Logging Military and Civilian Flight Hours: One Book or Two?

Here’s some guidance on combining the records and using appropriate notations.

Meg Godlewski

Wednesday, November 12, 2025 at 09:00 AM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

You may consider using more than one type or brand of logbook to diversify your data storage. [Shutterstock]

Key Takeaways:

Pilots are not required to keep separate logbooks for civilian and military flight hours, though many choose to for clarity and easier differentiation of hours.
Methods for combining hours include using a single logbook with "MIL" or "CIV" notations, or designating separate sections within one logbook.
A crucial difference is how flight time is calculated (military: takeoff to touchdown vs. civilian: engine start to shutdown), necessitating conversion or explanation for civilian purposes.
Beyond flight hours, it's essential to log PIC time and dual instruction received or given.

See a mistake? Contact us.

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.