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Happy New Year and Thank YOU!
Happy New Year - 2011
It doesn't seem like it was just the holiday season, it seems like it was long ago as we are well into 2011 already and hard at work on the new Android app, iPhone/iPad updates (2.0.1) and Logbook Pro PC 1.11.1 update.  We just completed a significant update to the Airline Schedule Importer and published version 8.0.4 and continue to improve all of our products and services based on your outstanding feedback and suggestions.

Happy New Year to all of you, our readers, customers, and friends.  We hope you had a great holiday season and a very happy new year.  We are so excited about what we have planned for 2011, it is going to be a very very busy year for us.  It's coming up on one month since our release of the brand new Logbook Pro universal app that runs on your iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad and the v2 app is now FREE on the Apple App Store!  It has been a HUGE hit and we cannot believe the number of users we have in only the first month.  I'm so happy you all love this app with the new airline schedule importer and calendar integration, and of course all the other great features we put into this new version.  We obviously did it right, the numbers are loud and clear, and we are thrilled to have created a great logbook solution for you to enjoy.  Now we have our work cut out for us with the Android and Windows Phone 7 apps and can't wait to get those in your hands soon.

You would think after 13 years of selling Logbook Pro and all version 1 PC edition updates continuing to be free updates we would have slowed down but from Thanksgiving through the end of the Year we again broke sales records and significantly!  We continue to sell our leading aviation logbook products Logbook Pro, Logbook Pro PDA Companion, and Airline Pilot's Daily Aviation Logbook and our new subscriptions for Web Backup, Airline Schedule Importer, and Cloud Sync at record paces.  Thank you for spreading the word and choosing Logbook Pro - the most accurate, trusted, and reliable logbook software on the market, bar none.

Keep the feedback coming if you have suggestions for our future updates, products, and services.  Join us on Facebook and take advantage of our social networking sales and announcements.  Thank you for being a part of our team at NC Software.  We look forward to serving you on this 14th year of providing you the best possible pilot logbook solutions. 

Happy New Year,

Neal Culiner
President, NC Software, Inc.
 
Cloud Sync subscriptions - all you need to know
We are approaching the one month anniversary of our December 22nd release of Logbook Pro for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad version 2.  Version 1 iPhone/iPad app owners were issued a complimentary universal sync subscription ($34.99 value) through 12/31/2011.  When you first initialize the Logbook Pro v2 app you get a free 30-day cloud sync subscription.  That may be expiring soon for those that installed the v2 app near the release date so it's important to understand the two choices with your cloud sync subscription.  The information is published on this web page but let's go over it below.


With the version 2 app we made the app free and also allowed Logbook Pro PC edition (1.11.0 or later) sync with the My Sync portal in evaluation mode so you have no risk at all in checking out our software prior to entering into any financial commitment.  Upgrading to newer versions of software can be an expensive process especially if a software vendor releases a new major version frequently, i.e. version 1, 2, 3, etc.  Our policy is to keep all software updates within the same major version free hence why Logbook Pro PC edition version 1 hasn't changed the major version for over 13 years.  We continue to provide you free updates for your Logbook Pro PC edition.  Other vendors change their version number far too often and you end up spending hundreds on your software in no time. 

With our new subscription model we have taken the worry completely out of the software update process.  You no longer are buying the software so you get version 1, 2, 3, 14 free as long as you have a valid subscription.  Had we not done this you would have paid $29.99 for version 1 and then again $29.99 for version 2, and 3, and so on.  As we don't have any control over the Apple Store nor do we get sales/customer information, we cannot provide upgrade paths, etc.  So we came up with the free app and created a cloud sync subscription to help pay for the development and maintenance costs and kept annual pricing to an absolute minimum, a device subscription is only $1.67/month.  The next scenario we wanted to cover was people changing hardware, i.e. iPhone to Android or getting some other device such as an iPad or Android tablet that uses our cloud service in the future.  We created a "universal sync" subscription so you can sync any device you own now or in the future and can do so without any additional purchase.  So let's discuss the two sync subscription offerings:

Cloud Sync - Device Subscription:

As the name implies, you are licensing a single device (hardware) to sync through the cloud sync system.  In the About dialog of your app you'll find a Device ID in the bottom section.  Please note this is NOT your Account ID.  The Device ID is a unique ID that we use to authorize your device to sync.  You'll need to enter the Device ID and then click Add-to-Cart when purchasing your subscription instantly online at our online store..  If you only own or intend to own one device then this is the plan for you.  It is only $19.99 for an entire year which comes out to $1.67/month.  The subscription cannot be transferred so if you are considering a new device or adding devices in the future you may want to consider the universal sync subscription instead.

