Guides for pilots

Logging flights

EASA logbook requirements, explained simply: What EASA FCL.050 actually asks you to record in your pilot logbook, and how to keep it right without thinking about it.
How to fill in a pilot logbook, column by column: What goes in each column of an EASA pilot logbook, with worked examples for a solo circuit, a dual cross country and a flight as copilot.
What counts as PIC time under EASA: When you can log pilot in command time, how student solo time and PICUS are recorded, and the entries that most often get questioned.
What counts as cross country time under EASA: The EASA definition of a cross country flight, why it differs from the FAA 50 nautical mile rule, and how the distance rules for licences work.
How to log night flying time: The EASA definition of night, how to split a flight that crosses sunset, and how night landings are counted.
Block time, flight time and air time explained: Which time goes in your logbook, why EASA flight time for aeroplanes is effectively block time, and how air time differs.
How to log simulator (FSTD) time: Why simulator sessions have their own section in the logbook, the difference between an FFS, FTD, FNPT and BITD, and what they count toward.
How to correct a mistake in your pilot logbook: The accepted way to fix an entry in a paper or digital logbook, and what to do when totals do not add up.

Understanding pilot currency and recency: Passenger currency, night currency and instrument recency, what each one means, when it lapses, and how to stay ahead of it.
Revalidating an SEP class rating by experience: The hours, landings and training flight you need in the last 12 months to revalidate a single engine piston rating without a proficiency check.
EASA and FAA passenger currency compared: The 90 day rule under EASA FCL.060 and FAA 61.57 side by side, including night currency and the instrument rules.
How long an EASA instrument rating is valid: Instrument rating validity, the revalidation window, and what happens when an IR lapses under EASA Part FCL.

How many hours for PPL, CPL and an instrument rating under EASA: The minimum flight hours EASA asks for the PPL(A), the CPL(A) and the instrument rating, and what actually counts toward each.
The EASA night rating: requirements and hours: What it takes to add night flying privileges to a PPL or LAPL under EASA FCL.810, and how to log the training.
LAPL or PPL: which licence to choose: The difference between the EASA LAPL(A) and PPL(A) in hours, privileges, medical and recency, to help you pick the right one.
How much a private pilot licence costs in Europe: Where the money goes when you train for a PPL(A): aircraft hire, instruction, exams, medical and the fees people forget.
The EASA PPL theory exams explained: The nine subjects, the pass mark, how many attempts you get and how long your passes stay valid.
How to become an airline pilot in Europe: Integrated versus modular training, the licences on the way, the typical cost and the steps after you graduate.
Hour building: ways to make the hours count: How to build PIC time efficiently towards a CPL, keep costs down and actually become a better pilot while you do it.

What an AIRAC cycle means for you: Why aeronautical data changes every 28 days, how the cycle numbering works, and how to make sure your charts are never out of date.
How long an EASA class 1 and class 2 medical is valid: Medical certificate validity by class and age under EASA Part MED, and how to work out your own expiry date.
ICAO language proficiency levels 4, 5 and 6 and how long they last: What the language proficiency levels mean for pilots, how long each one is valid under EASA, and when you need to be tested again.
Your first EASA class 2 medical: what to expect: Who can examine you, what the initial examination covers, what to bring, and when to book it in your training.

How to read a METAR: A line by line walk through of the airport weather report, with a real example decoded into plain language.
How to read a TAF: What an aerodrome forecast says, how BECMG, TEMPO and PROB groups work, and how to use it when planning a flight.
VFR weather minimums in Europe: The visibility and cloud clearance you need to fly VFR under SERA, by airspace class and altitude, in one table you can remember.
Airspace classes explained: What classes A to G mean for a VFR pilot: where you need a clearance, a radio, a transponder, and what separation you get.
What a NOTAM is and how to read one: Why NOTAMs matter, the parts of a NOTAM decoded, and a simple way to find the few that affect your flight.
Transponder squawk codes every pilot should know: The emergency codes, the VFR conspicuity codes in Europe and the US, and what modes A, C and S mean.
The aviation phonetic alphabet and numbers: Alfa to Zulu, how pilots say numbers on the radio, and the small pronunciation rules that make you sound confident.
Density altitude and why hot days are dangerous: What density altitude is, how to estimate it quickly, and how it lengthens your takeoff run and cuts your climb.
How to work out the crosswind component: The clock code rule of thumb for crosswind, how to handle gusts, and how to compare it with your aircraft limit.
Carburettor icing: when it happens and what to do: Why carb icing can form on a warm summer day, how to recognise it, and how to use carb heat correctly.

What it really costs to own a light aircraft: Fixed and hourly costs of owning a single engine piston aircraft in Europe, and how to work out your cost per flying hour.
Buying a used aircraft: a practical checklist: What to check before buying a used light aircraft: logbooks, engine time, damage history, the pre buy inspection and paperwork.
The ARC and Part ML explained for owners: What an airworthiness review certificate is, how long it lasts, and who is responsible for keeping a light aircraft airworthy under Part ML.
Engine TBO: what it means and whether you can exceed it: What time between overhaul means for piston engines, calendar limits, and when private owners may fly beyond it.
Aircraft insurance basics for private owners: Third party liability, hull cover, the EU minimums, named pilot clauses and what affects your premium.
Aircraft group ownership: how syndicates work: How shared ownership of a light aircraft works, what to put in the group agreement and how to split costs fairly.

Moving from a paper logbook to a digital one: How to bring years of handwritten flights into a digital logbook without losing accuracy, and what to do with the paper afterwards.
Choosing a pilot logbook app: what to look for: The questions worth asking before you move your hours into any digital logbook, from EASA layout to export and data ownership.
The best way to log your flights: A simple routine for logging every flight accurately, whether you fly once a month or every day, and why the moment you log matters most.
Is a digital pilot logbook accepted under EASA?: Whether you can keep your logbook electronically, what authorities expect to see, and what to keep on paper.