)
  3. As you type, the system searches the FAA database
  4. If found, aircraft details auto-populate:
    • Make (manufacturer)
    • Model
    • Serial number
    • Year of manufacture
  5. Configure additional settings (see below)
  6. Click Save Aircraft

Manual Entry

If your aircraft isn't in the FAA database:

  1. Click Add Aircraft
  2. Enter all fields manually:
    • N-Number: Your registration number
    • Serial Number: Manufacturer's serial number
    • Year Manufactured: Production year
    • Make: Manufacturer name
    • Model: Aircraft model designation
  3. Configure settings
  4. Click Save Aircraft

Aircraft Settings

Basic Information

Field Description Example
N-Number FAA registration (tail number) N12345
Serial Number Manufacturer's serial 28-7405123
Year Manufactured Production year 1985
Make Manufacturer Piper
Model Model designation PA-28-181

Inspection Configuration

FAA Inspection Frequency:
- Yearly: Standard annual inspection (most private aircraft)
- 100 Hour: Required for aircraft used commercially or for hire

This setting affects how inspection due dates are calculated.

Hour Tracking Configuration

Hour Tracking Type: Which hour meter is authoritative for maintenance intervals
- Tach: Tachometer time (common for piston aircraft)
- Hobbs: Hobbs meter time

Hour Display Type: Which hour fields to show on forms
- Tach: Show only Tach field
- Hobbs: Show only Hobbs field
- Both: Show both fields

Tip: Most piston aircraft track by Tach time. Choose based on how your maintenance intervals are specified.

Viewing Aircraft Details

Click on an aircraft from your fleet to see:

Overview Tab

  • Aircraft identification information
  • Current status (hours, last inspection, etc.)
  • Quick links to common actions

Statistics

  • Total logbook entries
  • Total hours
  • Components count
  • Active ADs count

Quick Actions

  • New Logbook Entry: Create a new maintenance entry
  • View Logbooks: See all logbook entries
  • View Components: Manage parts and equipment
  • View ADs: Airworthiness Directive tracking
  • Print Logbook: Generate a printable report

Editing Aircraft Information

  1. Navigate to your aircraft
  2. Click Edit or the edit icon
  3. Modify fields as needed
  4. Click Save Changes

Note: The N-Number cannot be changed after creation. If you need to change it, delete the aircraft and create a new one.

Aircraft Documents

You can attach documents to your aircraft record:

Uploading Documents

  1. On the aircraft edit page, scroll to Documents & Images
  2. Click Choose Files or drag and drop files
  3. Supported formats:
    • Images: JPG, PNG, GIF
    • Documents: PDF
  4. Files are automatically uploaded and attached

Document Features

  • View: Click to open/download
  • OCR: Text is automatically extracted from images
  • Delete: Remove unwanted attachments
  • Rotate: Rotate images for correct orientation

Common Documents to Attach

  • Registration certificate
  • Airworthiness certificate
  • Weight and balance
  • Equipment list
  • Insurance documents
  • POH/AFM (or link to it)

Logbook Types (Book Types)

Logbook types help organize your entries like physical logbooks.

Default Book Types

When you add an aircraft, these are created automatically:
- Airframe: General airframe maintenance
- Engine: Engine-specific entries
- Propeller: Prop maintenance

Adding Custom Book Types

  1. Navigate to Aircraft > Book Types
  2. Click Add Book Type
  3. Enter:
    • Name: Descriptive name (e.g., "Avionics", "Engine 2")
    • Starting Hours: Hours when this logbook started
    • Service Date: Date this logbook started
  4. Click Save

Managing Book Types

  • Edit: Change name or starting values
  • Archive: Hide without deleting (preserves history)
  • Delete: Remove (only if no entries)

Printing Aircraft Records

Printable Logbook

Generate a comprehensive printable report:

  1. Navigate to your aircraft
  2. Click Print Logbook or Actions > Printable Logbook
  3. The report includes:
    • Aircraft details
    • All logbook entries
    • Component list
    • AD compliance status
  4. Use your browser's print function (Ctrl+P / Cmd+P)
  • Print to paper
  • Save as PDF
  • Select specific date ranges (if available)

Deleting an Aircraft

Warning: Deleting an aircraft removes ALL associated data including logbooks, components, ADs, and schedules. This cannot be undone.

To delete an aircraft:

  1. Navigate to the aircraft
  2. Click Edit
  3. Scroll to the bottom and click Delete Aircraft
  4. Confirm the deletion

Before Deleting

Consider:
- Export your data: Use the backup feature first
- Archive instead: If you might need records later
- Subscription impact: Deleting reduces your subscription cost

Data Backup & Export

Exporting Aircraft Data

  1. Click your profile menu
  2. Select Extract or Backup
  3. A JSON file downloads containing all your data

Importing Data

  1. Click your profile menu
  2. Select Import
  3. Upload a previously exported JSON file
  4. Data is restored to your account

Note: Import merges with existing data; it doesn't replace it.

Best Practices

  1. Complete setup fully: Run through the setup wizard to configure everything properly
  2. Verify FAA data: Double-check auto-populated information
  3. Upload key documents: Keep registration and airworthiness certificates attached
  4. Keep hours current: Update hour readings with each logbook entry
  5. Regular backups: Export your data periodically for safekeeping

← Previous: Dashboard | Next: Logbook Entries →

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