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Intermediate 10 min read Updated 21/09/2026

Importing and Logging ForeFlight Cross Country Flights in Excel

Learn how to efficiently import, organize, and track your cross-country flight data from ForeFlight into Excel, creating a comprehensive flight logbook with detailed statistics and analytics.

In this tutorial:

Exporting data from ForeFlight
Setting up Excel logbook template
Importing and formatting flight data
Creating flight statistics
Automating calculations

You'll need:

ForeFlight account with logged flights
Microsoft Excel
Basic Excel knowledge

Importing ForeFlight Cross Country Flights to Excel

Step 1: Exporting Data from ForeFlight

Export Process:

1

Open ForeFlight on the Web

Sign in and open Logbook. A full logbook CSV download is available on the web Export tab.
2

Open Export

Select the Export tab at the top of Logbook.
3

Export Data

Select Export to download the CSV. This is a logbook export, not a Track Log export; photos, signatures, endorsements and track logs are excluded.

Step 2: Creating Excel Logbook Template

Essential Columns

Column Name	Data Type	Description
Date	Date	Flight date (YYYY-MM-DD)
Route	Text	Departure-Destination
Total Time	Number	Flight duration (decimal)
Aircraft Type	Text	Aircraft model
Cross Country	Number	XC time (decimal)

Format Settings

Date Format


                            Custom Format: yyyy-mm-dd

                            Category: Date

                            Locale: English (US)

Time Format


                            For decimal flight hours: Number, 1 decimal place

                            Use [h]:mm only for true Excel time values

                            Do not apply a time format to decimal hours

Step 3: Importing Flight Data

Import Steps

1

Data Tab → Get Data → From Text/CSV

Select your ForeFlight export file
2

Transform Data
- Remove unnecessary columns - Format date column - Clean up route information
3

Load to Sheet

Choose your destination worksheet

Step 4: Setting Up Calculations

Essential Formulas

These are optional analysis formulas, not names present in every ForeFlight CSV. After import, make an Excel Table named Flights with columns FlightDate, Duration, CrossCountryHours and DistanceNM, mapped from your actual export. Keep hours and nautical miles numeric. Do not infer cross-country time from total flight time. The distance conversion belongs in a new table column; the summary formulas belong outside the table.

Total Cross Country Time


                            =SUM(Flights[CrossCountryHours])

Distance Calculation


                            =ROUND([@DistanceNM]*1.15078,1)

Summary Statistics

Total flights with a date

=COUNTA(Flights[FlightDate])

Total cross-country hours

=SUM(Flights[CrossCountryHours])

Average flight duration in decimal hours

=AVERAGE(Flights[Duration])

Pro Tips

Best Practices:

Create backup copies of your logbook
Use data validation for consistent entries
Add conditional formatting for visual tracking

Advanced Features:

Create pivot tables for analysis
Use charts to visualize progress
Set up automatic backups

Common Issues and Solutions

Date Format Issues:
Use Text to Columns with DMY or MDY format specification
1. Select date column 2. Data → Text to Columns 3. Choose 'DMY' or 'MDY' under Date format
Missing Flight Times:
If a decimal-hours value is stored as text in A2, convert it in another cell and check the result:
=VALUE(A2)

Data Analysis and Reporting

Creating Pivot Tables

1

Insert → PivotTable

Select your flight data range
2
Suggested Fields:
- • Rows: Date (grouped by month)
- • Columns: Aircraft Type
- • Values: Sum of Flight Time

Visual Analytics

Flight Hours Chart


                        1. Select data range
                        2. Insert → Charts → Line
                        3. Add title: "Monthly Flight Hours"
                        4. Format X-axis as dates

Route Analysis


                        1. Create frequency table
                        2. Insert → Charts → Pie
                        3. Label: "Most Common Routes"
                        4. Add percentage labels

Automation with VBA

Optional refresh macro

Only use this after importing the CSV with Power Query into this workbook. It refreshes the workbook's existing connections; it does not fetch new flights from ForeFlight. Export a fresh CSV and replace the source file first. Save as .xlsm if you keep VBA.


                Sub UpdateLogbook()
                    ThisWorkbook.RefreshAll
                End Sub