Reprinted from an article published on skylinkjapan.com on April 14, 2023
" Flight logbook entries " is one of the new operational rules established along with unmanned aircraft pilot proficiency certification and aircraft certification, which came into effect with the revised Aviation Act on December 5, 2022.
This time, I would like to introduce you to the flight log, including "What is a flight log?", "Who must create a flight log?", "What should be written in a flight log?", and "Penalties for not creating a flight log."
■What is a flight log?
What exactly is a flight log?
What is a flight logbook?
A document containing information on flight, maintenance, modifications, etc., provided by a person flying a specific unmanned aircraft.
It consists of the following three types of records:
① Flight record : Records the results of each flight ② Daily inspection record : Records the results of daily inspections such as pre-flight inspections conducted before flying the drone
③ Inspection and maintenance records : Records of regular inspections, maintenance, repairs, and modifications
■ Persons who are required to keep a flight log
A flight logbook is a record of flight, maintenance, and modification information written by a person flying a specific unmanned aircraft.
Persons conducting specific flights
The following are the people who are required to keep a flight log:
■What is a specific flight of an unmanned aerial vehicle?
Many of you may already know about designated flights, as we have covered them many times in other articles, but just to recap, designated flights refer to flying drones in the airspace and using the flight methods listed below.
[Flying airspace]
・Above densely populated areas ・Above altitudes of 150m or higher ・Above airports, etc. ・Emergency airspace
[How to fly]
・Night flights ・Flying beyond visual line of sight ・Flying without being able to maintain a distance of 30m or more from people or objects ・Flying over event areas ・Transporting dangerous materials ・Dropping objects
■What should be recorded in the flight log?
First of all, as mentioned above, flight logs consist of the following three types:
① Flight record : Records the results of each flight ② Daily inspection record : Records the results of daily inspections such as pre-flight inspections conducted before flying the drone
③ Inspection and maintenance records : Records of regular inspections, maintenance, repairs, and modifications
There are items that need to be written on each of the three forms, and we will introduce them in order.
① Flight record
▼Items to be summarized at the beginning of the flight record as an overview of the unmanned aircraft
- Registration number of the unmanned aerial vehicle (if it is a test aircraft or the like and has not received a registration number, the notification number for the test flight; the same applies below), type and model (only for unmanned aerial vehicles of a type-certified model)
- Type certificate number of the unmanned aerial vehicle (only applicable to unmanned aerial vehicles of type-certified models)
- Aircraft certification category and aircraft certification number (only for aircraft-certified unmanned aerial vehicles)
-Designer, manufacturer and serial number of the unmanned aerial vehicle
▼Items to be recorded on each page of the flight record
- The following records regarding the flight of the unmanned aircraft : - Date of flight - Name of the pilot and unmanned aircraft pilot license number (only if a unmanned aircraft pilot license is issued)
- Purpose and route of the flight - No-fly zones flown and flight method - Take-off location and time - Landing location and time - Flight duration - Total flight time since manufacture - Records of the following regarding the presence or absence of matters that affected flight safety and their details, malfunctions, and their responses - Date of occurrence of malfunction and their details - Date of response and their details, and the name of the person who confirmed it
② Daily inspection records
▼Items to be summarized at the beginning of the daily inspection record as an overview of the unmanned aircraft
- Registration number of the unmanned aerial vehicle (if it is a test aircraft or the like and has not received a registration number, the notification number for the test flight; the same applies below), type and model (only for unmanned aerial vehicles of a type-certified model)
- Type certificate number of the unmanned aerial vehicle (only applicable to unmanned aerial vehicles of type-certified models)
- Aircraft certification category and aircraft certification number (only for aircraft-certified unmanned aerial vehicles)
-Designer, manufacturer and serial number of the unmanned aerial vehicle
▼Items to be recorded on each page of the daily inspection record
・Records of the following regarding daily inspections : - Date and location of inspection - Name of inspector - Results of daily inspections for each inspection item - Other special notes
③ Inspection and maintenance records
▼Items to be summarized at the beginning of the inspection and maintenance record as an overview of the unmanned aircraft
- Registration number of the unmanned aerial vehicle (if it is a test aircraft or the like and has not received a registration number, the notification number for the test flight; the same applies below), type and model (only for unmanned aerial vehicles of a type-certified model)
- Type certificate number of the unmanned aerial vehicle (only applicable to unmanned aerial vehicles of type-certified models)
- Aircraft certification category and aircraft certification number (only for aircraft-certified unmanned aerial vehicles)
-Designer, manufacturer and serial number of the unmanned aerial vehicle
▼Items to be recorded on each page of the inspection and maintenance record
- The following records regarding inspection, repair, modification or maintenance : - Date and location of inspection, repair, modification or maintenance - Name of the person who carried out the inspection, repair, modification or maintenance - Details of the inspection, repair, modification or maintenance (including the name of the replaced part if any)
- Reason for implementation - Total flight hours since the most recent aircraft certification - Other special notes
In addition, drone pilots must always carry the above three types of flight logbooks in paper or digital format when flying, and must be able to refer to or present them when any questions arise.
In principle, flight logs must be prepared using the above forms (Forms 1 to 3), but recording and management using original documents or dedicated apps is also permitted as long as they cover all the necessary information and can be displayed or printed in the same format as the forms.
■What happens if you don't create a flight log?
Preparing a flight log has become one of the obligations of drone operators conducting certain flights, but what happens if they violate the obligation?
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism website explains:
If you fail to keep a flight logbook when conducting a specified flight, fail to record items that should be recorded in the flight logbook, or make false entries, you will be subject to a fine of up to 100,000 yen in accordance with Article 157-11 of the Aviation Act.
This is what we are saying.
Currently, keeping a flight log is only mandatory when conducting designated flights, but it is recommended that you keep a flight log even when conducting non-designated flights.
If you operate a drone for work, there will be many situations where you will fly a drone that falls under the category of a specific flight. Even if you are not flying a specific flight, if you make it a habit to create a flight log, it will help you avoid forgetting to write it and ensure safe operation.
■Summary
It is true that creating and managing flight logs increases the burden on drone operators, but given the recent trend of drones becoming more widespread and the corresponding increase in accidents and serious incidents, the launch of this system, aimed at safer drone operation and social implementation, can also be seen as a sign of the times.
Manufacturers and service providers are beginning to offer functions and tools that semi-automate the creation of flight logs, but businesses that perform highly confidential work may find it difficult to release flight records to the public.
For details on how to create a flight log, please refer to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism website, " Guidelines for Handling Flight Logs for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, " and take appropriate action.
