What a digitization service should deliver

• Inventory of received logbooks, binders, folders, and digital files.
• Chain of custody from pickup or shipment through return.
• Page-complete, legible images in preserved order.
• Searchable OCR text.
• Aircraft and component indexing.
• Document-type classification.
• Date, work-order, serial-number, time, signature, and event extraction where in scope.
• Gap, duplicate, conflict, and quality exceptions.
• Source-linked digital access.
• Secure backup and export.
• Return of original records under documented custody.

Radar digitizes more than bound logbooks, including manuals, STCs, FAA documents, work orders, task cards, and supporting technical evidence.

Before scanning: inventory and chain of custody

Assign each physical item an identifier before it leaves its current location. Record:

• Aircraft registration and serial number.
• Asset type, such as airframe, engine, APU, propeller, or component.
• Volume or binder label.
• Visible date range.
• Page or section count where practical.
• Physical condition and special handling needs.
• Existing gaps, loose pages, media, or inserts.
• Custodian, transfer date, carrier, and receiving confirmation.

Photograph the package and any damaged bindings. Use tamper-evident packaging and track every handoff for irreplaceable originals.

Preserve context and original order

Do not “clean up” the archive before documenting it. Dividers, tabs, envelope labels, handwritten cover notes, attached releases, and blank separator pages may establish context.

When pages are removed for capture, the process must preserve:

• Front and back.
• Exact page sequence.
• Attachments and foldouts.
• Bound-volume identity.
• Relationship between a small tag and its parent document.
• Original marks, stamps, colors, and signatures.

Scan-quality standard

Set acceptance criteria before production. Test representative difficult pages, including faint pencil, carbon copies, colored stamps, thermal paper, glossy photos, small certificates, edge writing, and damaged originals.

Quality control should verify:

• No clipped text, punch-hole obstruction, or missing edge.
• Correct focus and sufficient resolution.
• Readable handwriting, signatures, certificate numbers, and dates.
• Accurate color where color carries meaning.
• Correct orientation and deskew.
• Front and back captured where relevant.
• No fingers, shadows, glare, or page curvature obscuring content.
• Page count reconciled to the inventory.
• Files open, render, and export correctly.

OCR and searchable text

OCR makes records discoverable but should remain a derived layer. Aviation records contain handwriting, stamps, abbreviations, forms, part numbers, serial numbers, and low-contrast copies that challenge generic OCR.

Use search to find candidate evidence, then open the source page. Important extracted values should carry confidence and review status.

Indexing the aircraft history

At minimum, tag:

• Aircraft registration, manufacturer, model, and serial number.
• Asset: airframe, left or right engine, APU, propeller, component.
• Document type.
• Date or date range.
• Organization or repair station.
• Work order or tracking number.
• Part and serial numbers when relevant.
• Source volume and page.

Advanced indexing connects a log entry to its work package, component release, repair approval, AD requirement, and return-to-service evidence.

Quality control in three passes

Capture QC

Did every source item and page get captured in order and at accepted quality?

Content QC

Is the document attached to the right aircraft, component, date range, and type? Are pages grouped correctly?

Technical QC

Do critical times, serial numbers, inspections, ADs, LLPs, repairs, alterations, and signatures reconcile? This pass requires qualified aviation review for the intended use.

Handling common records problems

Security and privacy

Aircraft records may contain owner information, signatures, addresses, financial material, and operational detail. The service should use:

• Encrypted transfer and storage.
• Least-privilege access.
• Logged custody and system access.
• Controlled subcontractors.
• Secure temporary storage.
• Documented deletion of working copies after acceptance.
• Tested backup and recovery.
• Clear ownership and export rights.

Review the provider’s security practices before sending originals or a full fleet archive.

Delivery and acceptance checklist

Before accepting the project:

1. Reconcile every inventory item as returned or intentionally retained.
2. Confirm page counts and quality exceptions.
3. Search representative names, serial numbers, dates, and handwritten entries.
4. Open source pages from extracted results.
5. Verify aircraft and component indexing.
6. Export a complete records set.
7. Test access roles and sharing.
8. Review gap and conflict reports.
9. Confirm backup and retention.
10. Document the process for new records after cutover.

Digitization for a pre-buy or financing deadline

When a transaction is active, prioritize the material that controls the decision:

• Aircraft and component identity.
• Current times and cycles.
• Inspection status.
• AD status.
• LLP traceability.
• Engine and APU status and programs.
• Major repairs, alterations, and STCs.
• Damage and corrosion history.
• Title and registration coordination.

Keep the broader archive moving while the priority review produces an exceptions register for the buyer or lender. See Radar’s pre-buy records review and aircraft financing guides.

Sources and further reading

• FAA AC 120-78B, Electronic Signatures, Electronic Recordkeeping, and Electronic Manuals
• 14 CFR 43.9, Maintenance records
• 14 CFR 91.417, Maintenance records