flight log software?

I have a notebook where I write down field, motor, damage, notes and such for each model and each flight. is there a program where I could do that and have it calculate total flights and average per model? Maybe Excel or something but I've never used it.

I too have been looking for something like that. Haven't found it.

Planning on doing something up in EXCEL and using an old iPad to update it at the field....

I keep a notebook too, but did buy an App called iPowerRocket from the apple store years ago. Has the capacity of logging flights, but is honestly a little cumbersome. On the expensive side for apps, too- $10 I think? I took a crack years ago at creating a database in MS Access for this (my wife says, "When you hobby, you hobby HARD", and she's not wrong!), but I'm not a programmer, and it never worked the way I wanted it to. I think I still have it on a hard drive somewhere if anyone wants it?

soopirV said:

I keep a notebook too, but did buy an App called iPowerRocket from the apple store years ago. Has the capacity of logging flights, but is honestly a little cumbersome. On the expensive side for apps, too- $10 I think? I took a crack years ago at creating a database in MS Access for this (my wife says, "When you hobby, you hobby HARD", and she's not wrong!), but I'm not a programmer, and it never worked the way I wanted it to. I think I still have it on a hard drive somewhere if anyone wants it?

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Not sure I am personally interested using a log database. I keep a simple spreadsheet for high power only, but am interested enough to take a look.

Yep. Go to insanerocketry.com

https://www.insanerocketry.com

There is an iPhone app called Rocket Tracker that has some flight logging capability. I believe it is a free app.

Rocket Tracker by Pencil Busters, Inc.
https://appsto.re/us/LCJkB.i

timbucktoo said:

Yep. Go to insanerocketry.com

https://www.insanerocketry.com

Click to expand...

Looks like a program to fly one's phone. I think the OP might just want a simple logging program can input data for a simple log and not have it in some sort of media site. Seems stupid to launch a pricey phone as a tracker. Kurt

I just use the log on Rocketry Reviews https://www.rocketreviews.com/

Once you start an account you can enter all of your flights, details of the flights and the stats will give you all kinds of info including how much you are spending on motors....

It can be a little clunky, but if you have questions about a certain kit, there are usually several build on the site. It might not work well with a cell phone from the field, but I never tried. I just log my flight from my notebook when I get home.

ksaves2 said:

Looks like a program to fly one's phone. I think the OP might just want a simple logging program can input data for a simple log and not have it in some sort of media site. Seems stupid to launch a pricey phone as a tracker. Kurt

Click to expand...

Yes there is an App but if you go to website you will see that it's a flight logger. I have logged dozens of flights there.
As far as launching phones, I know the developer and many end users and they all use 2nd hand phones bought on eBay.

+1 for rocketreviews.com

You can upload files/photos as well and compare your flights to others flying the same kit/design.

I can't understand wanting an app. for logging on the field. have we really gone that far that we can't use paper and pencil to keep track of our flights, data, weather conditions and after flight notes?

I've been flying Model rockets since 1963, I have a flight sheet for every single launch I have flown or attended since that time. In 1983 I did layout a Launch day flight sheet that can be printed or copied. All this info is at my finger tips at home or on the field, along with all my fleet info and other material. This one 4" Binder contains my entire Model Rocket building and flying history that I use constantly in History reports on past launches and comparison and collection of weather data from these days on the field.

An excel spreadsheet would be simple enough to make. What all you want it to say and calculate? And I'll see what I can do. I worked up a crude one that you can enter your rocket weight and it will tell you what thrust motor you need and a few more things. It's simple math but some folks don't like math.

Mike

I could see wanting to enter data once, and be able to pull various reports out of it. I've logged many ways over the years. Right now, I have a one page sheet where I write the location, motor, altitude, what flew on board, and other flight info, then the rest of the page is blank to write how the flight went. Not perfect and it builds up fast, but works for the 10-20 HP flights I do a year.

This was my old method-

Micromeister said:

I can't understand wanting an app. for logging on the field. have we really gone that far that we can't use paper and pencil to keep track of our flights, data, weather conditions and after flight notes?

I've been flying Model rockets since 1963, I have a flight sheet for every single launch I have flown or attended since that time. In 1983 I did layout a Launch day flight sheet that can be printed or copied. All this info is at my finger tips at home or on the field, along with all my fleet info and other material. This one 4" Binder contains my entire Model Rocket building and flying history that I use constantly in History reports on past launches and comparison and collection of weather data from these days on the field.

Click to expand...

I completely agree with your method, but I do think you need to digitize it. How long would it take you to tell me how many A8-3 motors you have flown? it would be seconds if everything was in a database.

The search and query capabilities of software are so great when you have the data in a database. If you are just starting out, definitely enter the data in some type of database. Spreadsheets are OK for small logs, but they are not designed the way databases are and flight logs are definitely an application that can be optimized when in a database instead of a spreadsheet.

https://www.apogeerockets.com/Rocke..._Sheet?zenid=6fc49fae7a97f727cf9ddf5cc99a6c8b

I made my own version of this flight data sheet and used it often in the past. Now I just go by memory, wing it, or just fly the damn thing and not worry about it. Sometimes all the rocket science isn't worth it!

Buckeye said:

https://www.apogeerockets.com/Rocke..._Sheet?zenid=6fc49fae7a97f727cf9ddf5cc99a6c8b

I made my own version of this flight data sheet and used it often in the past. Now I just go by memory, wing it, or just fly the damn thing and not worry about it. Sometimes all the rocket science isn't worth it!

