Previous flying experience can be entered into the PilotLog database, and will then be taken into account when calculating total hours, as well as breakdowns of hours by type.

Experience can be entered by specific aircraft type, or as generic totals. The two types are added together, so you should add any hours divided by type, then enter any remaining non-specific hours as generic totals. You should not enter, for example, your total previous multi-engine flying, then add separately previous hours on a 747, as these hours will then be counted twice. Your total previous experience entered is displayed on the 'Total Flying' line. Note that 'other' hours are not included in the grand total shown in brackets.

Ideally, all previous flying experience should be entered by aircraft type. Thsi will give the best results in the Hours Breakdown window. Click the 'Add Hours by Type' button to display the Add Previous Experience form. You can enter any aircraft type that exists in the PilotLog aircraft database. If you need to enter a different aircraft type, you must first add an aircraft to the database that is an example of that type.

If you have no need of total hours breakdowns by aircraft type or category (fixed-wing, etc), or if you simply do not have a breakdown of your existing hours totals, then you can enter generic totals. Click the 'Add Generic Hours' button to display the Add Previous Experience form. You must enter single- and multi-engine hours separately.

Previous simulator experience can be added. Click the 'Add Simulator Hours' button to display the Add Previous Experience form. Hours are separated into FlightSim, FNPT II and FNPT I types, and can only be entered as PiC, P2 or Instructor capacity, in common with the Simulator Log.

See data entry for details of acceptable time formats.

To modify an entry of previous hours, move the cursor over the line you wish to edit. As in the main log, the line will be highlighted in blue (see 'Single-Engine' in the screenshot above). Click a highlighed line to edit it. You can also delete an entry by following this procedure then clicking the 'Delete this Entry' button that appears in the edit window.

If you wish to keep your PilotLog log book as your sole log, you should fill in all your previous hours. The information stored here will be printed on the covering page of your log book printouts.