Entries to propeller logbook

H. Paul Shuch is a Light Sport Repairman with Maintenance ratings for airplanes, gliders, weight shift control, and powered parachutes, as well as an independent Rotax Maintenance Technician at the Heavy Maintenance level. He holds a PhD in Air Transportation Engineering from the University of California, and serves as Director of Maintenance for AvSport of Lock Haven.

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FastEddieB
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Entries to propeller logbook

Post by FastEddieB »

Simple question:

When you do an Annual Condition Inspection, which includes some inspections involving your propeller, do you make a separate entry into your propeller logbook?
Fast Eddie B.
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Re: Entries to propeller logbook

Post by 3Dreaming »

I normally do for standard category aircraft. I would just add a statement like, "Inspected propeller as part of the aircraft's condition inspection.". If you checked bolt torque or made any adjustments I would list those also.
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Re: Entries to propeller logbook

Post by Sling 2 Pilot »

Great question, I’d like to know also, for when I get my LSA. Do LSA’s have a separate propeller log book? When I had my Tiger and Diamond, I believe my A&P made entries in the engine or airframe log for the annual. My Cougar twin had propeller log books.
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FastEddieB
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Re: Entries to propeller logbook

Post by FastEddieB »

My Sky Arrow came with a propeller logbook for its Warp Drive prop from the factory.

The fact that I check the prop annually is included in the Annual Condition Inspection checklist, which is filed, and logged in the Airframe logbook.

Image

The only advantage I can see to a separate entry in the propeller logbook would be if the propeller was ever sold - then the logbook would provide all the requisite inspections over the years in one place.
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ShawnM
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Re: Entries to propeller logbook

Post by ShawnM »

My SportCruiser came with a propeller logbook and my LSRM writes a seperate log entry for the prop.
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drseti
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Re: Entries to propeller logbook

Post by drseti »

My first SportStar has a Woodcomp prop. It did not come with a proper prop logbook, but I bought one (they're cheap on Sporty's) and did enter all condition inspections in it, because though the Rotax 912ULS has a 2000 hour TBO, the prop's was only 1000. At engine midtime, I bought a new prop and logbook, and the old log stayed with the run-out prop. My new SportStar has a Warpdrive, and though it doesn't have a stated TBO, I opted to continue that practice.
This question is touched upon in my EAA Webinar "LSA Documentation : what's in your logbooks?" Online at:
http://avsport.org/webinars/videos/LSA_ ... tation.mp4
The opinions posted are those of one CFI, and do not necessarily represent the FAA or its lawyers.
Prof H Paul Shuch
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FastEddieB
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Re: Entries to propeller logbook

Post by FastEddieB »

Here's the fancy Eye-talian logbook I got with my Sky Arrow:

Image

The only entries are the ones for the installation, one for when I had the blades worked on by Warp Drive and I changed the pitch, and one annual condition inspection I did in 2013. Not sure what motivated me to do one that year and not others.

Again, I have all the records that the inspections were done. It just seems like a good idea to consolidate the inspections and/or repairs in one place.

At the very least I'm going to start doing it going forward. I may go back and make entries for at least 2014-2017
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Warmi
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Re: Entries to propeller logbook

Post by Warmi »

I got a generic propeller log with my duc hellices prop. It seems that , the mechanic at SportAir ( the dealer ) was simply inserting copies of the entries from the main plane log whenever any prop related work was being performed - not very useful imho.
Flying Sting S4 ( N184WA ) out of Illinois
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ShawnM
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Re: Entries to propeller logbook

Post by ShawnM »

I have the black ASA Propeller Logbook that came with my plane/Woodcomp 3 bladed prop. There is an entry every year for the inspection and everytime I touch it for anything it gets logged so there is a paper trail. Even repainting the tips gets logged. I'm rather anal and detailed when it comes to logbooks. Not that I ever plan on selling it but it does add value to any plane.

I recently was given a used Woodcomp 3 bladed prop with only 113 hours on it and it also came with it's own logbook. It's my spare/backup. :mrgreen:
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Re: Entries to propeller logbook

Post by drseti »

ShawnM wrote:I'm rather anal and detailed when it comes to logbooks.
"Rather anal" is a synonym for "safe pilot".
The opinions posted are those of one CFI, and do not necessarily represent the FAA or its lawyers.
Prof H Paul Shuch
PhD CFII DPE LSRM-A/GL/WS/PPC iRMT
AvSport LLC, KLHV
[email protected]
AvSport.org
facebook.com/SportFlying
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FastEddieB
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Re: Entries to propeller logbook

Post by FastEddieB »

One other thing occurred to me...

My first two Annuals, in 2008 and 2009, were done at Lockwood. Neither time did they make an entry into my propeller log.
Fast Eddie B.
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ShawnM
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Re: Entries to propeller logbook

Post by ShawnM »

drseti wrote:
ShawnM wrote:I'm rather anal and detailed when it comes to logbooks.
"Rather anal" is a synonym for "safe pilot".
LMAO, thanks for that one Paul. :mrgreen:
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Re: Entries to propeller logbook

Post by 3Dreaming »

FastEddieB wrote:One other thing occurred to me...

My first two Annuals, in 2008 and 2009, were done at Lockwood. Neither time did they make an entry into my propeller log.
Nor were they required to. Your aircraft is required to have a condition inspection. The engine and propeller are parts of the airplane. For the condition inspection there is no legal requirement to make an entry anyplace other than the airframe logbook.

That being said there is nothing wrong with recording the inspections in the engine or propeller logbooks. My normal entry for the engine log is something like this, "This engine has been inspected per the Rotax 100hr/annual inspection checklist as part of the aircraft condition inspection.", then add a list of maintenance that was performed. My propeller entry would be something like, " Inspected the propeller as part of the aircraft condition inspection.", If any maintenance task were required to perform the inspection I will list them as well. Some aircraft I work on that are not LSA require removal of the propeller to perform the inspection. I document the removal, re-installation, torqueing, ect..
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FastEddieB
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Re: Entries to propeller logbook

Post by FastEddieB »

3Dreaming wrote:
FastEddieB wrote:One other thing occurred to me...

My first two Annuals, in 2008 and 2009, were done at Lockwood. Neither time did they make an entry into my propeller log.
Nor were they required to. Your aircraft is required to have a condition inspection. The engine and propeller are parts of the airplane. For the condition inspection there is no legal requirement to make an entry anyplace other than the airframe logbook.
I understand all that.

My original query was more wondering how commonplace the practice was. Still don’t know, other than some do, some don’t.
Fast Eddie B.
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Re: Entries to propeller logbook

Post by 3Dreaming »

FastEddieB wrote:
3Dreaming wrote:
FastEddieB wrote:One other thing occurred to me...

My first two Annuals, in 2008 and 2009, were done at Lockwood. Neither time did they make an entry into my propeller log.
Nor were they required to. Your aircraft is required to have a condition inspection. The engine and propeller are parts of the airplane. For the condition inspection there is no legal requirement to make an entry anyplace other than the airframe logbook.
I understand all that.

My original query was more wondering how commonplace the practice was. Still don’t know, other than some do, some don’t.
I think it is more likely that they don'tknow it is not required, but most do it anyway. It is not required for standard category either, but I don't recall ever seeing a set of logbooks that didn't have an entry in all three.
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