This flight log template is designed for FAA Part 107 commercial UAS operators who need to document flights for insurance compliance, contract proof of service, tax purposes, or safety management systems. It includes a complete individual flight entry form, maintenance tracking log, battery health log, and a recommended spreadsheet column structure for digital logging. Download and adapt to your specific operation.
A comprehensive flight log system for tracking your UAS operations, maintenance, and regulatory compliance.
Why Keep Flight Logs?
Regulatory Compliance
- FAA requirements for commercial operations
- Insurance documentation for claims
- Contract proof of flight hours delivered
- Audit trail for safety management systems
Operational Benefits
- Maintenance tracking - Know when service is due
- Performance monitoring - Track battery life and flight times
- Incident documentation - Record issues for troubleshooting
- Proficiency logging - Track experience for certifications
Professional Development
- Log flight hours for resume and qualifications
- Track training progress across different platforms
- Document capability development in various conditions
- Evidence for advanced certifications or waivers
Flight Log Structure
Required Information per Flight
Basic Flight Details
- Date & Time - Start and end times (local + UTC)
- Location - GPS coordinates or site name
- Duration - Total flight time (airborne minutes)
- Remote PIC - Name and certificate number
Aircraft Information
- Aircraft Make/Model - Platform type
- Serial Number/ID - Unique identifier
- Registration Number - FAA registration (if required)
- Total Airframe Hours - Cumulative flight time
Operational Details
- Flight Purpose - Training, commercial, research, etc.
- Airspace Class - Where operation occurred
- Authorization - LAANC confirmation or waiver number
- Weather Conditions - Visibility, wind, clouds
Technical Information
- Battery Used - Battery ID and cycles
- Pre-Flight Inspection - Checklist completion (Y/N)
- Post-Flight Condition - Any damage or issues noted
- Maintenance Required - Scheduled or unscheduled work
Flight Log Template (Printable)
Individual Flight Entry
FLIGHT LOG ENTRY
Date: ________________ Flight #: _______
Start Time: _______ (Local) _______ (UTC)
End Time: _______ (Local) _______ (UTC)
Flight Duration: _______ minutes
REMOTE PILOT IN COMMAND
Name: _________________________________
Certificate #: __________________________
Certificate Expiration: __________________
AIRCRAFT INFORMATION
Make/Model: ___________________________
Serial #: _______________________________
Registration #: _________________________
Total Airframe Hours: _________ hours
LOCATION
Site Name: _____________________________
GPS Coordinates: _______________________
City/State: _____________________________
AIRSPACE & AUTHORIZATION
Airspace Class: _________________________
Authorization Method: ___________________
LAANC Confirmation: ____________________
Waiver Number (if applicable): ___________
WEATHER CONDITIONS
Visibility: ________ SM
Wind: ________ kts from ________°
Cloud Ceiling: ________ ft AGL
Temperature: ________ °F
FLIGHT PURPOSE
☐ Training
☐ Commercial Operations
☐ Research/Development
☐ Maintenance Test
☐ Other: _______________________________
MISSION DETAILS
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
PRE-FLIGHT
☐ Pre-flight inspection completed
☐ Battery charged and tested: ____%
☐ GPS satellites acquired: _______
☐ Control surfaces checked
☐ Emergency procedures briefed
FLIGHT OPERATIONS
Flight Mode(s) Used:
☐ Manual
☐ Autonomous
☐ GPS Hold
☐ Return-to-Home
Altitude Range: _______ to _______ ft AGL
Max Distance: _______ ft from pilot
Visual Observer Used: ☐ Yes ☐ No
VO Name: ______________________________
BATTERY INFORMATION
Battery ID: _____________________________
Start Voltage: ________ V
End Voltage: ________ V
Battery Cycles: _________
POST-FLIGHT CONDITION
☐ No issues - aircraft airworthy
☐ Minor issues noted (see below)
☐ Maintenance required before next flight
Issues/Damage Noted:
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
MAINTENANCE ACTIONS REQUIRED
☐ None
☐ Scheduled maintenance due
☐ Repair needed: ______________________
_______________________________________
INCIDENTS/NEAR MISSES
☐ None
☐ Incident occurred (complete separate report)
Brief description: ______________________
_______________________________________
REMOTE PIC SIGNATURE
___________________________ Date: ______
Digital Flight Log Recommendations
Spreadsheet Template
Track flights in Excel or Google Sheets with these columns:
Minimum Columns:
- Date
- Aircraft ID
- Flight Duration
- Remote PIC
- Location
- Purpose
- Total Hours (cumulative)
Advanced Columns:
- Battery ID
- Battery Cycles
- Weather Conditions
- Airspace Class
- Authorization Number
- Maintenance Notes
- Incidents
Mobile Apps
Several apps can automate flight logging:
- Airdata UAV - DJI platform integration, automatic logs
- UAV Forecast - Weather + flight logging
- Drone Logbook - Multi-platform support
- B4UFLY - Can export flight history
Cloud-Based Systems
For commercial operations:
- Aloft - LAANC + flight logs
