Moving helicopter records from Excel to CAMOLOG
A spreadsheet migration begins by establishing what the file describes. Installed components, removed items, calculated balances and engineering notes may appear together. Turning those rows into opening system records requires an agreed scope, snapshot date and evidence for the values.
CAMOLOG provides an aircraft onboarding wizard. An administrator prepares a draft, imports a suitable spreadsheet, attaches documents and submits the package to an engineer. The snapshot can enter the operational records after all items have been confirmed. The examples below are for training and contain no operator data.
Moving aircraft records from Excel involves configuration, opening counters and documents. Importing a component register is one stage of implementing a continuing airworthiness recordkeeping system. Source information needs agreement before import and verification of meaning and traceability afterwards.
Agree the cut-off date
Suppose records are being transferred as of the end of a selected day. Activity up to that boundary must already be included in the opening values. New daily entries begin the next day. If an earlier logbook page is discovered later, review its effect on the snapshot separately to avoid counting the activity twice.
List the sources: the component spreadsheet, counter records, overhaul documents and latest maintenance completions. Record the date and a contact for questions against each source. A spreadsheet without an effective date may contain correct figures, but its suitability for the selected snapshot still needs to be established.
We recommend agreeing this list before uploading files. It defines the package under review and helps identify which decisions must be revisited when a newer version arrives.
Prepare the visible spreadsheet data
CAMOLOG's preliminary import accepts XLSX and XLSM. Save an older XLS file as XLSX first. Select a visible worksheet, the header row and the mapping between columns and system fields. Hidden worksheets, rows and columns are excluded from the preview table.
Before import, inspect filters, hidden areas and worksheet purposes. A workbook may contain several periods or equipment groups. The engineer must identify which rows describe the installed configuration at the snapshot date. Merely appearing in the workbook does not establish that status.
Formulas are neither executed nor imported as values. Where a required column contains calculations, prepare a reviewed values-only copy and retain the original. Record its source, effective date and transformations so that the calculation can be revisited if a discrepancy arises.
Map columns by meaning
A heading such as “time” is too broad to interpret automatically. It might mean aircraft time, component time, time since overhaul or a particular counter. Establish that meaning before mapping the column.
| Source field | Review before import |
|---|---|
| Description and designation | Identify the item and any rows combining different items |
| Serial number | Check legibility, significant characters and the supporting record |
| Accumulated value | Establish unit, starting point and effective date |
| Overhaul date | Find the document and confirm the individual component |
| Limitation | Check counter, basis and applicability |
Inspect the preview carefully, starting with structurally different rows and then reviewing the whole package. Pay attention to blanks, dates, number separators and repeated serial numbers. Reviewed rows can then be added to the draft. Attach the source spreadsheet separately.
Keep unknown values distinct from zero
A blank may indicate missing evidence, an inapplicable field or an accidental omission. These require different decisions. Filling every gap with zero assigns meaning that the source has not established.
Repeated descriptions can be valid for different components. A repeated serial number might be a duplicate or a record of a different event. Establish its purpose before deleting it.
In a training example, the serial number in a spreadsheet differs from the attached document. The next step is to establish the document's ownership and the installed component. Choosing the more convenient number merely carries the unresolved issue into life tracking or a later replacement.
Submit a fixed version for engineering review
Submission fixes the draft version. An engineer from the same organisation reviews each counter, component, limitation, maintenance completion and file, either confirming it or identifying what needs clarification.
If corrections are needed, the administrator returns the package to editing and submits a new version. Earlier decisions remain in the history, but the changed package requires another review. This ties each decision to a defined set of data.
Confirmation concerns the opening records; it is not an airworthiness determination. After all items are confirmed, the administrator enters the snapshot into the operational records. The administrator's action does not replace the engineer's decision.
Close migration with a reconciliation
Check aircraft identity, cut-off date, initial counters, component list and access to attached documents. Confirm that maintenance completions relate to the correct checks and unresolved issues have not disappeared during transfer.
Directive history is not automatically marked complete because documents are included in the package. In the first wizard version, it is handled in the relevant section after aircraft creation and requires completion evidence. Automatic extraction of every field from arbitrary scans is also outside that version's scope.
An initial discussion can focus on spreadsheet structure and the source list. These establish the preparation required from the operator and the review required in the wizard. A demonstration can follow the same process using training data without changing operational records.
Alexander Filimonov
This article describes a records workflow. Applicability, maintenance limits and airworthiness decisions require engineering review against the applicable documentation.
See the workflow in action
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