I have been logging my flights off and on since I started flying about 20 years ago. Not sure why actually other than the curiosity factor. Back in the day I kept a log for a few years, and I counted over 600 hours on my heavily modified Kadet Sr, and I only logged part of it's 10 or so years in service.

Anyway in the past I have kept the log in a note book, and even wrote a quick and dirty Access database to keep the info. With the advent of electric flight, and LiPo batteries I am now interested in how long these batteries last (number of cycles), and if the super cheap ones are really worth it in the long run. My game plan was to write a real FlightLog in visual studio, and make it available to anyone who wanted it. Then I thought about making an online flight log much like a forum. But I just don't have the time for anything like that.

Then last night while watching Montreal beat the Caps (YEA!!) the idea struck me like a Mike Green slap shot from the point ( he was the guy who shot it THROUGH the net at the Olympics)...Why not use Google Forms? If you never used Google Forms ( I hadn't until now) it is a very basic interface where you can create single table input forms, that end up in a Google spreadsheet. I could then pull up the form on my smart phone and enter the data at the field after a flight. This way the data is only recorded once ( I ALWAYS forget to enter the data from my note book to the Access DB). It is in spreadsheet form, but that should be easy enough to get basic data on a batter and air frame such as total time and number of cycles.
Although a LOT simpler than my plan for the VS/online version, it appears it will get the job done. I created/tested this in less than a period of play while watching the game; in other words, it wasn't hard at all.

So if you ever wanted to log your flights (battery cycles), why not try Google forms. Super simple to set up and use; and accessible from anywhere you have an internet connection.

 

Great tip Dave. Thanks for the info. I am so early in my flight career that I could capture some great info.

Mark and Trish