☠ WARNING ☠

Skydiving is an inherently risky activity that can lead to injury or death. All skydiving equipment is subject to failure.

LIMITS OF LIABILITY AND PRIVACY POLICY

All data tracking devices and software are susceptible to failure, no matter what their type or construction. By using FDS Logbook and Freefall Data Systems LLC's altimeters, you agree that Freefall Data Systems LLC will not be legally held responsible for any data loss or malfunction whatsoever that these products may have, whether good or defective. FDS Logbook is officially approved by the United States Parachute Associate for logging skydives; make sure you are fulfilling all the requirements outlined in Section 3-1 C of the Skydiver's Information Manual, especially if you are pursuing licenses or ratings. Although there is no public list of users and FDS does not share its customer's data with third parties and in fact guards their data, FDS Logbook has social media capabilities, and creating an account allows one to be found by other users of FDS Logbook by the first and last name provided in one's profile. Adding another user as a Follower or Instructor allows them to view one's entire logbook and all of its data. Care should be taken in adding Followers or Instructors and judicious use should be made of the privacy settings described below. By using FDS Logbook, you agree with our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.

1.1 FDS Logbook description

FDS Logbook is a cloud-based logging system for skydiving, wind tunnel flight, and BASE jumping with a realtime database at it's backend. It was conceived as a unique contribution to the skydiving community that would enable jumpers to keep track of their jumps and better understand what happens during their skydiving-related activities. The logbook fulfills all requirements for logging outlined by the USPA in Section 3-1 of the Skydivers Information Manual. The following altimeters can interface with FDS Logbook via the FDS Altis app: SonoAlti 2, ColorAlti 2, SonoAlti 2V, SonoAlti 3, ColorAlti 3, DigiAlti, DigiAlti 3, VoxAlti. In addition to logging jumps and wind tunnel sessions and viewing data, FDS Logbook has social media capabilities. One can add Followed Users, which enables them to view one's own logbook and data. When a Followed User is added, they can also be tagged in jumps or tunnel sessions. When another jumper is tagged in a specific jump or session, FDS Logbook automatically searches for jumps or sessions in that jumper's logbook that occurred at the same time, displaying them in one's own logbook as a linked jump or session. In addition to adding Followed Users, Instructors can add Students, such that Instructors can edit a Student's logbook in addition to viewing their data. One can also add unlimited YouTube or Facebook videos as well as Instagram pictures or videos to any jump or session. FDS Logbook is a mobile-friendly and can be viewed on any browser.

2.1 Creating an account and subscribing

Go to FDS Logbook. An e-mail is required to sign up for FDS Logbook; after establishing a password you will be required to send a verification e-mail and verify the account. Upon creating an account, you will be redirected to activate your subscription in the FDS Store. When purchasing a subscription, make sure to use the same e-mail address associated with your FDS Logbook account to make the purchase. All FDS altimeters currently come with a one year free subscription service. Afterwards, use of the logbook costs $20 annually. To use the free one year subscription, simply enter your altimeter's 5-digit serial number on checkout as a discount code. Once the purchase is made, go back to FDS Logbook and log back in. If you still have trouble logging in after making a purchase (e.g. you perhaps used the wrong e-mail for the purchase), contact FDS immediately and we will get your account up and running ASAP.

2.2 Editing the user profile

The best thing to do first is to edit the user profile and privacy settings. This page shows the information and avatar others will be able to see in order to find/contact you. Here you can add an avatar, change your name or e-mail address, and you can optionally add a phone number. Use a JPEG or PNG image smaller than 10 MB for the avatar. Users cannot search for other users by e-mail or phone number, rather only by first and last name. They can, however, view these according to the privacy settings seen the "Preferences" page if you allow them to follow you. On this page, you can also view how many users you follow and how many follow you, as well as the status of your subscription to FDS Logbook.

2.3 Preferences and privacy settings

Under Preferences you can adjust your privacy settings, choose which sports you wish to log, select a measurement system and language, or reset your password. If you click on "Reset Password," and e-mail will automatically be sent with instructions to reset your password. There is also an option to change the theme to Dark Mode or Light Mode. You can also delete your profile at the bottom, which is not a reversible operation.

