Scanning Logbook Pages

Scanning is how your paper logbooks become a searchable digital record. Photograph the pages with your phone, and AirWrenchAI reads each maintenance entry so you can search and export them later.

Pages go into a logbook, so create one for each physical book you own. You need the Officer or Manager role.

1. Open the aircraft and go to the Logbooks section.
2. Tap the + button on the Logbooks section header.
3. In the Add a New Logbook dialog, choose the type: Airframe, Engine, Propeller, Appliance, Avionics, or Other.
4. For an Engine or Propeller logbook, choose or confirm the engine or propeller in the Component field.
5. Pick the Start Date.
6. For a filled logbook, pick the End Date. For the book you still write in, turn on No End (Current).
7. Tap Add.

To add a logbook to one row of the list, tap the + tile at the start of that row. The dialog opens with the type of that row selected.

The Component field links an Engine or Propeller logbook to one engine or propeller on the aircraft. BetterPlane selects a component for you:

• If you tapped the + tile in the row of an engine or propeller, it selects that engine or propeller.
• If you tapped the + tile in the Unlinked engine logbooks row, it selects Unassigned. The new logbook has no linked engine. The Unlinked propeller logbooks row works the same way.
• If the aircraft has only one engine, it always selects that engine. One propeller works the same way.
• If not, it selects the first one, by name, that has no logbook linked to it yet.
• If the aircraft has two or more and each one already has a linked logbook, it selects nothing. Choose one yourself.

If you tap Add with no component selected, the dialog shows “Select an engine.” or “Select a propeller.”

Unassigned is always the last choice in the Component list. Choose it to add a logbook with no link. Use this for the logbook of an engine that is no longer on the aircraft.

When the aircraft has no Engine component, the dialog shows “Optional: Add an engine to link this logbook.” in place of the Component field. You can still add the logbook. It has no link. Propellers work the same way.

To link the logbook later:

1. On the Overview card, tap the three-dot menu.
2. Tap Add Component, and add the engine (see Adding Components).
3. Link the logbook to the engine (see Edit logbook details).

On an aircraft with two or more engines, BetterPlane shows the logbooks of each engine in a separate row. Propellers work the same way.

1. Make sure the aircraft has one Engine component for each engine.
2. Give each engine a different display name, for example “Left Engine” and “Right Engine” (see Adding Components).
3. Add the logbooks of each engine from the + tile in the row of that engine.
4. Link the older engine logbooks to their engines (see Link older logbooks to engines).

Do the same for propellers, with one Propeller component for each propeller.

When the aircraft has two or more engines, the Logbooks section shows:

• One row for each engine, with the display name of the engine as its label. The row shows even when it has no logbooks yet.
• An Unlinked engine logbooks row for engine logbooks that are not linked to one of these engines. This row shows only when such logbooks exist.

Propellers get the same rows, with an Unlinked propeller logbooks row. Logbook numbers start at 1 in each row, so each engine has its own E1.

For a logbook in the row of an engine, the logbook title and the search filters also use the engine name. With one engine, all engine logbooks stay in one Engine row. One propeller works the same way.

Engine logbooks that are not linked to one of the engines show in the Unlinked engine logbooks row. You can link all of them in one step. You need the Officer or Manager role.

To start from the row of an engine:

1. Find the row of an engine that has no logbooks yet.
2. Tap Link logbooks next to the + tile of that row.
3. In the Link engine logbooks sheet, choose the engine of each logbook. The engine of the row shows first in each list.
4. To keep a logbook in the Unlinked engine logbooks row, choose Unassigned.
5. Tap Link.

When the sheet lists only one logbook, that logbook starts on the engine of the row. When the sheet lists two or more logbooks, each logbook starts on Unassigned. Thus, one tap cannot link the logbooks of all engines to one engine.

To start from the Unlinked engine logbooks row:

1. Tap Link next to the Unlinked engine logbooks label.
2. In the Link engine logbooks sheet, choose the engine of each logbook. Each logbook starts on Unassigned.
3. Tap Link.

The Link button stays disabled until at least one logbook has an engine. Until then, the sheet shows “Choose an engine to link.” above the button.

