Can New Zealand Pilots Use an Electronic Logbook? CAR 61.29 Explained
If you keep your flying records in an app, spreadsheet or airline roster system, it is easy to assume that a tidy electronic report is enough. Under the current NZ CAA electronic pilot logbook rules, it is not quite that simple.
CAR 61.29 now gives the Director of Civil Aviation a pathway to approve software for an electronic pilot logbook. However, the Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand (CAA) currently says the approval guidance is still being developed. Until that work is finalised, CAA directs participants to comply with the approved bound-book requirements in CAR 61.29(c).
That distinction matters. A digital logbook is a very good tool for calculations, searching, backups, applications and career planning. What you should not do is assume that any app replaces the official bound logbook simply because it produces a smart-looking PDF or describes its export as “CAA compliant”.
This guide explains what must be recorded, how computer-generated flight records can be used and the sensible way to maintain paper and digital records together.
Information checked against current CAA material on 31 August 2026.
Important: This article provides general information, not legal or licensing advice. The Civil Aviation Rules and CAA guidance take precedence. If the status of particular software or a particular record matters to a licence, rating or flight test, confirm the position directly with CAA.
The Short Answer
New Zealand pilots can use electronic tools to organise, mirror and analyse their flight records. But an electronic system replaces the approved bound book only when the software has been approved by the Director under CAR 61.29(h).
CAA's current pilot-logbook guidance says its guidance for approving electronic-logbook software is still in development. Until that is finalised, participants are required to comply with CAR 61.29(c).
In practical terms, keep the required approved bound book unless you can establish that the exact software you rely on has the necessary approval under CAR 61.29(h).
The key question is not whether an app can store flights or calculate totals. It is whether the Director has approved that software as an alternative to the bound book under the New Zealand rule.
Is an Electronic Pilot Logbook Actually a Good Idea?
Yes—as a properly managed companion to the required record, an electronic logbook is well worth having.
A good digital record can make it easier to:
Search flights by date, aircraft type or registration mark
Recalculate total time and experience categories
Prepare licence, operator and employment applications
Spot missing flights, duplicate entries and carry-forward differences
Keep an off-site backup of the information in the paper book
Export reports without repeatedly handling the original logbooks
The risk is not “going digital”. The risk is allowing the digital file and bound book to become two different versions of your flying history—or discarding the paper record on the assumption that an unapproved app has replaced it.
For most New Zealand pilots, the sensible answer is paper plus digital, kept in step. Maintain the approved bound book in accordance with CAR 61.29, then use the electronic record for the things software does particularly well: searching, filtering, totalling, backing up and preparing reports.
What Changed on 5 April 2025?
The current Part 61 came into effect on 5 April 2025. It retained detailed pilot-logbook requirements and added a specific provision for approved electronic-logbook software.
CAR 61.29(h) says the Director may approve software for an electronic logbook instead of a bound book when satisfied that the software and its user instructions provide assurance equivalent to paragraphs (c) to (g). The rule identifies seven matters the approval must address:
The format of entries
How entries are certified
How records are retained
How computer-generated flight records are entered
How entries may be altered
How the logbook is submitted to the Director
When records are entered
This is an approval mechanism, not blanket acceptance of every electronic logbook. The software must provide equivalent assurance across the same matters that apply to the paper record.
The official Part 61 page identifies the initial issue date as 5 April 2025, and the current wording appears in Part 61, Subpart A.
Does CAA Currently Approve Any Particular Logbook App?
CAA's current pilot-logbook page does not give pilots a published list of approved programmes. Instead, it says the guidance for approving electronic-logbook software in place of the current approved bound logbook is still being developed, and directs participants to comply with CAR 61.29(c) in the meantime.
That is not the same as saying that no approval could exist. It does mean you should not infer approval from an app's brand, layout or marketing language.
Phrases such as “NZ CAA format”, “CAA ready” or “compliant export” are not, by themselves, evidence that the software has been approved under CAR 61.29(h). A report can contain the right columns while the underlying system still falls short on certification, retention, corrections or submission.