2.4 Adding associates

FDS Logbook allows one to search for other users and add them as Followed Users or Students. Once a user accepts a Follower request, the Follower can then view that user's logbook and data. If one accepts a request to instruct, this allows an Instructor to edit parts of a Student's logbook (excluding profile, preferences, associates, etc.). To search for a user or Student, simply enter their first and/or last name as it appears in FDS Logbook and hover over their avatar to add. Followed Users, Students, and Instructors can all be viewed or removed by hovering over their avatar in the lists on the right side of the page.

3.1 Setting up various activities for logging

Since our devices cannot know about every aspect of your skydive, there are certain pieces of information that have to be provided by the user. For skydiving, one should first input Equipment, Aircraft and Dropzones before logging jumps. These can be found at the top of the screen in the logbook, as seen in the video below. You can also delete elements from each of these categories provided they have not yet been used in your logbook. For tunnel, one should input Skills, Tunnels, and Instructors; for BASE, Equipment and Objects should be entered. After inputting this information, one can set the "Current Settings" for these various activities under "Administration." Then any jump or session logged will be logged according to these Current Settings. One can always change the information afterwards in the individual jump or session entries, but Current Settings makes things much easier for logging multiple jumps at a time.

If you enter your exit weight in your profile, every main and reserve whose name ends in its size (for example "Sabre3 150") shows your wing loading next to it in lb/ft²—canopies named without a size simply show nothing, and tandem canopies are skipped because the passenger's weight is unknown. Similarly, if an aircraft's name includes its tail number (for example "Twin Otter N805DZ"), the name becomes a link to that aircraft on FlightAware, where you can see its live activity and history. US N-numbers and international registrations such as D-EABC are recognized; type designations like "C-208" are not mistaken for tail numbers. When a photo of that aircraft exists on Planespotters.net, a small thumbnail appears beneath it, credited to the photographer and linked to the full photo. Each container in Current Settings also carries an optional reserve packed date. Enter the date from your reserve's packing data card and the logbook tracks the FAA 180-day repack cycle for that rig: a green check next to the date means the reserve is in date, an amber check means it is due within 30 days, and a red cross means the repack cycle has run out—hover over the mark to see the exact date. Rigs with a date set also appear on the Statistics page under Currency. When you retire a rig, simply clear its date and it disappears from Currency; the container itself stays for the jumps that reference it.

AADs work the same way with a service due date: because service schedules differ by manufacturer, you enter the due date yourself—from your AAD's documentation—and the logbook tracks it with the same marks (amber begins 60 days out, since servicing an AAD means shipping the unit). AADs with a date set also appear under Currency on the Statistics page. Mains can additionally track a line set: press "new lines" when a line set is installed and the logbook counts every jump on that canopy from that moment, shown as "jumps on lines" next to the canopy. The count is not color-coded, because line life varies greatly by line type. Press the small × to stop tracking.

3.2 Skydiving: adding, deleting, and shifting jumps

One can add jumps manually to the logbook under Administration. Simply enter the number of jumps you wish to add and click "Go." Auto-number and Auto-copy can be useful for adding bulk jumps. Auto-number automatically numbers the jumps when you enter a number in the top left field. Auto-copy automatically copies all pieces of information that could in theory be duplicated to facilitate fast logging. Here one can also shift jump numbers or delete jumps, which also shift the data or delete the data associated with that jump number. Deleting jumps is permanent and deletes the data, signatures, media and tags associated with that jump. Shifting jump numbers will delete any signature associated with that jump number.

3.3 BASE: adding, deleting, and shifting jumps

Adding BASE jumps is almost exactly the same as adding skydives. In the BASE section of the logbook (BASE must be enabled under Preferences) under Administration, simply enter the number of jumps you wish to add and click "Go." Auto-number and Auto-copy can again be useful for adding bulk jumps. Just as before, one can also shift jump numbers or delete jumps, which also shift the data or delete the data associated with that jump number. Deleting jumps is permanent and deletes the data, media and tags associated with that jump.

3.4 Tunnel: adding, deleting, and shifting sessions

Tunnel sessions can also be added manually in a manner similar to how one adds skydives. Under Administration in the Tunnel section of your logbook (Tunnel must be enabled under Preferences), simply enter the number of sessions you wish to add and click "Go." Auto-number and Auto-copy can be used here as well. One can also shift session numbers or delete sessions, which also shift the data or delete the data associated with that session number. Deleting sessions is permanent and deletes the data, media and tags associated with that session.

