Why Middle East Pilots Are Ditching Paper Logbooks: Digital Solutions for GCAA & GACA Compliance
- Wingman Log
- Jul 26
- 4 min read
Aspiring and active airline pilots in the UAE and Saudi Arabia are increasingly shifting from traditional paper-based logbooks to fully digital platforms. The reason is simple: regulatory complexity, manual workload, and compliance risks have made the old system outdated in today’s fast-paced aviation environment.
With aviation authorities like the GCAA (UAE) and GACA (Saudi Arabia) demanding high standards for record keeping, staying compliant with flight time regulations has never been more important -or more challenging.
Let’s break down exactly why this shift is happening, what GCAA and GACA require, and how modern digital logbooks are solving these pain points for pilots across the Gulf.
What Are the GCAA and GACA Logbook Requirements?
GCAA Logbook Requirements (UAE)
According to the UAE Civil Aviation Regulations, pilots must:
Maintain accurate and up-to-date flight logs
Clearly record flight hours under different categories (PIC, Co-Pilot, Instrument Time, Simulator, Night Time, etc.)
Keep records in a format acceptable to the GCAA
Ensure logbooks are available during audits or license renewal checks
Additionally, GCAA regulations require compliance with CAR-OPS 1 Subpart Q regarding duty time and rest limitations.
GACA Logbook Requirements (Saudi Arabia)
As per GACAR Part 61, pilots must:
Maintain flight time logs in a permanent, tamper-proof format
Track duty time, rest periods, and recency
Submit logs for license issuance and renewals
Provide type-specific experience records for upgrades or PIC authorizations
Failure to comply can lead to audit failures, license delays, or even enforcement actions.
Why Paper Logbooks Are Fading Out in the Gulf
Despite decades of use, paper logbooks are now a weak link for pilots flying under UAE and Saudi authorities.
1. Error-Prone & Time-Intensive
Manual entry increases the risk of math errors
Breaking down hours by GCAA/GACA categories is laborious
FTL checks become a nightmare when relying on spreadsheets
2. No Backup or Easy Sharing
Paper logs are vulnerable to loss or damage
Sending log data to HR, training, or licensing authorities means scanning and stitching PDFs
3. Outdated in a Digital Aviation Ecosystem
No alerts for license expiry, FTL violations, or recency drops
Slower turnaround during audit seasons
Even local flight schools and recurrent training departments are urging cadets and line pilots to adopt digital logs to avoid common disqualifiers.
Digital Logbooks: The GCAA & GACA-Compliant Alternative
What Makes a Logbook “Compliant” Digitally?
To satisfy both GCAA and GACA, your digital logbook must:
Store data securely and permanently
Log entries in a format accepted by the regulator
Allow structured, audit-ready exports (PDF or CSV)
Reflect real-time duty/rest calculations
And that’s where Wingman Pilot Logbook comes in.
Why Wingman Pilot Logbook Is the Preferred Choice for Gulf Pilots
Wingman Pilot Logbook is a modern logbook app built with Middle East regulations at its core. It removes the friction from tracking hours and ensures regulatory compliance—automatically.
Built-In GCAA and GACA Compliance
Wingman Pilot Logbook's architecture is aligned with:
CAR-OPS 1 (UAE)
GACAR Part 117 (Saudi Arabia)
It automatically tracks:
Instrument recency and night landings
Wingman Pilot Logbook supports automated import from major Gulf carriers:
Emirates
Etihad
Saudia
Flynas
Flyadeal
Flydubai
Air Arabia
Just connect your roster email or upload your CSV, and the app updates your logbook instantly.
Audit & Application Ready in One Tap
Export pre-formatted summaries:
GCAA PDF logbook
GACA 90-day, 6-month, or 12-month summaries
License renewal reports
Application-ready breakdowns (PIC, Co-Pilot, P1/S, SIM, etc.)
📲 Join 5,000+ pilots across the Middle East using Wingman Pilot Logbook to eliminate paperwork and stay audit-ready.
Local Pilot Use Cases
Saudia First Officer Applying for Upgrade
Challenge: Had to extract 500+ hours of last 6-months’ Co-Pilot time, night landings, and rest records With Wingman Pilot Logbook: Instantly generated upgrade-ready breakdown with recency and IR time.
Etihad Captain Under GCAA Audit
Challenge: GCAA requested structured log extracts and rest compliance verification With Wingman Pilot Logbook: One-tap PDF with CAR-OPS compliance built-in. Audit passed with zero observations.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What if my airline is not listed in the roster-import feature ?
You can upload any flight manually or write to us on support@wingman.zohodesk.com and we will add your airline for the roster-import feature.
Is it secure?
Wingman uses bank-level encryption, offline backups, and cloud storage to ensure your logbook is never lost.
Final Take: Upgrade Before You’re Left Behind
The aviation world is digital. Regulatory audits, airline interviews, and command upgrades demand structured, on-demand data. Pilots relying on paper logs are at a disadvantage—especially in tightly regulated regions like the Gulf.
✅ Stay audit-ready
✅ Save hours every month
✅ Comply with GCAA & GACA effortlessly
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