Best Practices: Log Book - What should you record?

[Rio Santonil 7]

Hi everyone,

I'm a fairly new licensed jumper. I'm trying to see what are your best practices in logging in your jumps on your log book. What information do you record? 

Below are some of things I record.

1) Type of jump (ex: solo, 2way, 3way, etc.): 
2) Type of exit (ex: linked, unlink, dive, float, etc.):
3) Maneuvers (ex: docking, tracking, angle, etc.):
4) Deployment altitude:
5) Canopy pilotting:
6) Landing (ex:slide, stand up, face plant, etc.)
7) Winds: 

Any feedback is appreciated as always.

Fly Happy and Blue Skies!

Edited May 6, 2021 by Rio Santonil

[wmw999 2,116]

I’d include the names of who you jumped with; someday in the future you’ll read that logbook for reminiscing purposes, and that’ll be key. Also a short comment when it’s particularly fun, exciting, or something else like that happened. 
Wendy P. 

[wolfriverjoe 1,340]

You sound like you want to be fairly thorough.
Good for you. I know a few people who simply write "Two way with 'X'" and call it good. 
I also know people who fill up the entire page with details about the jump. I'm not quite that anal, but pretty close.
What I typically do is to start the entry after the dirt dive while waiting for the plane to come down. Names of people, planned exit, planned points on the jump. I use the actual names of the formations (I don't use the letter designations). It might be, for example, "Bow exit, then round, then satellite, then break in center and spin pairs, back to satellite, back to round.
After the jump, I'll write down what really happened. 
Also, any notable things about the rest of the jump.
Usually a note about the quality of the landing pattern and actual landing, anything unusually good or bad, anything I want to remember.

Generally, I'll record:

Who was on the jump. Usually just first names. 
What was supposed to happen (done before the jump).

What actually happened. This is NEVER the same as what was planned. 

Opening quality, perhaps with a quick note about anything different I tried when packing for that jump.
How good the pattern was (or wasn't).
General accuracy (not in feet, but 'close' or 'not close' or something like that).
And anything else that was noteworthy. This could be something that was said or happened on the plane, something really cool or really bad in freefall (diving down and getting to my spot is cool, nearly having a high speed collision is bad), something under canopy (I've had an eagle fly past me while I was under canopy, that was really cool). 

It's your logbook and your entry. 

Write down whatever you want. As much or as little.

I don't know anyone who regrets writing down too much.
I know a few who regret writing too little.

[MickPatch 44]

I am new.

 

I complete the logbook with the next person I ask to provide me with coaching in mind. I want them to be able to read the entries and get an idea of where I am at so they can help me. 

 

To that end I am at the anal end of logbook entries and will most likely remain that way until I have mastered everything and have nothing else to learn - so that will be forever I guess

Edited May 17, 2021 by MickPatch

[kleggo 138]

most important IMO is who you were with, where you were and what you did.

deployment altitude? don't see much point in this for my use case.

Edited October 12, 2021 by kleggo

[dudeman17 267]

Log jump numbers and accumulated freefall time at least through qualifying for any ratings you may wish to acquire in the future. After that, it's your call. Keep in mind whether you're interested in the USPA cumulative awards.

I remember when I went for my AFF rating, I had to go back through old log books and add up the 6 hrs. I decided to continue on a bit. Then, the next Saturday night I went around and bought a few people beers for having been on my 12 hr dive (as best I could figure). "When was that?" they asked. "Years ago."

Edited October 12, 2021 by dudeman17

[darkwing 4]

Quick answer:  you can’t write too much. 
 

I started jumping in 1973 and even by the standards of that time I wrote a lot.  Wish I had written more.  Sometimes I wrote the tail numbers of aircraft I jumped. Wish I had always done that.  People you jumped with.  The plan and the reality.  Anything unusual that happened (went through a flock of birds in free fall, almost hit a plane when tracking, another jumper ended up inside my fully open main canopy and his was fully open too (Pete Hill), a volcano blew up (Mt. St. Helen’s), got knocked out by videographer…) 

[Oli Vers 4]

Seems like not many people know that but there is actually a legal requirement of what you have to log as a bare minimum. Every aviation activity has to be logged, not just under FAA rules.

If you are a USPA member, there is SIM 3-1 outlining what you have to log for every jump. And if I remember right, each jump needs to be signed too.