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Previous-tacho pre-fill

When you open the Log Flight screen for a fresh session, the Start meter value is pre-filled from the previous flight’s end reading on the same asset. The value is shown greyed and clears when you tap into the field, so typing replaces it cleanly. You can always edit it; the value you submit is what gets saved.

A “tacho” (short for tachometer, sometimes spelled “tach”) is an hour meter that accumulates engine or propeller running time. The same pre-fill mechanism applies whatever the syndicate has labelled its engine meter: Hobbs, Tacho, or custom.

Everyone logging a flight. The pre-fill is automatic; there is no toggle and no permission gate.

  • Log Flight screen: the Start field on a new (not editing) log.
  • Route: /bookings/:bookingId → Log Flight button.

Not a field in its own right. It affects one value on the form:

FieldPre-filled fromEditable
<Meter> StartThe previous flight’s end reading on the same assetYes, always
  • Pre-fill only, never authoritative. The value is a suggestion. You can edit it freely and the edited value is what gets saved.
  • Asset-scoped. The value comes from the asset the booking is for. Different aircraft have independent meter readings.
  • Includes ground runs and ferry flights. The value is the end of the most recent usage log on the asset, whatever booking it was logged against. A ground run or ferry flight logged during maintenance moves the meter, so its reading is what the next flight pre-fills from. That keeps the next pilot lined up with the real reading instead of the last member flight before the maintenance.
  • Capture-mode aware. Pre-fill applies to modes that capture the engine meter (Engine meter or Both). In Clock time mode there is no Start meter field and no pre-fill.
  • Only on create. Editing an existing log reads the log’s own saved Start value; it does not re-apply pre-fill.
  • No photo gate. You do not have to attach a photo to confirm the pre-filled value, and a photo does not validate the value either. See Hobbs photos.
  • Mismatch at finalisation. If the Start you enter disagrees with the previous log’s End, the booking is flagged as a tacho-continuity conflict at finalisation time. auto-finalise skips conflicted bookings; a human admin can still finalise them manually. See Tacho-continuity conflict.
  • Interaction with Quick Capture. The “I’m flying now” Quick Capture flow (from a confirmed upcoming booking’s detail screen) applies the same pre-fill: the ramp Start field is pre-filled from the previous flight’s end reading, shown greyed, and clears on first focus.