Lots of pilots keep their logbook in Excel or Google Sheets. It works, until the formulas break, totals stop matching or you need tidy pages for an interview. Here is how to make the move cleanly.
1. Tidy the spreadsheet first
- Put one flight per row.
- Use one date format throughout, for example 2025-06-14.
- Write times consistently, either as hours and minutes (1:30) or decimal hours (1.5), not a mix.
- Check that your spreadsheet totals match your last signed paper totals.
2. Decide what to bring across
You do not have to enter every flight individually. Some pilots enter their full history. Others enter recent flights in detail and record earlier experience as summary totals. If you choose the summary route, keep the original spreadsheet and any paper logbooks safe as the source record.
3. Enter flights in order
Start with the oldest flights and work forward. The Log flight form remembers common details, such as aircraft and registrations, which makes long runs of similar flights quicker.
4. Check your totals
When you are done, compare the Overview totals with your spreadsheet: total time, PIC, dual, night, IFR and landings. If something is off, filter the Logbook page by year or category to find the difference.
5. Save and back up
Press Save file, put the logbook in your cloud drive and export a JSON backup. See how to back up your logbook.
Need a hand?
If you have a large spreadsheet, get in touch. Send us your column layout and we will tell you the quickest way to move it across.