GPS track logs

The Mooney Caravan to Oshkosh Educational and Safety Foundation is committed to learning and improving from every flight. This includes adherence to formation flight procedures, cockpit discipline such as checklist use, and flight performance –– our ability to put the airplane in the correct place in the sky at all times.

For wingmen, putting the airplane in the right place is easy: stay on lead and don't hit them! For flight leads, and particularly in multi-element flights, GPS track logs are one of the best tools we have to understand how well each lead is managing their airplane.

Collection and analysis of GPS track logs has helped Mooney Caravan surface opportunities to improve. We know our pilots are dedicated to safe and efficient flying, and the logs help us identify which deviations need attention, and how we can address them with improved procedures, practice, and guidance.

How you can contribute

We're interested primarily in track logs from every airplane in a multi-element flight. This includes our annual mass formation from Madison to Oshkosh, but it can also include practice flights that involve more than one element. If you can't get every airplane, then every element lead will do. We do need at least two track logs from the flight to make sense of the data. Please send all track logs to gps@mooneycaravan.org. Follow the instructions below for collecting and sending them using your favorite EFB app.

Collecting and sending track logs from ForeFlight

1. Record your track log manually or automatically. (See also video instructions)
2. Fly
3. Email your track log to gps@mooneycaravan.org

Collecting and sending track logs from Garmin Pilot

1. Enable or verify that automatic flight logging is enabled:
   1. Open Home and then Settings
   2. Find "Automatic Flight Log Setup" section
   3. Turn ON "Automatically Generate Logbook Entries"
   4. Turn ON "Flight Track Logging"
   5. Turn OFF "Manually Accept Automatic Flightlogs"
2. Fly
3. Use the Share button (screenshots below) to email your track logs to gps@mooneycaravan.org

References • Manual: Garmin Pilot for Apple/iOS • Manual: Garmin Pilot for Android