When pilot logbook apps shut down: how to protect your career data
- Vinay Raibole
- May 30
- 7 min read
A logbook is one of the few records a pilot carries across an entire career. It outlasts type ratings, base changes, and even the airline you happen to fly for this year. So when the app holding that record changes form or stops being maintained, the question stops being academic. The most visible recent example is mccPILOTLOG, which transitioned to CrewLounge, an Aerosoft-owned platform, with the original mccPILOTLOG brand effectively wound down. Pilots who relied on it were left deciding what to do with years of entries.
This post is not an argument that any current app is in trouble. It is a practical framework for two things: judging how exposed your records are to a sudden shutdown or pivot, and getting a clean, portable backup in place before anyone forces the issue. The guidance applies whether you fly for IndiGo, Air India, Akasa Air, SpiceJet, or anyone else, and whatever app you happen to use today.
What is actually at stake when a logbook app closes
Pilot logbook data is career-critical in a way that few other apps on your phone can claim. Airlines, the DGCA, and foreign regulators all require verifiable flight time records going back years. A first officer building toward a command upgrade, a captain documenting recency, a pilot applying to a new operator: each of them is asked to produce a continuous, accurate history. If that history lives only inside an app that shuts down, pivots to a model you did not sign up for, or makes export awkward, the record can become inaccessible, incomplete, or trapped behind a paywall at the exact moment you need it.
The failure mode is rarely dramatic. It is usually quieter: updates stop arriving, a familiar app is replaced by a new one with different terms, and the path to getting your own data out is suddenly less obvious than it was. The pilots who come through this calmly are the ones who already held an independent copy.
Recent examples worth knowing about
The mccPILOTLOG transition is the clearest case study, and it is worth understanding as industry context rather than as a warning about any one company. mccPILOTLOG was a widely used desktop and mobile logbook. Its development moved to CrewLounge PILOTLOG, a rebuilt application under the Aerosoft-owned CrewLounge platform, and the original mccPILOTLOG brand was effectively wound down. Pilots with existing data were pointed toward a migration path into the new app.
There is nothing unusual about a software product being rebuilt, sold, or replaced. It happens across the industry. What matters for you is not the corporate detail but the lesson underneath it: the app you log into today may not be the same app, on the same terms, in a few years. Planning for that is ordinary risk management, not pessimism.
How to evaluate app continuity risk
You do not need inside knowledge of a company to form a reasonable view of how exposed your data is. A short, honest assessment against a few signals is enough.
Signal | What to ask | Why it matters |
Company ownership | Who owns the app, and has it changed hands recently? | Ownership changes often precede a pivot or rebuild |
Active development | Are updates still shipping, or has the app gone quiet? | A stalled app is a leading indicator, not a lagging one |
Export capability | Can you pull a full CSV or LogTen file on demand? | Export is your exit. If it is missing or hidden, you are not in control of your data |
Data ownership in the terms | Do the terms confirm the records remain yours? | This determines whether you can leave with your history intact |
Access without an active plan | Can you still open your history if a subscription lapses? | A record you cannot read without paying is a record you do not fully hold |
Treat data portability and export capability as a core feature, not an afterthought. An app that makes it easy to leave is, paradoxically, the kind you can most safely stay with. The reverse is also true.
How to back up your logbook right now
Whatever app you use, you can put a durable backup in place today. The goal is independence: copies of your data that survive even if the original app disappears entirely.
The practical steps:
Export your entire history, not just the current year. Most modern logbook apps support CSV or a LogTen export format. Verify this before you commit to any app, and verify it again now.
Save the exported file to a device you control: your laptop or phone, off the app entirely.
Add a second copy in the cloud, whether that is Drive, iCloud, or simply emailing the file to yourself. Three independent copies means no single failure loses your record.
Open the file and check that totals, type ratings, and recent flights match what the app shows. An export you have never opened is not yet a backup you can rely on.
For Indian commercial pilots, anchor this to the records you already have to satisfy: your eGCA history and your airline HR documentation. Keeping your backup consistent with those sources means that if you ever need to upload your logbook to eGCA, the numbers already line up. The eGCA portal accepts digital logbook uploads, so a clean export is directly useful, not just an insurance policy.
