BetterPlane gives Cessna and Piper owners a way to search, track, back up, and share maintenance records while keeping their paper logbooks safe
Austin, Texas: A new mobile app called BetterPlane is helping GA aircraft owners turn their paper maintenance logbooks into searchable digital records using AirWrenchAI, its maintenance-aware logbook digitization technology. Built by Jason Gould, a private pilot and software engineer, the app grew out of frustration while he was working on his 1955 Piper Tri-Pacer, as well as a deeper personal motivation. Gould’s father was killed in a helicopter crash caused by a missed maintenance item when he was nine years old.
For many owners, paper records are hard to search, easy to misplace, and critical during annuals, pre-buys, and resale. Complete, well-organized maintenance records can represent up to 60% of a piston aircraft’s market value, yet the process still looks much the way it did in the 1950s.
“I built BetterPlane so no owner has to wonder if something got missed, or worry about important records getting lost or damaged,” said Gould. “Every airplanecaretaker I’ve talked to has the same story: a stack of logbooks nobody wants to dig through, but everybody needs when the annual rolls around or a buyer shows up.”
AirWrenchAI, the app’s core technology, reads handwritten logbook pages(including faded ink, mechanic shorthand, and decades-old entries) and extracts the data into a searchable digital format. Owners photograph their logbook pages with their phone, and the AI handles the transcription.
Once records are digitized, BetterPlane helps owners track what is due next. Owners can track recurring maintenance items and deadlines from their phone or tablet, including inspections, AD compliance due dates, ELT batteries, transponder checks, oil changes, and registration renewals, using built-in templates and custom reminders, with alerts by push, email, or text.
Supporting documents stay organized in a cloud-backed system that is easy to share with mechanics, partners, or prospective buyers. As one mechanic working with a BetterPlane customer put it, “I had the logbooks before I had the airplane. We got started sooner, and being able to search them saved quite a bit of time.”
Owner feedback continues to shape the roadmap, including upcoming tools to monitor oil and fuel usage trends.
BetterPlane was designed specifically for individual Part 91 aircraft owners. It works alongside paper logbooks, with the original image preserved as the source of truth, and follows FAA guidance in Advisory Circulars 120-78B and 43-9D.
Built for Pre-Buy Season
For sellers and buyers alike, BetterPlane makes aircraft records easy to review remotely during a sale or pre-purchase inspection, and those organized records can be transferred to a new owner.
Pricing and Availability
BetterPlane is available now on the iOS App Store and Google Play. Pricing for one aircraft starts at $11.99 per month, with annual and lifetime options available.
Learn more at betterplane.com.
