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I have a question. Do most builders use the KitLog program for keeping their time and all required records? Or are there other/better methods or programs?
Thank you,
Al
Thank you,
Al
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I don't but probly should. Do I care how much time it takes me...no. The DAR doesn't care how much time I spend building either. Currently my log only consists of pictures on Flicker with dates and a few captions.
Kitlog does seem really good and I've gotten great ideas off it from builders that are using it.Scratch Built 4-place Bearhawk. Continental IO-360, 88" C203 McCauley prop.-
I'm kind of in the same boat. Currently I post progress to a facebook public group Bearhawk024. It's free and creates a public record that is time stamped. Not that the amount of time is important, but just to show that I didn't just fabricate the log prior to applying for airworthiness. I've recently bought a Garmin Virb cam so that I can take time lapse photos and get more shots of me building. I've read multiple statements released by the FAA that they are not concerned with time spent, as it is so variable from one builder to another, making it irrelevant. They are more concerned with evidence that enough tasks were completed buy amateur builders to comply with the 51% rule and if applying for repairman's cert that you are the primary builder. Over and over I have been encouraged to get pictures that show me in the building process, as a picture is worth a thousand words. Having said all of this, I am very grateful to those who have documented everything on kitlog, as it has been a great reference for my build. I spend a lot of time on Alaska Bearhawk's kitlog site.
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I haven't technically started building my Bearhawk yet, but I went the WordPress route. So far, I really like it. I'm a mac guy so Kitlog wouldn't work for me.
My site is very basic, http://azbearhawk.com
Jared has a really nice WordPress build log at http://bearhawkblue.com.Comment
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A DAR doesn't issue Repairman certs. When you sit down with the FSDO to obtain your Repairman's cert you have to prove to his/her satisfaction that you completed the work on the aircraft. My logbooks have always been an integral part of that conversation. My advice is to properly document your work and time spent in some form. You'll also use that evidence if you ever decide you want to go on to obtain your A&P. Pics are good, but even better with documented evidence.Comment
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Making an online building log can be thought of as a separate project. It takes lots of time to create, and if I was in a situation where I was having to spend plane building time on creating the log, I would not have done it. But I spend about half of my time away from home, and much of it is in hotels. So the time that I spend on the building log is time that I'm separated from the airplane anyway. It has been nice to look back at it from time to time when I have forgotten a particular detail. You can satisfy the FSDO with much less detail. I think it would be pretty obvious if you were (or were not) the builder after 5 minutes of discussion with the inspector. If you backed that up with a dozen photos of you working over the course of the project and a legal pad with one line for each day's work, I think you'd have more evidence than most.Comment
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Depends completely on the FSDO Jared. I spent a half hour on one project, then I spent an hour and a half on another. Interestingly it was the Bearhawk that took me an hour and a half with the FSDO. He went into details about the build and looked at much of my website with photos. Even though I had 5200 hours of documented build time on three projects and other aviation maintenance, with photos, it took a consultation with 3 FSDO reps to secure my 8610-2. It's completely luck of the draw.Comment
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I found the kitlog program to be a fast/easy way for me to document what I have been doing. I'm a mac guy, so I have to run it on a old windows laptop. If XP becomes inoperable, then I will have to get something else just to keep my log updated.
When you apply for certification, there is a checklist that you are supposed to fill out. It lists every part that can be built by the amateur. You check the ones you built, the ones bought, and n/a the ones that don't apply. Add things up and figure out the percentage. This is what your DAR should be looking for. They might pick a piece off of your checklist and ask to see building photos of it. Time spent has never been a part of the equation. Unfortunately, there are some DAR-AB's out there who still don't follow the prescribed processes.Comment
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Regarding the MAC/windows issue you mention, you can run Parallels on the MAC, which gives you a windows operating environment on the same machine. I am running Kitlog like this on my MacBook.Comment
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