If a provider says its software can replace the bound book, ask for written evidence covering that exact programme and version, including any approval conditions. Then verify the claim against current CAA information before relying on it.
What CAR 61.29 Requires in the Bound Logbook
Unless the pilot maintains an electronic logbook using software approved under paragraph (h), CAR 61.29(c) requires an approved bound book with details entered in indelible ink.
The main requirements are:
Each flight is normally listed as a separate entry.
A computer-generated flight record may be inserted permanently into the logbook.
A series of flights on the same day may be summarised as one entry only when the purpose and the departure, intermediate-landing and arrival details are the same.
The pilot certifies at the bottom of each page that every entry is correct.
The pilot licence holder retains the logbook permanently. If the licence is revoked under the Act, the logbook must be retained for at least 12 months from the date of revocation.
CAA also points pilots to the CAA 1373 Pilot Logbook on its pilot-logbook page. The rule itself uses the wording “an approved bound book”, so the important point is to use a record that meets the applicable approval and format requirements.
Can You Print Electronic Flight Records and Put Them in the Bound Book?
Yes. CAR 61.29(c)(2)(ii) expressly allows a computer-generated flight record to be inserted permanently into the approved bound logbook. That can be a practical bridge between digital data and the paper record, but it is more than printing a report and leaving it loose in a folder.
When a computer-generated report is inserted under that provision, CAR 61.29(d) requires the pilot to make a written logbook entry summarising the total flight time of the flights in the report for each applicable pilot function.
The other requirements still matter, including page certification, transparent corrections, permanent retention, preparation before submission and the time allowed for making entries.
A loose printout, email attachment or PDF on your phone does not satisfy the specific method described in CAR 61.29(c)(2)(ii), which requires the computer-generated flight record to be inserted permanently into the approved bound book.
What Information Must a New Zealand Pilot Logbook Contain?
CAR 61.29(a) requires a student pilot and the holder of a Part 61 pilot licence to maintain an accurate, up-to-date logbook. It must include the pilot's name, aircraft type ratings and the certifications, authorisations and ratings held.
For the applicable flights covered by CAR 61.29(a) and (b), the required details include:
Date of flight
Aircraft category, type and registration mark
Flight time
Simulated and actual instrument flight time
Any training, including dual instruction and command practice
The flight instructor's or safety pilot's name, when applicable
Pilot function: pilot-in-command (PIC), pilot-in-command under supervision (PIC/US), co-pilot or student
Purpose of the flight, including departure, any intermediate landing and arrival
Whether the flight was conducted by day or night
For a flight under IFR, the number and type of instrument approach procedures flown
For a training flight, details of the training exercise
For gliders and balloons, the additional launch or inflation information required by the rule
The logbook must also record each flight test, flight review, competency demonstration and flight crew competency check. The record must include its purpose, date, expiry date and the name, CAA client number and signature of the person who conducted it.
This is why a generic spreadsheet export may be useful but incomplete. If it omits a field required by the New Zealand rule, correct arithmetic does not cure the missing information.
How Soon Must Flights Be Entered?
CAR 61.29(g) sets specific entry deadlines:
An entry must generally be made within seven days after the flight.
For a flight on an international air transport operation, the entry must be made within 14 days of the flight.
If the pilot is operating away from the base where the logbook is normally kept, the entry must be made within 48 hours after returning to base.
A digital app can help capture the details while they are fresh. It does not, however, automatically satisfy the timing requirement for the official record if that app has not been approved as the electronic logbook under CAR 61.29(h).
Build a routine that moves the information into the required bound record within the applicable timeframe. A weekly update may work for ordinary local flying, but it leaves little margin. Updating sooner is the safer habit.
How Corrections Must Be Made
CAR 61.29(e) says an incorrect entry may be altered only by putting a line through it and adding the correct information beside the original entry or on a new line. The original information remains visible.
