Does Lost Student Pilot Logbook Mean Lost Hours?

Understanding how flight time counts, even with a new instructor.

Meg Godlewski

Wednesday, November 05, 2025 at 11:00 AM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

Pilot logbook [Credit: Carly Chamerlik/FLYING Archive]

Key Takeaways:

Properly logged flight hours, including solo and dual instruction from previous instructors or schools, legally count towards an aviation certificate or rating as per cFAR 61.51.
While legally valid, some flight schools may have policies requiring students to repeat training, as the endorsing instructor is ultimately responsible for the student's proficiency.
Students should retain all official logbooks with endorsements, as check ride examiners will review them to ensure all certification requirements are met, potentially avoiding the need to re-pay for previously completed hours.

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Question: I am a student pilot, and I lost my paper logbook for a time when I moved out of state. I was pretty bummed because it had my first solo and about 4.7 hours of solo flight logged in it, including a 1.7-hour solo cross-country flight, along with 13 hours of dual instruction.

I wanted to keep flying, so I found a new flight school and got a new logbook. I told the CFI that I had about 17 hours already logged, but he made me start all over again. When I found my original logbook, I showed him the time, and he told me it wouldn’t count because it was at another school with another CFI.