How do pilots track hours?

A pilot logbook is a record of a pilot's flying hours. It contains every flight a pilot has flown, including flight time, number of landings, and types of instrument approaches made. Pilots also log simulator time, as it counts towards training.



Pilots track their hours using a Pilot Logbook, which in 2026 is almost exclusively digital. Apps like LogTen Pro or Wingman automatically sync with airline scheduling systems to import flight data, including "Block Time" (from gate to gate) and "Flight Time" (from takeoff to landing). These logbooks are legal documents required for license upgrades and insurance. Pilots must categorize hours into specific types: PIC (Pilot in Command), SIC (Second in Command), Night Time, and Instrument Time (flying by reference to instruments). Even as automation increases, every minute spent at the controls must be recorded to ensure compliance with fatigue regulations, which typically limit a commercial pilot to 1,000 flying hours in a rolling 365-day period.

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Your instructor will sign and put their id# to verify any hours acrued under them.

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Airline pilots fly an average of 75 hours per month and work an additional 150 hours per month performing other duties, such as checking weather conditions and preparing flight plans. Pilots have variable work schedules that may include several days of work followed by some days off.

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They train for years to become qualified to fly, and after that, they need to stay diligent and alert through long flights and odd work hours. On top of that, they need to keep track of all relevant data, especially their flight hours. This is where utilizing a pilot logbook app becomes critical.

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They're not glamorous, but they're very comfortable, with padded bunks and sometimes even in-flight entertainment! With 14- to 18-hour flights no longer unusual, pilots and cabin crew have legally mandated rest times —and airlines also realise that a rested, refreshed crew member is a happy crew member.

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What if an airline does not have enough flying for a pilot? Fortunately, most pilot employment contracts and CBAs include a monthly hour minimum. This minimum requires the company to pay its pilots for a minimum number of flight hours, regardless of whether those hours are flown.

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The simple answer is yes, pilots do, and are allowed to sleep during flight but there are strict rules controlling this practice. Pilots would only normally sleep on long haul flights, although sleep on short haul flights is permitted to avoid the effects of fatigue.

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In the UK and USA, both long-haul and short-haul pilots are allowed to fly a maximum of 100 hours in 28 days. This figure is 100 flight hours. Here are the legal requirements for duty hours straight from CAP 371 itself: 95 hours in any 14 consecutive days, vs 110 duty hours in any 14 consecutive days in America.

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John Edward Long, Jr. (1915–July 18, 1999) was an American pilot who is in the Guinness Book of Records for the most flight time by a pilot: over 65,000 hours (more than seven years and four months) at the time of his death. He began in 1933 at the age of 17, when he took his first and only flying lesson.

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Boeing 777 pilots are some of the highest-paid pilots in the aviation industry. On average, their salaries range from $120,000 to $250,000 annually, depending on the amount of experience and number of hours flown.

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Total Pay Estimate & Range
The estimated total pay for a Airline Pilot at Ryanair is $166,185 per year. This number represents the median, which is the midpoint of the ranges from our proprietary Total Pay Estimate model and based on salaries collected from our users. The estimated base pay is $111,042 per year.

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Whether flying at night or during the day, pilots need to see some kind of horizon. They use this to determine the airplane's attitude. At night pilots will turn their gaze from outside to inside and use the artificial horizon. The artificial horizon is normally a simply globe split into two hemispheres.

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The simple answer is yes, pilots do, and are allowed to sleep during flight but there are strict rules controlling this practice. Pilots would only normally sleep on long haul flights, although sleep on short haul flights is permitted to avoid the effects of fatigue.

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Do pilots pay for their own hotels? The airline handles and pays for accommodations for crewmembers when they are on a trip. Many pilots do not live where they are based and choose to commute.

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How many days do pilots usually get off a month? Commercial airline pilots typically have between 9 and 15 days off a month without including any leave, although this depends on the airline and type of operation.

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In terms of actual days, some publications say most short-haul pilots will either travel home every day if possible or work for five days and then spend three or four days at home. Long-haul pilots are said to spend more time away from home, although they do get 10 to 15 days off per month to see their families.

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