That matters when records are moved into a digital system. An app that silently overwrites an entry without retaining a reliable change history may be convenient, but it does not offer the same transparency as the correction method required for the bound book. Under CAR 61.29(h), an approved electronic system must provide equivalent assurance about how entries may be altered.
Before making a material correction:
Preserve a clear image or export of the original record.
Identify the source supporting the change.
Make the correction transparently in every record affected.
Recalculate each total and category affected by the change.
Avoid an unexplained adjustment made solely to force the paper and digital grand totals to agree. If the numbers have split, find the first point where the paper and digital logbook totals stopped matching, then verify the underlying entries before changing anything.
What Must Be Done Before Sending a Logbook to CAA?
Before a pilot submits a logbook to the Director for any reason, CAR 61.29(f) requires the pilot to:
Total each column of entries on every page
Enter their total flight experience in the spaces provided
Sign below the last entry to certify that the entries are correct
An electronic summary can make the calculations easier, but the record submitted still needs to satisfy the rule. Do not wait until a licence application or flight test to discover that pages are uncertified, totals have not been carried forward properly or the electronic categories do not match the paper source.
Electronic Signatures: A Typed Name Is Not Automatically Enough
CAA's Advisory Circular AC00-6, Revision 2, published on 5 April 2025, provides useful context on electronic signatures and electronic record keeping.
The advisory circular notes that not all identifying information in a system constitutes a signature; simply entering a person's name is one example. It describes features such as:
Identifying and authenticating the signer
Showing the signer's intention to sign
Permanently associating the signature with the record
Protecting the signed information from unauthorised alteration
Keeping corrected information visible and traceable
Safely archiving electronically signed documents
AC00-6 also says an electronic record must provide equivalent or better data integrity, accuracy and accessibility than the corresponding paper record. It addresses secure access, backups, system changes and continuity when data moves between systems.
AC00-6 is broader electronic-recordkeeping guidance for aviation document holders. It is not, by itself, approval of a consumer pilot-logbook app under CAR 61.29(h). The software-specific position remains the one stated on CAA's current pilot-logbook page.
A Practical Paper-and-Digital Workflow for New Zealand Pilots
Until CAA's electronic-logbook approval guidance is finalised, this is a sensible, low-risk workflow:
Maintain the approved bound book. Use indelible ink, make entries within the CAR 61.29(g) timeframe and certify each page as required.
Mirror each flight digitally. Do not rely on a balance-forward alone if you want a searchable, entry-by-entry record.
Capture the New Zealand fields. Configure the digital programme to retain the details required by CAR 61.29(b), not just the app's default columns.
Reconcile at checkpoints. Compare paper and digital totals monthly, annually and at the end of each logbook volume.
Preserve certifications. Keep clear images of flight reviews, tests, checks and other signed records. Do not assume a typed name is equivalent to a compliant signature.
Export regularly. Keep both a human-readable report and a portable data export where the software allows it.
Back up independently. Do not leave your entire flying history inside one phone, one cloud account or one subscription service.
Keep the original books. The digital copy is useful for access and recovery; it is not a reason to dispose of the permanently retained bound record.
If you are moving several years of flying into a new system, PilotAudit's complete paper-to-digital logbook guide explains the wider conversion and verification process. New Zealand pilots should apply the CAR 61.29-specific requirements in this article alongside that workflow.
Before Choosing an Electronic Logbook, Ask These Questions
A polished interface is not a compliance feature. Before relying heavily on a programme for New Zealand flying records, ask:
Has this exact software and version been approved by the Director under CAR 61.29(h)?
Can the provider supply written evidence of that approval and any conditions attached to it?
Does the export contain every field required by CAR 61.29(b)?
How does the system certify pilot pages, instructor entries, flight reviews, tests and checks?
Can an edited entry be traced to the original value, date of change and person who changed it?
What happens to your records if the subscription ends, the provider closes or the software changes?
Can the complete record be exported and submitted to CAA in a usable form?
How are backups, long-term retention and data migration handled?
If those questions cannot be answered clearly, use the programme as a supplementary record rather than assuming it replaces the approved bound book.