- AirMap - Operations management
- Kittyhawk - Fleet management
- DroneDeploy - Mission planning + logs
Maintenance Tracking
Maintenance Log (Separate from Flight Log)
Track scheduled and unscheduled maintenance:
MAINTENANCE LOG
Aircraft: ____________________ S/N: __________
Date: ______________ Type: ☐ Scheduled ☐ Unscheduled
Total Airframe Hours: __________
Work Performed:
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
Parts Replaced:
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
Technician: __________________________________
Signature: ___________________________________
Next Scheduled Maintenance Due:
Airframe Hours: __________ OR Date: __________
Test Flight Completed: ☐ Yes ☐ No
Test Flight Duration: _________ minutes
Aircraft Airworthy: ☐ Yes ☐ No
Notes:
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
Battery Tracking
Battery Log Template
Track individual battery health:
BATTERY LOG
Battery ID: ____________ Capacity: ________ mAh
Purchase Date: ______________
In-Service Date: _____________
| Date | Flight # | Start V | End V | Cycles | Notes |
|------|----------|---------|-------|--------|-------|
| | | | | | |
| | | | | | |
| | | | | | |
Retirement Criteria:
☐ >200 cycles (typical LiPo lifespan)
☐ Puffed/swollen
☐ Significant capacity loss
☐ Cell imbalance >0.1V
☐ Physical damage
Retired Date: ______________
Disposal Method: ________________________
Regulatory Retention Requirements
How Long to Keep Logs
FAA Part 107:
- No specific retention requirement for hobbyist logs
- Best practice: Keep for 3 years minimum
Commercial Operations:
- Insurance claims: Keep for duration of policy + 5 years
- Contract work: Keep for contract term + 7 years
- Incident reports: Keep indefinitely
Tax Purposes:
- Business deductions: Keep for 7 years
- Equipment depreciation: Keep for asset life + 7 years
Sample Log Entry (Completed Example)
Date: February 6, 2025 Flight #: 147
Start: 14:30 Local (19:30 UTC)
End: 14:55 Local (19:55 UTC)
Duration: 25 minutes
Remote PIC: John Smith
Certificate #: 4012345
Expiration: 08/15/2026
Aircraft: DJI Mavic 3 Enterprise
S/N: 1ABC2DEF3GH4
Registration: FA3X7Y9ZK2L
Total Hours: 127.4 hours
Location: Fayetteville Regional Airport (KFAY)
GPS: 35.0062°N, 78.8803°W
Airspace: Class D
Authorization: LAANC via Aloft #LA-2025-0206-1430
Weather: 10 SM, Wind 090/08kt, FEW250, 72°F
Purpose: Commercial - Facility Inspection
Mission: Rooftop solar panel inspection for maintenance contractor
Battery: BAT-003, Start: 16.8V, End: 15.2V, Cycles: 47
Flight Mode: Manual + GPS Hold
Altitude: 50-120 ft AGL
Max Distance: 400 ft
Visual Observer: Sarah Johnson
Post-Flight: No issues, aircraft airworthy
Next Maintenance Due: 150 hours (22.6 hours remaining)
Best Practices
Daily Operations
- Log immediately after each flight - Don’t rely on memory
- Note any anomalies - Even minor issues matter
- Track battery performance - Identify degradation early
- Review logs weekly - Spot trends and patterns
Monthly Reviews
- Calculate total flight hours across all platforms
- Review maintenance schedules for upcoming service
- Analyze incident trends for safety improvements
- Archive completed logs for long-term storage
Annual Audits
- Verify log accuracy against other records
- Update retention policies as needed
- Archive old records per policy
- Update templates for regulatory changes
Download Templates
Flight Log Spreadsheet (Google Sheets) — Copy this link to make your own editable version:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/ — or build your own using the column structure below.
Recommended Spreadsheet Column Order:
| # | Column | Format | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | Date | MM/DD/YYYY | Flight date |
| B | Flight # | Integer | Sequential per aircraft |
| C | Aircraft ID | Text | Make/Model or tail number |
| D | Remote PIC | Text | Full name |
| E | Certificate # | Text | FAA Remote Pilot cert number |
| F | Location | Text | Site name or GPS coords |
| G | Airspace Class | A/B/C/D/E/G | Class at operation site |
| H | Authorization | Text | LAANC #, waiver, or N/A |
| I | Start Time | HH:MM (Local) | Wheels-up time |
| J | End Time | HH:MM (Local) | Wheels-down time |
| K | Duration (min) | Integer | Airborne minutes |
| L | Cumulative Hours | Decimal | Running total per aircraft |
| M | Battery ID | Text | Battery serial or label |
| N | Battery Cycles | Integer | Cycle count at use |
| O | Flight Purpose | Dropdown | Training/Commercial/R&D/Maintenance |
| P | Issues Noted | Text | Any anomalies or damage |
| Q | Maintenance Required | Y/N | Flag for follow-up |
| R | Notes | Text | Free-form remarks |
To create your spreadsheet:
- Open Google Sheets or Excel
- Row 1 = headers (columns above)
- Freeze Row 1 (View → Freeze → 1 row)
- Add data validation dropdowns on Purpose and Maintenance columns
- Add a SUM formula in Column L to auto-calculate cumulative hours
Professional Training
Learn comprehensive UAS operations management, including proper logging and documentation practices.
View Training Programs | Contact Us
Flight log templates should be customized to your specific operational requirements and regulatory environment.