Question: I had a civilian pilot certificate with approximately 100 hours when I entered the military as a pilot. Now I have both military hours and civilian flight hours. Do I need two logbooks, or can these hours be logged in the same place?
Answer: According to the former and current military pilots I have flown with, you do not necessarily need to keep separate logbooks for your civilian and military hours. However, many pilots do this just to avoid confusion. Separate logbooks also make it easier to break out your civilian hours versus military ones.
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That being said, some pilots log their hours in one logbook with the notation “MIL” or “CIV.” Others have one part of the logbook for military hours and another for civilian hours.
There is a difference when it comes to calculating flight time because in the civilian world flight time is determined from engine start to shutdown, often going off the Hobbs meter.
In the military world flight time is logged from takeoff to touchdown. Be prepared to convert your military time to civilian time or to explain it to a civilian employer if need be.
In addition to hours, it is important that you log PIC time if appropriate, as well as dual instruction given in your logbooks.
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