Cloud Sync - Universal Subscription:

The universal sync subscription allows you to sync any device you own now or in the future for one affordable fee of $34.99/year.  Whether you have one device or a dozen devices, one subscription is all you need.  This subscription is not tied to any hardware but instead your personal NC Software account/login.  You can use your Account ID/Username pair on any cloud sync supported device and sync using this subscription plan.  To subscribe to a universal sync subscription now click here.

Note:  Importing airline schedules requires a separate subscription to use the airline schedule importer portal.  This is not part of the cloud sync subscription.

If you have any questions regarding our subscriptions feel free to contact us via the help desk.
 
LEGS - why is this field so important?
LEGS column

The LEGS column is an important field in Logbook Pro and should not be left blank.  It defaults to 1 for you but it is not part of the required field set of Date, Type, Ident, Route, and Duration (or SIM) indicating a complete flight log entry.  LEGS is another term for FLIGHTS.  By entering one LEG you are telling Logbook Pro you have flown one FLIGHT (sim or actual).  As Logbook Pro performs advanced data analysis such as using the Analyzer you'll see a total number of flights, this is also indicated in the summary bar at the bottom of the log area.  The number of FLIGHTS is the SUM of the LEGS column.

Logbook Pro's design goal is to log your flights rapidly and accurately.  The last thing we want to do is be sitting behind a computer fiddling with some logbook software spending more time logging a flight than actually flying it.  Logbook Pro doesn't require you to mess with airport databases and deal with labor intensive search or pick lists.  Instead we use a free form route of flight entry field as shown above.  You can log your entire day of flying in a single log entry saving paper when it comes time to print and provides a more concise logbook presentation.  In order to get the proper number of FLIGHTS you need to enter the number of LEGS properly.  LEGS will also be carried into your Landings column if you have AutoFill entering a landing for you.  If you flew 4 LEGS you probably will be logging 4 LANDINGS unless of course you were not the pilot in a crewed flight performing the landing, etc.

Logbook Pro is an accounting package for pilots.  Just as businesses use accounting software for their finances, Logbook Pro is your accounting software for aviation.  It is important to keep the numbers properly so be sure to enter the LEGS column so your flight summaries are correct.  If you haven't discovered the Analyzer yet I highly recommend tinkering with it.  It is a great system to view your data summaries down to the Aircraft Ident flown.
 
Using a signature image on reports
Signature Image

I'm willing to bet you don't enjoy signing your name 300 times in your printed logbook.  We've had some fairly large turn-key print jobs in the past and signing each and every logbook page can be less than joyous to say the least.  Did you know Logbook Pro has a feature where you can supply an image of your signature and it will use it in the signature block?  Yes!  It's covered in the documentation, click here to read about it, but here are the simple steps:
  1. You can either scan your handwritten signature or create a signature using your favorite graphics program.  Experiment with either, as you can see my attempt above to write NC Software isn't the prettiest.
  2. Your image shouldn't be overly large, Logbook Pro will scale it to fit but if the resolution is way high, i.e. the file size is very large, the report could fail to generate and throw an Error 5000.  I suggest an image size of 800x400 pixels for starters
  3. Crop the image so there is minimal white space around your signature itself.  You don't want a 8.5 x 11 sized piece of paper with your signature in the middle of it.  The image needs to be nothing more than your signature.
  4. The most important part is the name of your signature image.  It must match the name of your data file which is the file ending in .LBK.  If you're using Logbook Pro 1.11.0, the latest version as of this writing, the path to your data file is in the top/title bar of the application.  You can also click Help...About Logbook Pro and the path to your data file is in the bottom portion of the About dialog.  It may read: C:\Users\<your username>\Documents\My Logbook Pro Files\v1\MyLogbook.lbk.  Take note of "MyLogbook.lbk" and the part you want is "MyLogbook".
  5. Save your signature file as "MyLogbook" to a jpeg format, so you end up with MyLogbook.jpg where of course "MyLogbook" is the name of YOUR data file.
  6. Copy your signature image into the same exact folder where your data file, the file ending in .LBK resides.  So you'll have both MyLogbook.lbk and MyLogbook.jpg in the same folder
  7. Run your report and your signature should now appear in the signature block
 
