FreeFly.ing is a digital logbook for paraglider pilots and schools. It lets you import IGC files, log flights manually, track career statistics, and manage gear. Basic logbook features stay free; school management tools are available on a subscription plan.

Can I import IGC files into FreeFly.ing?

Yes. FreeFly.ing parses IGC files — the standard format produced by paragliding flight instruments and variometers — and automatically extracts flight time, date, and GPS trace data.

Is FreeFly.ing free to use?

Basic logbook features stay free — pilots can log flights and manage gear without a subscription. School management features (curriculum, student progression, gear lending) are available on a subscription plan.

Does FreeFly.ing track gear and equipment?

Yes. FreeFly.ing includes a gear tracking module where you can log your wings, harnesses, and reserves, record service events, and track maintenance schedules to keep your equipment airworthy.

The Ultimate Digital Logbook Checklist for New Paragliding Pilots

You've just got your licence. Your instructor signed off, you have your first glider, and you're ready to fly solo. One habit that separates pilots who progress safely from those who don't: logging from the very beginning.

This is the complete list of what to record after every flight, and why each item matters.

The Core Record: Every Flight

These are the non-negotiables. Log them every time.

Date and Site

Self-explanatory, but easy to skip when you're flying regularly and everything starts to blur together. Six months later, when you're trying to remember your first XC attempt or that memorable flight at a new site, the date and site entry is the anchor.

Site name also lets you filter your logbook by location — useful for understanding where you've built experience and where you're still a newcomer.

Duration (Airtime)

Total time from launch to landing. This is your cumulative currency as a pilot. Most rating systems, progression milestones, and insurance products reference flight hours. Keep the count accurate.

If you import from IGC, duration is filled automatically. If you're entering manually, take a note on your phone at launch and landing.

Wing

Which glider did you fly? This populates the per-wing airtime record, which feeds into your maintenance planning. A pilot who's flown 80 hours on a glider rated for 100-hour inspection intervals knows they're approaching a service. A pilot with no per-wing tracking doesn't.

Launch and Landing

Even just the site name for each. Full GPS coordinates if you're importing from IGC. This matters if you ever need to reconstruct a flight for an incident report.

Safety and Conditions: Log What You Experienced

Weather Conditions

Wind speed and direction at launch, approximate cloud base, thermal character (smooth, punchy, cycle-driven), any notable conditions like valley wind or rotor. You don't need to write an essay. A few words: "NW 15–20 km/h, moderate thermals, cu base 1800m."

Over time this becomes a reference. You'll see which conditions correlate with your best flights and which with incidents or aborted launches.

Any Incidents or Abnormal Events

A collapse, a partial frontal, an aggressive surge, a rough landing — log it, even if it resolved cleanly. No-one else will see this unless you choose to share it. The point is your own record of what happened, what you did, and what you'd do differently.

Pilots who don't log incidents often forget them within weeks. When the same situation recurs — same type of collapse, same site, same wind direction — having a record of the first time is genuinely useful.

Gear: What You Were Flying With

Reserve Parachute

Reserve parachute deployments require a repack immediately after use. But for every flight, note which reserve you were carrying. If you fly with different reserves (borrowed kit, rental school gear), this lets you track total airtime on each one and know when repacks are due.

Harness

Less critical than wing and reserve, but useful if you own multiple harnesses or borrow from a school.

Milestones Worth Flagging

First Flights at New Sites

Mark a flight as a "first visit" to a new site. Useful for looking back at progression.

XC Flights and Distance Records

Log the distance and route. FreeFly.ing tracks personal bests, but only if you log the data.

Licence and Rating Progression

When you complete your first solo flight under new supervision, pass a cross-country qualification, or earn a higher rating — note it. These milestones in the logbook give context to the flights around them.

The Gear Maintenance Checklist (Run Periodically)

This isn't per-flight, but the logbook is the right place to track it.

Last porosity check: date and hours at time of check
Line check: date and hours
Reserve repack: date
Next service due: hours or date, whichever comes first

Set the next-due date when you update these records. Your logbook can remind you.

Starting the Habit

The best time to start logging properly is your first solo flight. The second best time is now.

If you have old flights from training that you remember — approximate dates, sites, durations — log them retroactively. Incomplete information is still better than nothing, and it gives context to the flights that follow.

New pilots who log consistently from the start arrive at their 50-hour mark with a clear picture of where they've flown, what they've encountered, and how their gear is aging. That information supports better decision-making. It also satisfies most national association requirements for rated pilots — you'll have everything you need when your club or school asks for your logbook.