3.5 Renaming Equipment, Aircraft, Dropzones, etc.

Under Administration for Skydiving, one can rename Equipment, Dropzones and Aircraft. Under Administration for BASE, one can rename Objects and Equipment; for Tunnel, Skills, Instructors or Tunnels can be renamed.

4.1 Logging skydives automatically via the FDS Altis app

Jumps on FDS Altimeters can be logged automatically via the FDS Altis app. Consult the manual for your individual product for instructions on how to automatically log jumps.

5.1 Viewing jumps or sessions

Click on Entries to view jumps or sessions. On the left side, one can use the filters to narrow results and also adjust the number of entries displayed per page. If you click on the headings at the top, you can sort the entries according to that heading. If you click a heading again, it will reverse the order of the entries.

Inside a skydiving entry, the same gear intelligence from Current Settings applies (see section 3.1): an aircraft whose name includes its tail number links to FlightAware and shows a Planespotters photo when one exists, and mains and reserves whose names carry their size show your color-coded wing loading—green through red as it climbs from 1.0 to 2.0 lb/ft².

5.2 Editing jumps or sessions

All information on a jump or session can be edited after that jump or session is created. This way, one can always add more information as it becomes available. Simply click on a particular entry, and then click the "Edit" button on the top right. This will show the user all of the possibilities of what type of information can be included in a jump or session. Once finished editing, press the "Save" button in the upper right hand corner. Make certain to only get a verifying signature for a jump after you are finished editing that jump, or else the signature for that jump will be erased; if you edit after receiving a signature, the jump will have to be signed and verified again after editing. This is a requirement of the United States Parachute Association for digital logging and maintains the integrity of the system.

5.3 Viewing data gathered from FDS altimeters

On the left side of a skydiving logbook entry under "Data," one can find any data logged by an FDS altimeter for that jump number. Simply click on the link to view the data. One can also compare a jump graph with up to five jumps simultaneously by entering the jump numbers into the box and pressing "Go." Use the checkboxes to modify the data and appearance of the graph.

The exit and open altitudes that FDS altimeters and the FDS Altis app record follow two precise definitions. Exit altitude is the beginning of the acceleration to freefall speeds—the moment you leave the aircraft, before you have built up any vertical speed. Open altitude is the beginning of the deceleration to canopy—essentially line stretch, when the canopy begins to inflate significantly. Freefall time spans these two events. The definitions matter when comparing devices: an altimeter that marks the moment you are fully under canopy will report a lower opening altitude than FDS devices, which mark where deployment begins.

Where device data exists, each device's card also lists measured speeds computed from that device's samples over the freefall segment: Max speed, Average freefall speed (the whole segment, including the acceleration after exit), and 2nd-half average, which reflects your sustained fall rate.

When two or more altimeters logged the same jump, a Fused altitude card appears below the device cards. The traces are aligned automatically, and the bold median line gives a best estimate of the jump's altitude profile—independent noise from burble and body position averages out. If a device's alignment looks off, one can nudge its time or altitude with the sliders. Below the graph, fused readouts give the median exit, open, and landing altitudes along with the spread, which shows how far the altimeters disagree; the fused speed readouts run the speed computation on each device separately and average the results. A fused descent-rate graph rounds out the card.

5.4 Adding media

On the left side of a skydiving logbook entry under Media, one can add unlimited YouTube and Facebook videos as well as Instagram pictures. To include a YouTube or Facebook video, simply click on the edit icon next to Media, then copy the address of the video into the text box and press "Add." For Instagram, go on your browser to your Instagram account, find the picture(s) you want to share and click on "Embed." Then simply copy the code and paste it into the text box and press "Add."

5.5 Tagging associates in jumps or sessions

Once Associates have been added, they can be tagged in an individual entry on the left side under "Tags." Simply enter the user's name a press "Add." If a jump is found occurring within five minutes in your Followed User or Student's logbook, that jump will appear as a linked jump below "Tags."

5.6 Adding signatures to jumps

Click on a particular entry, and then click the "Edit" button on the top right. At the bottom you will find a signature field. This is best edited on a computer with a track pad, although a mouse can be used as well. Press down on the track pad just as you would press a pen down on paper and enter a signature and license number, then click the "Save" button at the top right. To delete a signature that is already in the logbook, simply clicking the edit button erases the signature associated with a jump (in order to preserve logging integrity). Changing a jump number under Administration will also delete the signature associated with that jump.