Get the most out of your software - watch our video tutorials
Video Tutorials
With our recent record sales and conversions from other logbook software products many of you are new to Logbook Pro and many of you have been with us for 13+ years as well.  Logbook Pro is designed to be very simple yet pack some great features for those that really want to get more out of the product.  No one likes reading documentation, although we do provide complete documentation for those that do want to read through it and really learn the product.  Watching a video that shows the features to you in action is the best way to learn and will give you that nudge to use the features we put in place to really make logging fun and quick such as double-click auto-entry, AutoFill, data analysis with the Analyzer, creating reports, viewing and interacting with charts, and more.  We like training as much as we like creating so we've built an extensive video library for both the PC edition and the iPhone/iPad app.  In fact you'll also find videos in our newsletters that build upon the video tutorials already in place so feel free to browse or search our newsletter archive.

Logbook Pro PC edition videos:

Series Title Duration
1000 Introduction 00:08:20
1010 Initial Program Setup 00:10:48
1100 User-Interface Walkthrough 00:06:34
1200 Options Area 00:23:37
1300 File Operations 00:08:31
2000 Data Entry Basics 00:10:00
2100 Automation with Autofill & Double-Click Auto Entry 00:04:16
2200 Summary Bar 00:04:19
2300 Popup Summaries (Windows Style Log) 00:02:53
2400 Spreadsheet Style Log Data Entry 00:20:40
2500 Windows Style Log Data Entry 00:08:17
3000 Logbook Pro Explorer 00:09:23
4000 Reporting Basics 00:15:13
4100 Advanced Report Techniques 00:13:40
5000 Graphs 00:08:31
6000 Currencies 00:14:01
7000 Analyzer 00:03:06
7101 Analyzer Basics 00:10:09
7201 Data Presentation 00:04:40
7301 Filtering 00:05:25
7401 Arranging Data 00:05:22
7501 Correction Factors 00:05:03
7601 Printing 00:03:09
7701 Exporting to Excel 00:02:05
8000 Exporting 00:07:21
9000 Import Wizard 00:12:27
10000 Synchronize Wizard 00:08:17
11000 Palm Companion 00:09:37
11100 Pocket PC Companion 00:09:55
12000 Registration System 00:06:22
13000 Miscellaneous Items 00:08:14

Logbook Pro iPhone/iPad v2 videos:

Series Title Duration
100 Getting Started 00:09:46
200 Data Entry 00:19:08
300 Reports 00:06:56
400 My Sync Portal 00:09:32
500 Settings 00:20:20
600 Synchronization 00:18:05
 
Using another electronic logbook product?  We'll convert your data FREE!
Did you know we do logbook conversions from other electronic software products -- FREE?

We will gladly convert your "other" electronic software logbook for you at no charge.  This is a FREE one-time service for new customers.  Simply send us a zip file of your current logbook data and we'll verify we can convert it, if so, we'll ask for your Logbook Pro PC edition registration code to proceed with the conversion and we'll complete the conversion for you.  We welcome you to Logbook Pro and hope you enjoy our wide range of software for general aviation and airline pilots, our Cirrus Elite binders, and other add-ons to make flight logging fun and useful.  Logbook Pro is the leader for ease of use, quality and support, data analysis and reporting, and free upgrades for over 12 years now!  It's time you made the move.

We have a Knowledgebase of conversions which is only a list of our most common conversions.  Contact us even if you're product is not listed and we'll gladly see if we can convert your data.
Did you know Logbook Pro has an Import Wizard that can import just about any comma (CSV) or TAB delimited file? If your logbook product has an export feature, most likely you can make the transition yourself. Click here for details on the Import Wizard which is functional even in the Eval of Logbook Pro.

Using a Mac?  No problem.  Click here for details on how to run Logbook Pro on a Mac.
 
Are you up-to-date?
Product Version
Logbook Pro PC Edition 1.11.0
Logbook Pro Universal App for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad 2.0.0
Logbook Pro Palm Companion 1.10.5
Logbook Pro Pocket PC Companion 1.10.16
Airline Pilot's Daily Aviation Logbook - Palm OS 6.0.4
Airline Pilot's Daily Aviation Logbook - Pocket PC 6.1.4
FlightCentral Route Browser 2.2
Airline Schedule Importer 8.0.4
Click here to download updates as required.
 

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