Converting a New Zealand Paper Logbook to Digital
A paper-to-digital conversion can make years of flight records much easier to search, total, audit and use for applications. It can also uncover carry-forward errors, duplicated flights, missing registration marks and incorrectly mapped categories.
For a New Zealand pilot, a sound conversion should preserve the regulatory trail rather than sever it:
Scan every used page, including signatures and certifications.
Transfer the applicable CAR 61.29 fields entry by entry.
Preserve meaningful remarks and training details.
Reconcile digital calculations against the source book at regular checkpoints.
Retain the original approved bound logbooks permanently.
PilotAudit's paper-to-digital pilot logbook conversion service turns pilot-provided paper records into an organised digital file and flags information that cannot be read confidently. For a New Zealand project, the digital output should be treated as a record-management and career tool unless the applicable CAA approval position supports its use as the official logbook.
If you already have paper and digital records that no longer agree, a professional pilot logbook audit can help identify total-time differences, category discrepancies, incomplete entries and the point at which the records diverged. PilotAudit does not approve software, make licensing determinations or invent unsupported flight information; those responsibilities remain with the pilot and, where applicable, CAA.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can New Zealand pilots use an electronic logbook?
Yes, electronic tools can be used to organise, mirror and analyse flight records. An electronic logbook replaces the approved bound book only when the software is approved by the Director under CAR 61.29(h). CAA currently says its software-approval guidance is still being developed and directs participants to comply with CAR 61.29(c) until it is finalised.
Do New Zealand pilots still need a paper logbook?
Under CAA's current published guidance, pilots should continue complying with the approved bound-book requirement in CAR 61.29(c), unless they are maintaining an electronic logbook using software approved under paragraph (h).
Are LogTen, ForeFlight, MyFlightbook or spreadsheets approved by NZ CAA?
Do not assume approval from the brand, report format or marketing language. CAA's current pilot-logbook page does not publish a list of approved programmes; it says approval guidance is still in development. Ask for evidence of approval under CAR 61.29(h) and verify the current CAA position before treating any programme as a replacement for the bound book.
Can I print pages from an electronic logbook and insert them into my paper logbook?
CAR 61.29(c)(2)(ii) allows a computer-generated flight record to be inserted permanently into the approved bound logbook. CAR 61.29(d) also requires a written entry summarising the flight time in the report for each applicable pilot function. The other certification, correction, retention, submission and entry-timing requirements still apply.
Can I discard my paper logbooks after converting them?
No. CAR 61.29(c) requires the pilot logbook to be retained permanently, subject to the specific retention rule where a licence is revoked. A digital conversion is useful for access, backup and analysis, but it is not a reason to dispose of the original bound records.
How often must a pilot logbook be updated in New Zealand?
Entries must generally be made within seven days of the flight. A flight on an international air transport operation may be entered within 14 days. When operating away from the base where the logbook is normally kept, the entry must be made within 48 hours after returning to base.
Does an airline roster or operator flight-time report replace the personal logbook?
Not automatically. Operator records can be valuable supporting evidence and may help populate or reconcile a personal logbook, but the student pilot or licence holder remains responsible for maintaining the accurate and up-to-date logbook required by CAR 61.29.
What happens when CAA finalises its electronic-logbook guidance?
The practical position may change once CAA publishes an approval process or identifies approved software. Check the current CAA pilot-logbook page before relying on an electronic system as the official record. This article should also be reviewed whenever CAA publishes new material on CAR 61.29(h).
The Bottom Line
New Zealand now has a genuine legal pathway for approved electronic pilot logbooks. It has not given every logbook app automatic status as a replacement for the bound book.
For now, the safest reading of CAA's published position is straightforward: comply with CAR 61.29(c), use digital records as a carefully reconciled companion and do not rely on vendor claims without evidence of approval under CAR 61.29(h).
Going digital is still a good idea. It makes your flying history easier to search, total, back up and prepare for applications. The important bit is keeping the digital entries in step with the approved bound record—and preserving the certifications and correction trail that support your time.