6.1 Statistics

Click on Statistics for a full dashboard of your jumps and sessions. At the top, the Recent cards summarize four rolling windows—today, the past 7 days, the past 30 days, and the past year—each listing your count, totals, averages (including average and sustained fall rate), records, and favored dropzone and aircraft. The number in parentheses under "Averages" indicates the number of entries that average is based on. Each window also shows Accumulated altitude, the total distance you have fallen over that period, given in miles or kilometers depending on your measurement system.

Below the Recent cards, the Activity heatmap lays out the past year as a calendar, with each day shaded by how many times you jumped, so you can see your whole season at a glance—hover over a day on a computer, or tap it on a phone, to see its count.

Between Activity and Trends sits the Currency card, which answers "can I legally jump right now?" It shows your last jump and how long you remain current under the USPA recurrency windows (60 days for an A license, 90 for a B, six months for a C or D)—if your profile contains a USPA-styled license such as D-12345, only your class is shown; otherwise the card lists the theoretical date for every class. Below the license rows, any rig with a reserve packed date entered in Current Settings gets its own line tracking the FAA 180-day repack cycle (see section 3.1). Green means current, amber means the window closes soon, and red means it has passed.

The Trends card charts your running jump count climbing across the year, your jumps per month, your jumps by day of the week, and the time of day you tend to jump, with the time-of-day bars tinted from dawn blue through midday gold to dusk orange.

The Breakdown card shows the dropzones, aircraft, and canopies you use most, along with the mix of your jump types. The Altitude card plots your exit and opening altitude for every jump in order, which is useful both for seeing your trends and for catching a mistyped altitude, as it stands out as a spike. The Time in the air card shows the distribution of your freefall and canopy times. The Per year card charts your jumps for every calendar year of your whole career—layoff years show as gaps, and jumps without a date are collected into their own bar rather than hidden. It builds itself the first time you open Statistics and stays current automatically. Your lifetime totals, averages, and records are listed at the bottom, and if you follow other jumpers, an Associates card summarizes your network's recent activity.

The Fall rate card gives two views of your freefall speed, computed from exit altitude, open altitude, and freefall time (see section 5.3 for how those are defined). Average fall rate covers the entire freefall including the acceleration after exit—the same definition audible altimeters use for average speed—which is why it reads lower than the speed you sustain at terminal. Sustained fall rate estimates that terminal speed by removing the acceleration phase: it solves a standard drag model for the constant speed that would reproduce your jump's distance and time. Jumps with under 20 seconds of freefall, such as hop-and-pops, are excluded, since they are nearly all acceleration. Speeds are barometric true speeds, not air-density-corrected SAS.

7.1 Devices interfacing with FDS Logbook

Currently, the following products can interface with FDS Logbook via the FDS Altis app: SonoAlti 2, ColorAlti 2, SonoAlti 2V, SonoAlti 3, ColorAlti 3, DigiAlti, DigiAlti 3, and VoxAlti.

7.2 Viewing device data files

On the main page, if you click on the Devices heading, you can view each individual data file recorded by your FDS devices. On the left side of the Devices page, one can use the filters to narrow results and also adjust the number of entries displayed per page. If you click on the headings at the top, you can sort the entries according to that heading. If you click a heading again, it will reverse the order of the entries.

7.3 Exporting data as CSV

For each data file created by an FDS altimeter, one can download the data viewable in the graphs as a CSV file for custom processing in other programs. Simply click on the "Go" button next to "Export Data to CSV" after selecting the parameters you want to export in the checkboxes (Altitude, Vertical Descent Speed, Temperature). Although there is no time data exported, for DigiAlti, ColorAlti 2, SonoAlti 2, ColorAlti 3, SonoAlti 3, VoxAlti, and SonoAlti 2V, each data point is recorded exactly 1 second apart (as can be seen in the graphs in FDS Logbook as well).

7.4 Exporting logbook as PDF

At the bottom of the Administration tab you can export your entire logbook as a PDF file. This is useful for printing or sharing your logbook with others who do not have access to FDS Logbook. Note: This does not include data files (see 7.3 above) from altimeters, media, or signatures.

8.1 Support

Please direct any questions about FDS Logbook to Freefall Data Systems LLC by phone or e-mail directly.