Logging Cross-Country Flights After Certificate

[designrs]

There is a lot of confusion over logging cross-country flights after obtaining a pilot certificate
(this would also apply to student cross-country flights that are not the "official" 50nm required cross-crountries).

So what's a cross-country flight for your logbook?
a) any flight that involves navigation and landing anywhere regardless of distance
b) flights over a certain distance (I've heard a few arbitrary numbers)

The best answer I found was:

(3) Cross-country time means--
[(i) Except as provided in paragraphs (b)(3)(ii) through (b)(3)(vi) of this section, time acquired during a flight--]
(A) Conducted by a person who holds a pilot certificate;
(B) Conducted in an aircraft;
(C) That includes a landing at a point other than the point of departure; and
(D) That involves the use of dead reckoning, pilotage, electronic navigation aids, radio aids, or other navigation systems to navigate to the landing point.
[(ii) For the purpose of meeting the aeronautical experience requirements (except for a rotorcraft category rating), for a private pilot certificate (except for a powered parachute category rating), a commercial pilot certificate, or an instrument rating, or for the purpose of exercising recreational pilot privileges (except in a rotorcraft) under Sec. 61.101(c), time acquired during a flight--]
(A) Conducted in an appropriate aircraft;
(B) That includes a point of landing that was at least a straight-line distance of more than 50 nautical miles from the original point of departure; and
(C) That involves the use of dead reckoning, pilotage, electronic navigation aids, radio aids, or other navigation systems to navigate to the landing point.
Source:
Part 61 CERTIFICATION: PILOTS, FLIGHT INSTRUCTORS, AND GROUND INSTRUCTORS
Subpart A--General

Sec. 61.1
Applicability and definitions.

What say you experts?

[designrs]

Another question on logbooks:

My plan is to:
1) simply use a spreadsheet on my iPad and back it up.
2) keep the paper logbook for endorsements and dual-instruction received signatures only

Is there anything wrong with this plan?
Do I need to periodically include a signed statement
"I certify that the statements made are true.." etc.?

[CTLSi]

......

[FastEddieB]

My logbook is an Excel spreadsheet. I'd be happy to share it with you, though its nothing fancy.

I log cross-country any time I land at an airport other than the one I took off from. Admittedly some of those would not count for certain additional ratings, but since I have all the ratings I need and all the legitimate cross-country l would need for any conceivable rating, it does not much matter.

Recommendation? Keep two or more cross-country columns, based on leg length. Would make it easy to tease out the correct cross-country hours for any future need.

[designrs]

Thanks Eddie. Good suggestions.

[SportPilot]

.......

[Jack Tyler]

If you think you'll be at this for a while, you might consider switching to one of the widely recognized log software programs. The earlier you begin using one, the easier it is to switch.

[Merlinspop]

If you think you'll be at this for a while, you might consider switching to one of the widely recognized log software programs. The earlier you begin using one, the easier it is to switch.

+1
Also, I'm sure your logbook has lots of columns that you barely ever use (mine has columns for instrument, night, etc). There's no reason you can't put little notations in those columns. Something like "75 nm, solo" so it'll stand out at a glance. It's your book!

[drseti]

I'm late weighing in, but I completely agree with Eddie's recommendations.