Question 1

What is StratusLog?

Accepted Answer

StratusLog is flight school operations software. It runs your schedule, your aircraft and instructor calendars, your digital flight logbook, your student training progress, and your invoicing — in one dashboard. Built for Part 61 and Part 141 schools, single-instructor operations to multi-aircraft fleets.

Question 2

Does StratusLog handle aircraft and instructor scheduling?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The Schedule view shows lanes for every instructor and aircraft side-by-side. Create a booking and StratusLog checks in real time for conflicts: aircraft already booked, aircraft down or in a blackout window, instructor double-booked or outside their availability, student double-booked. Each conflict comes with suggested alternatives.

Question 3

Is the flight logbook good enough to replace paper?

Accepted Answer

The logbook captures every column that matters: date, student, instructor, aircraft tail, route, duration, landings, night, cross-country, sim instrument, actual instrument, solo, ground, dual, PIC, Hobbs, Tach, cost, payment status, and remarks. Show or hide columns with one click. Export anytime. Endorsements and stage-check sign-offs live alongside the entries.

Question 4

How does billing work?

Accepted Answer

You connect Stripe once. From there, every logged flight produces a Stripe invoice using the school's Dual / Solo / Ground rates (with per-student overrides if you need them). Invoices go out by email or SMS, paid status flips automatically when Stripe fires the webhook, and a one-click 'Resend Invoice' button sits on every unpaid row.

Question 5

Does StratusLog track Hobbs and Tach time?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Every aircraft has live Hobbs and Tach meters. Each flight log captures Hobbs out/in and Tach out/in, which roll up into maintenance counters. StratusLog warns you when 100-hour inspections, annuals, or oil changes are approaching or overdue.

Question 6

How is student training progress tracked?

Accepted Answer

Each student has a certificate track (PPL, IR, Commercial, CFI, CFII, MEI, or Rental), a training stage (Pre-Solo, Solo, Cross Country, Checkride Prep, Checkride Ready, Needs Attention), three custom milestones, PPL and IFR maneuver checklists, and endorsement records. Hours roll up automatically from the logbook.

Question 7

What integrations are included?

Accepted Answer

Google Calendar and Calendly for two-way schedule sync, and Stripe Connect for invoicing and payments. Email and SMS delivery for invoices and notifications are built in.

Question 8

Will the app text my students when an invoice goes out?

Accepted Answer

Yes, if the student has a phone number on file. The 'Send Payment Link' action creates a Stripe invoice and sends the payment link to the student by SMS. You'll see a 'Sent + CRM notified' confirmation.

Question 9

Does StratusLog detect scheduling conflicts before I commit?

Accepted Answer

Always. Before a booking saves, StratusLog checks aircraft availability, maintenance status, blackout periods, instructor availability windows, instructor blackouts, and student conflicts. If anything overlaps, you see the conflict and a list of suggested alternatives — different aircraft, different instructors, different times.

Question 10

Can I override billing rates per student?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Set school defaults for Dual, Solo, and Ground rates, and override them on individual students when needed (discounts, special programs, partner deals). The logbook calculates each flight's cost from whichever rate applies.

Question 11

Is my school's data secure?

Accepted Answer

Sensitive credentials like Stripe secret keys are AES-256-GCM encrypted server-side. Multi-school operators get isolated data per school via row-level security. Owners control who can see what via roles. You can export your data at any time.

Question 12

How do I get started?

Accepted Answer

Launch the web app at app.getstratuslog.com/login, run through the onboarding (add your school, your instructors, your aircraft, your first students), and log your first flight. Most schools are live the same day. Want a guided tour first? Request a demo and we'll walk you through it.

SMS Verbal Consent Script

Purpose and scope

Verbal opt-in script

Enrollment confirmation

Text opt-in keywords and automated replies

Consent recordkeeping