Online Logbook Review · Sep 25, 07:14 PM

Many people are embracing the idea of the digital logbook. This not only gives you the ease of access to quick reports that can help you determine currency but will also allow you to answer those little questionnaires you get asked when filling out an IACRA form and/or applying for an insurance policy.

I would like to introduce to you AvJournal

What is it?
AvJournal is an online logbook allowing you to store all of your flight data online without the worry of a computer crash and having to re-enter all of your data. Since the data is online you also need not worry of a computer theft or even a logbook theft. AvJournal is not a replacement for a paper logbook but it gives you a bit more peace of mind in regards to the security of your logbook data.

How it has helped me:
I have entered in all of my data from the very beginning of my flight career (time consuming, I know) but it helps me quickly run reports to get customized total times. I use this for modifying my resume. It also all but eliminates arithmetic errors while totaling your times manually in a paper logbook making for more accurate logs.

What about support?
AvJournal is a very dynamic application in the terms of support and consistent changes and updates to make the service easier to use and generally more useful. I have personally contacted the owners of the service with issues and have received a response literally within minutes and in some cases a fix within a day. This is incredibly impressive to me as I consider myself a very saavy internet user and in general I am very demanding of the online apps that I use. Especially ones that I pay for.

Cost?
AvJournal is very fairly priced as you can sign up for a free 30 day trial and after that you can choose to pay $3.95 a month or $39.95 yearly.

Special Deals?
I have a special deal for you. If you click on any of the banners or links within this review and use the coupon code SECUREIT you will receive a 50% discount on your first year of service. This makes the cost only $19.95 for the first year!

Additional Details:
It is also important to note that I am a strong believer in the ownership of data. My logbook data is my logbook data. AvJournal has an export feature that allows you to extract all of your digital records in the form of an Excel spreadsheet for easy import into a different logbook software if you so choose. This also works in reverse allowing you to import your data from other logbook software.

— Kyle Salling

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Air to Air Com · Aug 19, 01:41 AM

I was sitting down reading an AOPA magazine today and came across and article about air to air communications. In the past I and many other people I have known have used 123.45 as an air to air “chat” frequency.

If you refer to the FAR/AIM 4-1-11 you will find table 4-1-3 outlining proper air to air communications frequencies as:

122.75

and

122.85

for our whirlybird friends they offer 123.025

— Kyle Salling

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Prepare your self for Flight School Student Loans · Aug 15, 12:20 AM

You don’t have to go to a major college or university in order to obtain a student loan. Many flight schools also offer loans to their students. If you are planning a career in aviation, here are some steps on how to get a student loan for a private pilot’s license.

Step One:
Gather all your financial documents and information such as tax returns, proof of employment and any other documentation that the school or private lending institution may request.

Step Two:
Make sure the flight school you are looking into is accredited, as only accredited schools qualify for student loans. Make sure the school is FAA approved.

Step Three:
Get the school to help you apply. A flight school will be able to tabulate how much money you will need to spend during the flight program. Most flight schools are also happy to process your student loan application online for you. This saves you and the school a lot of time, which in turn gets you in the cockpit sooner.

Step Four:
If you decide to secure financing on your own, check independent lenders like banks and credit unions. Most independent lenders will loan you money to get through accredited flight programs.

Step Five:
You can also see if you qualify for federal need-based loans, such as Stafford and Perkins Loans. Accredited flight school students normally qualify for federal aid just like students at four-year colleges.

— Doug Kuba

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Student pilot is not "passenger" under limitations of liability coverage in insurance policy · Aug 13, 12:36 AM

INSURANCE

A student pilot is not a “passenger” as defined by the coverage limitations in a liability insurance policy owned by a flight school, a Virginia trial court held.

Here, Martirosov was a student pilot flying in a plane with an employee of a flight school as the pilot. The plane crashed, and both of them suffered fatal injuries. Martirosov’s mother sued the flight school, its insurer, and the pilot’s estate, and requested a declaratory judgment that the student pilot was not a “passenger” and thus the maximum coverage was the higher amount allowed per occurrence, rather than the lower per-passenger amount. All parties requested summary judgment, and the insurer further argued that plaintiff could not get a declaratory judgment because she had not yet obtained a judgment against the pilot’s estate.

Granting the declaratory judgment, the trial court noted there is little state jurisprudence on the issue of whether a claimant must first obtain a judgment against a tortfeasor before bringing a declaratory judgment against an insurer. However, the court said, the state high court recently granted relief to a plaintiff seeking a declaration that the tortfeasor was covered by the insurer, without discussion of a need for a preceding judgment against the tortfeasor. Further, the U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, applying Virginia law, recently held an action could be brought in a situation similar to the one here. Thus, the court reasoned, Virginia allows declaratory judgment actions to determine insurance coverage even when plaintiff has not yet obtained a judgment against the tortfeasor.

Regarding the merits of the action, the court held the student pilot is not considered a passenger under the liability policy. The flight school chose a coverage option that does not specifically define “passenger,” as some of the plan’s other options do. The court cited several dictionaries that define “passenger” as any occupant of a conveyance other than the pilot or crew. Thus, the court said, it is clear the term is generally not meant to include student pilots. Although other options offered by the insurer specifically include plane operators in the definition, the omission of that definition in one form of coverage but not in others suggests the omission was intentional, the court said.
Accordingly, the court issued a declaratory judgment, finding the coverage limit should be the per-occurrence limit rather than the per-passenger limit.

Martirosov v. Shenandoah Flight Servs., Inc., Nos. CL02-13021, CLOS-00300, CH03-00339 (Va., Rockingham County Cir. Ct. Mar. 2, 2004) (unpublished).

— Doug Kuba

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