Migration options if you need to switch
If your current app has pivoted, or your continuity assessment leaves you uncomfortable, switching is more straightforward than most pilots expect, provided you have a clean export in hand.
What to look for in a destination app:
It imports standard formats. If it accepts CSV and LogTen files, your existing history can come across without manual re-entry.
It exports as easily as it imports. The same portability that lets you move in should let you move out again later.
It states clearly that your data remains yours and stays accessible.
The process usually involves three steps: export from the old app, import into the new one, then reconcile career totals, type ratings, and recent flights against your verified backup. Do not delete the old data until the new record is confirmed complete. A migration is finished when the numbers agree, not when the import bar fills.
Where Wingman stands on data permanence
Everything above applies no matter which app you use. This section is about how Wingman is built, so you can judge it against the same signals.
Wingman offers a free tier and does not lock your data behind a paywall or require an active subscription to access your records. If you stop paying, your history does not disappear or become read-only behind a plan. The free tier supports up to 250 hours, and the same logbook runs on iOS, Android, and Web. Wingman supports CSV and LogTen export, so the exit is always open: the same portability test in the checklist above applies to Wingman itself, by design.
For Indian pilots specifically, Wingman is priced at ₹4,499 per year, with international pricing at $59 per year, and it sits alongside the eGCA and airline documentation you already maintain. Roster import is the highest-frequency feedback theme across cohorts at IndiGo, Air India, Emirates, and Spirit, which is a reflection of how much pilots value not re-entering data by hand. You can read more in the Wingman pilot guides.
Frequently asked questions
What happens to my logbook data if my app shuts down?
It depends entirely on whether you hold an independent copy. If your records exist only inside the app, a shutdown or pivot can leave them inaccessible or behind a new paywall. If you have exported a full CSV or LogTen file and stored it locally and in the cloud, a shutdown becomes an inconvenience rather than a loss. The single most protective action is to keep a current export outside the app.
How do I export my logbook from mccPILOTLOG or CrewLounge?
mccPILOTLOG transitioned to CrewLounge PILOTLOG, and the platform publishes a migration path for moving existing records into the new app. Start from the official CrewLounge migration documentation at https://support.crewlounge.aero/support/solutions/articles/24000034285-how-to-migrate-from-mccpilotlog-to-crewlounge-pilotlog, which covers transferring your database. Whichever app you end up in, take the additional step of exporting a standard CSV or LogTen file and storing it independently, so your record does not depend on any single platform.
What file formats should I back my logbook up to?
CSV and LogTen are the two formats worth having. Most modern logbook apps support one or both. CSV is broadly readable and easy to inspect; a LogTen-format file preserves more structure for import into other apps. Holding both gives you the widest set of future options. Whatever you export, open the file and confirm it contains your full history before you treat it as a backup.
How far back do I need to keep logbook records for Indian airline requirements?
Indian airlines, the DGCA, and foreign regulators require verifiable flight time records going back years, which is why a continuous history matters. Rather than trimming to a fixed window, keep your complete record: command upgrades, recency checks, and new operator applications can all reach back across your career. Keep your backup consistent with your eGCA history and airline HR documentation so the figures reconcile when asked.
Can I switch logbook apps without losing my flight history?
Yes, provided you have a clean export and the destination app imports standard formats. The process is export, import, then reconcile against your verified backup until career totals, type ratings, and recent flights all match. Keep the original data until the new record is confirmed complete. The portability that lets you move in should also let you move out again later, so check the destination exports as easily as it imports.
Will Wingman lock my data if I stop paying?
No. Wingman offers a free tier and does not lock your data behind a paywall or require an active subscription to access your records. Your history stays accessible, and Wingman supports CSV and LogTen export, so you can take your data with you at any time.
A safety net, not a leap
If you are already uneasy about your current app, the sensible response is not to wait for a shutdown notice. Start a parallel record now. Wingman's free tier means there is no cost to keeping a second, independent copy of your flying alongside whatever you use today, so that if your main app ever changes form, your career history is already somewhere safe.
You can start at wingmanlog.in to download the app and import your existing history to see how it lines up.
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