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+1 on that.... but if you don't write it down, you're not a rocket scientist.

I get it though. I do write down the flight, motor, an altitude (altimeter or guesstimate) and other interesting things about the launch/flight or people there. Sometimes I write it down when I get home, but....

Makes for a nice memory jog sometimes.

I have a few flight sheets for use in the field, some already filled in and some blanks for those "gotta do it" flights, and intend to transfer data collected in the field to the computer after the launch. It'll be easy to find average altitude for a particular model or highest altitude and even your most flown bird. Put it all into a graph or whatever. I like the idea if keeping accurate and detailed flight logs and I am just getting started so I won't have any back logs to dig through.

Mikey D

sl98 said:

There is an iPhone app called Rocket Tracker that has some flight logging capability. I believe it is a free app.

Rocket Tracker by Pencil Busters, Inc.
https://appsto.re/us/LCJkB.i

Click to expand...

That's more like what i was looking for but....looks like someone had a good idea, did 90% of it and walked away !

It was released in 2011 and never updated so that's probably what happened.

I'm a data geek. I've built an MS Access database that contains nearly 20 years of rockets and flights.

Not only do I track rockets and flights, but also motors, avionics, recovery devices, etc. I store RocSim design files and altimeter flight data files as attachments in the database.

I can look up a particular rocket or launch day and see all the flights, then drill down and see all the particulars. Because the information is in a database, I can find crazy relationships.

The database lives in the cloud with cached copies on my home desktop and traveling laptop. The cloud keeps everything synced. Having all this data at my finger tips is cool.

Like I said, I'm a data geek.

...Fred

A Logging App would be great - maybe Thrustcurve could get on board with that.

I keep flight notes in my phone notes so I can access something quickly, but no search capability and frankly not a great plan but things like remembering ejection charge amounts, delays for given rocket motor combos are just too much to remember especially if you only go to a couple launches a year.

Impressive Micromeister especially that you've logged every flight!
- some of the techies prefer something they can throw in there pocket.

Micromeister said:

I can't understand wanting an app. for logging on the field. have we really gone that far that we can't use paper and pencil to keep track of our flights, data, weather conditions and after flight notes?

I've been flying Model rockets since 1963, I have a flight sheet for every single launch I have flown or attended since that time. In 1983 I did layout a Launch day flight sheet that can be printed or copied. All this info is at my finger tips at home or on the field, along with all my fleet info and other material. This one 4" Binder contains my entire Model Rocket building and flying history that I use constantly in History reports on past launches and comparison and collection of weather data from these days on the field.

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Very Cool. I like the Binder.

I think it would be neat if the kits sold through any hobby company provided a QR Reader stamp on their packaging. Then the consumer could scan that with their phone and have the kits basic data uploaded to their phone and then they could just add to it. Then be able to email the items wherever they like. Or add the data to the Jolly Logic Alt3 software, or vice versa.

I keep a small notebook in my range box that I will record all of my flights at each launch. Just the basics: rocket, motor flown, and altitude if it has an altimeter. Then, when I get home, I have an excel spreadsheet I will update that goes more in depth. For my flights with altimeters, I will include velocity. I will also add any notes regarding the flights, such as if there was damage, or any other interesting events. I will also track the Ns burned, how many motors of each impulse class I have flown, how many times each rocket has flown, I also use it to keep track of my motor inventory and my build pile.

Would this be an interest to the group? If you think it is a good idea, like this post. My son is a computer science student and needs a project. IOS and Android ok or PC?

cwbullet said:

Would this be an interest to the group? If you think it is a good idea, like this post. My son is a computer science student and needs a project. IOS and Android ok or PC?

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iOS, please.

I "liked" the post also and would prefer iOS as well since I always have an iOS device with me. I could also take Windows, since I generally bring a cheap Windows PC to the field to download altimeters, and since Adrel only has Windows software, that becomes the default (PerfectFlite and Altus Metrum support multiple platforms.

That said, I keep a notebook much as Kris does, but at least for now the detail that exists is in the notebook unless the flight had a recording altimeter aboard. In that case I download and save the file with the model name and flight number so that I have that information as well and can easily correlate it to my paper-and-pencil notes.

I put the motor used in the comments in the altimeter file and on Pnut flights also the flight location (AltimterThree knows where the flight was).

Sometimes I think about doing a spreadsheet as Kris does....but haven't done so. The MS Access database mentioned above sounds cool, but not cool enough for me to implement such a thing.

I keep a notebook also. I think I would prefer IOS also.

Jmhepworth said:

iOS, please.

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I think it would be a great asset.

“It’s not really Rocket Science if you don’t keep notes”.

Hi folks. Just wanted to let you know that we have been working on an Access database that tracks your fleet and the flights they make. It is an open source project, so you can download the database alone and make changes. We also have a 32-bit version and a 64-bit version for those that do not have Access and just want to run the software.

The database is still under development (this is a 0.5 release) and it still has a ways to go before it will be considered for a 1.0 release. It should be consider ALPHA level software so use with caution. We have posted our development milestones on our blog and at our SourceForge site.

Here are a few screenshots of what we have accomplished so far:




You can see more at our blog at The Rocketry Research Journal (https://rocketry-journal.blogspot.com) or at our SourceForge site at https://sourceforge.net/projects/flight-cards/

Hope that helps

I think would be awesome if it worked on a mobile device.