What is a PLOG, and how to build one

A PLOG — pilot's log — is the one-page flight log a pilot clips to a kneeboard. Everything the flight needs at a glance, on one card: the route broken into legs, the headings to fly, the checks for each phase, the frequencies, the fuel sums.

The anatomy of a good card

The front carries the flight log table — one row per leg, with track, wind, heading, distance, time and fuel — plus a phase checklist and, for instrument flying, a minima box. The heading column is shaded because it is the figure you fly; your eye should land on it first. The back carries the things you scribble or glance at: a route sketch, space to copy a clearance or ATIS, the fuel plan and a comms/nav frequency table.

The bottom-flip trick

A kneeboard clips the card at the top, so you cannot turn it over like a page. Instead you flip the bottom edge up over the clip — which presents the back of the card upside down. The fix: print the back rotated 180°. Flipped over the clip, it reads upright.

That is exactly what this builder does when “invert back page” is on (it is by default). Print the PDF double-sided, flip on long edge. If you print two separate sheets, or your printer only does short-edge duplex, switch the inversion off.

Using the builder

Start from the IFR or VFR template, or a blank canvas. Every section is a card in the left panel: toggle it on or off, send it to the front or back page, drag to set the order, and open it to tune rows, columns and checklist content. The preview is the PDF — what you see is pixel-for-pixel what prints. When a page gets too full, a quiet warning chip appears rather than a clipped surprise.

Your layout saves itself to your browser as you work — no account, no upload. “Share layout” copies a link that carries the whole design in the URL, so a club or instructor can pass a standard card around with one message.

Printing

The card is A5 portrait — half a sheet of A4. Print at 100% (no “fit to page”), double-sided, long-edge flip, and trim if your printer cannot take A5 directly. Card stock survives a flight bag noticeably better than 80 gsm paper.

Ready when you are: build your PLOG. Free, no sign-up.