BetterPlane links each logbook that has an engine selected. Those logbooks move to the rows of their engines. A logbook on Unassigned stays in the Unlinked engine logbooks row. BetterPlane then shows the number of linked logbooks, for example “2 logbooks linked.”

For a logbook linked to a removed engine, the list shows Engine removed in place of Unassigned. Choose Engine removed to keep that link. The logbook then stays in the Unlinked engine logbooks row.

Propellers work the same way. Use Link logbooks in an empty propeller row, or Link in the Unlinked propeller logbooks row.

The link buttons show only when the aircraft has two or more engines and the Unlinked engine logbooks row has logbooks. To link one logbook at a time, use Edit logbook details.

Change the type, dates, or linked component of a logbook after you create it. Use this to link one older logbook that has no component. To link many older logbooks at one time, see Link older logbooks to engines. You need the Officer or Manager role.

1. Open a logbook from the logbook list.
2. Tap the three-dot menu.
3. Tap Edit Logbook Details.
4. In the Edit Logbook dialog, change the type, Component, Start Date, or End Date.
5. Turn on No End (Current) for the book you still write in, or turn it off to set an End Date.
6. Tap Save.

The End Date must fall after the Start Date and cannot be in the future.

For an Engine or Propeller logbook that has no link, the Component field starts on Unassigned. To link it, choose the engine or propeller, then tap Save. A linked logbook keeps its link until you change it.

To remove a link, choose Unassigned. If you change the type, the Component field starts on Unassigned. Choose a component to link the logbook.

When the aircraft has no Engine component and the logbook has no link, the dialog shows “Optional: Add an engine to link this logbook.” A logbook linked to a removed engine shows Engine removed in the Component field. To add the engine, see Aircraft with no engine component.

1. Open a logbook from the logbook list.
2. On a new or empty logbook, tap the Add Pages button on the screen. On a logbook that already has pages, tap the three-dot menu, then tap Add Pages.
3. Tap Scan Pages.
4. Read the scanning tips, then tap Start Scanning.

1. Lighting. Place the logbook on a darker surface with flash on.
2. Remove attachments. Remove yellow tags and stickers first. Scan them later with the paperclip icon (see Page Attachments).
3. Auto mode. The scanner uses auto mode by default. If auto snaps photos too quickly, switch the scanner to manual and capture each page yourself. Adjust crop as needed.
4. Batch size. Keep batches to about 20 pages for best results.
5. Speed tip. Capture both open pages in one image. Quality drops slightly. The app prompts you to split them.

On iOS, tap Save when done. On Android, tap + after each capture, then Next.

If you have a digital or scanned PDF of your logbook, import it instead of using the camera.

1. Open a logbook from the logbook list.
2. On a new or empty logbook, tap the Add Pages button on the screen. On a logbook that already has pages, tap the three-dot menu, then tap Add Pages.
3. Tap Import Pages from PDF.
4. Choose a PDF file in the system file picker.
5. Wait while BetterPlane validates the file and prepares each page for upload. Tap Cancel to stop.
6. Continue to Preview and upload. The steps there are the same as for scanned pages, including the horizontal-text check.

If some pages fail to prepare, choose to continue with the pages that succeeded or cancel the import.

AirWrenchAI reads the entries after the upload finishes, the same as for scanned pages.

1. Review the captured images. Use the rotate buttons on a page if its text is not horizontal. The upload button shows “Preparing x/y” until ready.
2. Tap Upload All.
3. A dialog asks Is your text horizontal? and shows a correct and an incorrect example. Horizontal text helps AirWrenchAI read your entries.
4. Tap Yes, Upload to continue, or Go Back & Rotate to fix a sideways page first.

Tap the progress banner to see each page’s status. Tap Done when complete.

AirWrenchAI extracts maintenance entries after upload. This can take a few minutes.

Always verify details against the scanned image. The image is the official record.

• Search logbook entries
• Export as PDF
• Edit extracted entries to correct extraction errors
• Delete a page that came out blurry or duplicated
• Swipe left and right or tap thumbnails to navigate pages
• Tap a page image for full-screen view