EASA FCL.050 logbook requirements, in plain English
What EASA actually requires you to log, which columns are mandatory, how long you must keep entries, and how digital logbooks satisfy the rule.
EASA Part-FCL rule FCL.050 is the paragraph every European pilot has heard of and few have actually read. It's short, it's blunt, and it defines the minimum record every licence holder must keep. Here's what it actually says, translated into what you have to do in practice — and how a digital logbook satisfies it.
What FCL.050 requires
The rule states: "The pilot shall keep a reliable record of the details of all flights flown in a form and manner established by the competent authority." That's the entire text. Everything else lives in Acceptable Means of Compliance (AMC1 FCL.050) which lists the mandatory columns.
The mandatory columns
Per AMC1 FCL.050, each flight entry must record:
- Date (UTC).
- Departure and arrival aerodrome (ICAO codes preferred).
- Off-blocks and on-blocks times (UTC).
- Aircraft type and registration.
- Total flight time and, separately, the portions flown as PIC, SIC, dual, and instructor.
- Night time.
- Instrument flight time (actual + simulated).
- Landings — day and night, separately.
- Function on the flight and any remarks (approaches, currency).
How long you must keep entries
EASA does not set a formal expiry, but authorities require your logbook on demand for licence renewal, endorsements, and ramp inspections. In practice: keep everything, forever. Your logbook is a career document; deleting old sectors deletes your experience.
Paper or digital — both are legal
AMC1 FCL.050 explicitly accepts either format. What matters is that the record is reliable — reproducible, tamper-evident, and exportable on demand. A digital logbook that syncs to your device and produces an inspection-ready PDF satisfies the rule.
How Aerolog satisfies FCL.050
Every field required by AMC1 FCL.050 is a first-class column in Aerolog. When you export a PDF for a ramp check or an ATPL skill test, the layout matches the columns the authority looks for: date, aerodromes, block times, aircraft, function-of-flight breakdown, night, instrument time, landings, and remarks. Your export also carries a cryptographic hash so the auditor can verify the file matches the record on your device.
The trap most pilots fall into
The rule says reliable record. A spreadsheet you occasionally remember to update is neither reliable nor a record — it's an estimate. If you go to a licence proficiency check with rounded night totals and mis-stated PIC hours, the examiner is well within their rights to reject the logbook. Log properly, export monthly, and treat the digital PDF as the authoritative copy.
Further reading
The full text of Part-FCL is on the EASA website under "Air Crew Regulation". Acceptable Means of Compliance for FCL.050 is in the AMC/GM document, section 4.