You can run CrewLounge PILOTLOG in Hours-Minutes format (e.g. "1:18") and in Decimal Hours format (e.g. "1.3" or "1,3").
There are two settings that control the behavior of the application:
- Display Mode
- Accuracy Mode
You cannot control the OOOI (OUT-OFF-ON-IN) hours. CrewLounge PILOTLOG runs always in 24:00 format, with a leading zero (e.g. Takeoff at 06:35). It does not support "am / pm" logic.
Display Mode
By default, the application displays all hours in the Hours-Minutes format. You can select the "I log flights in Decimal Hours" option on the Settings – App General page to display flight times in decimal format.
The Display Mode defines only "how" flight times are displayed (UI screen) and printed (logbook and reports)! It does not affect the accuracy of the record.
e.g.
You log a flight from 08:00 until 08:35. This flight is saved in the database as 35 minutes.
If you run PILOTLOG in Hours-Minutes, the flight is displayed and printed as 0:35 . When you select Decimal Hours, the same record is displayed and printed as 0.6 hours.
Important Note
The Display Mode does not affect how hours are saved in the database. Changing the Display Mode from one mode to another mode, will not affect any old or new records in the database.
Accuracy
By default, CrewLounge PILOTLOG achieves the highest accuracy ("precise").
If you run the application in Decimal Hours, logging with highest accuracy may cause discrepancies in the page subtotals and grand totals of your logbook. Let us explain what happens:
e.g.
When you run the software in Hours-Minutes format, the totals at the bottom of the logbook page show 52 minutes.
However, when you print the logbook in decimal hours, the first flight is printed as 0.2 hours and the second flight shows as 0.6 hours. But the Totals at the bottom of the logbook page are based on 52 minutes, and will therefore indicate 0.9 hours!
In the above example, you have a total flying experience of 52 minutes, and therefore is 0.9 hours more accurate (more correct) than 0.8 hours! We know this may look weird. We have seen differences up to 200 hours (in more, or in less) on a total pilot career, when you log hours in decimal format.
We let you decide yourself and choose the accuracy. You can change the flight time recording accuracy on the Settings – App General page. The Accuracy setting controls how flights are saved in the database!
The available options that you can choose from, depend on the active Display Mode, as follows:
| Display Mode | Save Records with highest accuracy (default) | Save Records with lower accuracy |
| Hours Minutes | Precise (Highest Accuracy - 1 minute) Flight times are saved to the database with the highest accuracy of 1 minute | Rounded (Clock Marks - 5 minutes) When saved to the database, flight times are rounded to nearest 5 minutes (thus 00, 05, 10, ...) |
| Decimal Hours | Precise (Highest Accuracy - 1 minute) Flight times are saved to the database with the highest accuracy of 1 minute | Rounded (Decimals - 6 minutes) When saved to the database, flight times are rounded to nearest 6 minutes (thus 0, 6, 12, ...) |
e.g. You log a flight from 10:20 until 10:37
| Display Mode | When saved "Precise" | When saved "Rounded" | |
| Hours Minutes | Database Record | Record is saved to database as: OUT: 10:20 - IN: 10:37 Flight Time: 17 minutes | Record is saved to database as: OUT: 10:20 - IN: 10:37 Flight Time: 15 minutes |
| UI Display | Flight shows as 0:17 | Flight shows as 0:15 | |
| Logbook Row | Flight Time matches with the OUT-IN hours | Flight Time may not match with the OUT-IN hours | |
| Logbook Column | Page totals and grand totals in the logbook match with the sum of all rows | Page totals and grand totals in the logbook match with the sum of all rows | |
| Career Total | Total hours at the end of your career are accurate | Total hours at the end of your career are approximate | |
| Decimal Hours | Database Record | Record is saved to database as: OUT: 10:20 - IN: 10:37 Flight Time: 17 minutes | Record is saved to database as: OUT: 10:20 - IN: 10:37 Flight Time: 18 minutes |
| UI Display | Flight is display and printed as 0.3 | Flight is display and printed as 0.3 | |
| Logbook Row | Flight Time (in decimals) matches with the OUT-IN hours | Flight Time (in decimals) matches with the OUT-IN hours | |
| Logbook Column | Page totals and grand totals may not match with the sum of all rows - Deviations may go up to 0.2 hours on a page | Page totals and grand totals in the logbook match with the sum of all rows | |
| Career Total | Total hours at the end of your career are accurate | Total hours at the end of your career are approximate | |
The accuracy setting does not affect the OOOI hours. In the above example, the IN time "10:37" is not modified to "10:35" or "10:36". It will always be saved as 10:37.
Important Note
Changing the Accuracy affects only new entries in the database. That is when you add or edit a record (press the "Save" button), or when you download flights through the Airline Interface.
Changing the Accuracy setting does not work backwards. It does not change any records that are already saved in the database.
If you face discrepancies in your logbook (typically up to 0.2 hours per page), you can use the mass-edit function to update the records in your database and recalculate the accuracy with the new settings.
This solution article explains how to use of the mass-edit function: