PilotLedger How-To Guide for Part 107 Drone Pilots

Everything you need to know about running your drone business with PilotLedger.

Creating Your Account

Getting started with PilotLedger takes less than five minutes. Here's how:

1. Go to pilotledger.com and click Create Account.
2. Enter your name, email address, company name, and choose a password.
3. Scroll through and read the Terms of Service summary displayed on the signup form.
4. Check the "I agree to the Terms of Service" checkbox. You cannot create an account without agreeing to the Terms of Service.
5. Click Create Account.
6. A verification email is sent to the email address you provided. Check your inbox for an email from [email protected] with the subject "Verify Your Email — PilotLedger."
7. Click the verification link in the email to activate your account. The link expires in 24 hours.
8. Once verified, log in and the Setup Wizard will open to walk you through your company profile.

Verifying Your Email Address

After signing up, PilotLedger sends a verification email to the address you provided. Verifying your email confirms you own the account and ensures you can receive important notifications about your quotes, invoices, and payments.

1. Check your inbox for an email from [email protected] with the subject "Verify Your Email — PilotLedger."
2. If you don't see it, check your spam or junk folder.
3. Click the verification link in the email. The link expires in 24 hours.
4. You'll see a confirmation screen that your email has been verified. You now have full access to PilotLedger.

If you miss the verification email or the link expires, you can resend it:

• From the verification banner at the top of the app, click Resend Verification Email.
• Or go to Settings and click Resend Verification Email.

The Setup Wizard — Company Profile

The Setup Wizard walks you through entering your business information. This data appears on your quotes, invoices, and public profile. You can always change it later in Settings.

1. Company Name — Your registered business name (e.g., "Midwest Aerial Precision").
2. Contact Info — Your name, title, phone, and email.
3. Address — Your business mailing address.
4. Website — Your website URL (optional).
5. About — A short description of your services.
6. Services — Select the drone services you offer from an expanded list organized by category (Mapping & Survey, Inspection, Thermal & Sensors, Photography & Video, 3D & Modeling, Agriculture, Public Safety, Environmental). These selections determine which client RFPs you get matched with.
7. Quote Defaults — Set your default payment terms, quote validity period, and deposit percentage.
8. Choose Your Plan — Select SkyView Solo, SkyView Team, or a business-only plan (more on this below).

Choosing Your Plan

Choose SkyView for business management and local photogrammetry processing in one subscription. Business-only plans are also available. Team plans include five pilots; Enterprise is available in both families.

Every plan includes business management and an optional profile on FindADronePilot.com at no extra charge. Your profile is only public when you choose to publish it.

SkyView Desktop launches October 12, 2026. Approximately 50 pilots will field-test SkyView in a private beta before launch. Pre-launch Desktop access requires beta approval and an assigned SkyView license. Explore the Desktop features and beta scope.

After private beta approval, open Desktop & SkyView from your account to download the installer and assign processing licenses. Business-only accounts do not include SkyView processing. Extra team seats remain $10/month or $109/year without SkyView, and $20/month or $209/year with SkyView.

Your Dashboard — What Everything Means

Your dashboard gives you an at-a-glance view of your business:

• Revenue This Month — Total payments received in the current month.
• Outstanding Invoices — Total amount your clients still owe you.
• Quotes Sent — Number of quotes you've sent this month.
• Conversion Rate — Percentage of quotes that became invoices.
• Revenue Trend — A 6-month chart showing your income over time.
• Recent Activity — Your latest quotes, invoices, and payments.

Pipeline Kanban — Your Business at a Glance

The Pipeline Kanban sits at the top of your dashboard and gives you a single view of every active opportunity from first lead to final paid invoice. Ten columns, left to right:

1. Lead — Inquiries that have not yet been quoted.
2. Quoted — Quotes you've sent that are awaiting client decision.
3. Accepted — Quotes the client has accepted.
4. Scheduled — Jobs on the calendar but not yet flown.
5. In Progress — The field operation is underway.
6. Flown — Field work complete, post-processing not yet started.
7. Processing — Data is being processed (photogrammetry, mapping, deliverables in progress).
8. Delivered — Final deliverables sent to the client.
9. Invoiced — Invoice sent, awaiting payment.
10. Paid — Payment received in full.

You can also toggle a Closed Lost column to see opportunities that didn't convert. Each card shows the identifier, amount, client name, and how long it has sat in that stage. Click any card to open that record. Drag job cards between Scheduled, In Progress, Flown, Processing and Delivered, or use the card's Move button. Review and Complete remain within Processing until delivery. Invoiced and Paid are derived from invoice and payment records, so operational and billing records can appear separately. Opening or editing a job does not reset its days in stage.

Finding What You Need — The Five Menu Buckets

The top navigation is organized into five intent-based buckets. If you're not sure where something lives, this is the map:

• Sales — Quotes, Leads, Clients. Everything related to winning new work.
• Work — Jobs, Calendar, Documents, Flight Log, Mileage. Everything related to executing the work.
• Fleet — Aircraft, Maintenance, Flight Log. Your equipment and its records.
• Money — Invoices, Expenses, Mileage, Reports. Everything financial.
• Setup — Profile, Team, Documents, Clients. Account configuration.

A few items appear in two menus on purpose — Calendar in both Work and as an inline shortcut, Documents in both Work and Setup, Flight Log in both Work and Fleet, Mileage in both Work and Money — because they genuinely belong in more than one place depending on what you're doing.

Inline shortcuts: Clients and Calendar also have their own top-level shortcuts in the nav because you'll use them most often.

Mobile: The mobile drawer is organized into the same five sections.

Global Search — Cmd+K to Find Anything

Press Cmd+K on Mac (Ctrl+K on Windows) to open the global search box. You can also click the search pill in the top-right of the desktop nav, or tap the magnifying-glass icon in the mobile drawer.

Global search looks across all of these at once:

• Clients (name, company, email, phone)
• Quotes (number, client, line items inside the quote)
• Invoices (number, client, line items inside the invoice)
• Jobs (job number, project name, services, deliverables)
• Projects (project name, client)
• Leads (contact info, notes)
• Generated contracts (rendered content)

Results appear live as you type, grouped by record type. Use the arrow keys to navigate, press Enter to open the selected record, or Esc to close.

Tip: Searching for a phone number, an address fragment, or a line-item description will all work — the search reads inside JSONB content, not just top-level fields.

Your First Quote — Quick Setup

The very first time you go to create a quote, a quick-setup modal appears. It captures the few essentials your quote needs to look professional:

• Company name (appears as "Prepared By" on the quote)
• Logo upload (optional but recommended)
• A default acreage rate or hourly rate
• Default payment terms (Net 30, due on receipt, etc.)

You can skip the modal and come back to fill these in later from Settings → Profile and Settings → Payments & Billing. The modal only appears once.

What Happens After Your 14-Day Trial

Every PilotLedger account starts with a 14-day free trial — no credit card required. Here's what happens at each stage if you haven't subscribed yet:

1. Days 1–14: Free trial. Full access to everything. We'll send a friendly heads-up email when you're 3 days from the end.
2. Days 15–17: Grace period (3 days). Still full access. You'll see a yellow banner across the top of the app reminding you to subscribe. You can keep creating quotes, invoices, and jobs as normal.
3. Days 18–21: Read-only mode (4 days). You can view, search, and export everything — but new creates and edits are blocked. The banner becomes more prominent.
4. Day 22 onward: Lockout. A full-screen "Subscribe to continue" prompt replaces the app. Your data stays safe and is exactly as you left it.

Subscribing at any point during grace, read-only, or lockout instantly restores full access. Nothing is deleted, archived, or moved.

If you believe your account expired in error, email [email protected].

These trial stages describe web business access. SkyView Desktop separately requires the applicable assigned license and private beta approval. Developer offline testing does not change customer entitlement policy.

Read-Only Mode Explained

While in read-only mode (days 18–21 of the trial expiration cycle), you can still:

• View all your clients, quotes, invoices, jobs, and projects
• Search across everything with Cmd+K
• Export reports and download PDFs
• Delete records (so you can clean up before deciding)
• Subscribe at any time to restore full access immediately

You cannot create new records, edit existing ones, send invoices, or accept payments while in read-only mode. The app's Save and Send buttons return a friendly message asking you to subscribe.

Extended Grace Periods

Some accounts may receive an extended grace window of 7 days grace + 7 days read-only (14 days total) at our discretion. If you got an email titled "PilotLedger — we are giving you 7 more days", that's why. Your data stays safe through the entire window, and subscribing at any point restores full access.

Tracking Last Contact with a Client

Each client now shows a Last Contacted date, derived automatically from the most recent activity:

• The latest quote you sent
• The latest invoice you sent
• The latest email logged on that client

The most recent of these wins. The date updates automatically — you don't have to log it manually. Use the client list's sort controls to sort by Last Contacted to find clients who've gone quiet.

Address Fields on Profile and Clients

Your company address, your clients' addresses, and your job-site addresses are now captured as structured fields (street, city, state, ZIP, country) instead of one big free-text block. This makes exports cleaner, PDFs more consistent, and filters more reliable.

Existing free-text addresses migrate automatically — you don't have to re-enter anything. If a migrated address looks wrong, just edit the client (or your profile) and the new structured fields will save correctly going forward.

Confirmation Dialogs

When you do something destructive — delete an invoice, void a quote, remove a client, or any of the bulk-delete actions — a confirmation dialog appears asking you to confirm. The destructive action button is red. The dialog is the same style across the entire app, on every device, in every browser. There are no native browser pop-ups anywhere in PilotLedger.

Creating a New Quote

The Quote Builder is the core of PilotLedger. To create a new quote:

1. Click Quote Builder in the sidebar (or the Quotes tab on mobile).
2. Fill in the project details, client info, and services.
3. Review the total at the bottom.
4. Click Generate Quote to create a professional PDF.

Creating Contracts and Documents

Contracts are separate from quotes and projects. To create a client contract, open Contracts & Documents, select Generated Contracts, and click + Generate Contract.

1. Select an active Template, such as a service agreement, scope of work, MSA or NDA.
2. Select the Client and optionally a Job. Review the effective and expiration dates.
3. Click Generate to open the generated contract for review.
4. Check the actual document content before using its PDF or email controls. Generating a document does not itself mean it has been sent or signed.

Use the Templates tab and + New Template to create a reusable template. Access depends on your assigned permissions. If these controls are unavailable, ask the account owner or administrator to review your access. A quote's pricing and terms are not the separate contract-generation workflow.

Adding Your Company Info (Prepared By)

The Prepared By section shows your company information on the quote. This is pre-filled from your Settings. You can edit it for individual quotes without changing your defaults.

Fields include: company name, contact name, title, email, phone, and address.

Adding Client Information

In the Prepared For section:

1. Select an existing client from the dropdown, or choose + New Client.
2. Fill in the client's name, company, email, phone, and address.
3. Click Save Client to save them for future quotes.

Adding Services & Line Items

PilotLedger comes with pre-configured drone service categories. Toggle the services you want to include:

• Aerial Photography — Real estate, construction progress, events
• Aerial Mapping — Orthomosaic, elevation models, 3D maps
• Aerial Inspection — Roof, tower, solar panel inspections
• Aerial Video — Cinematic footage, marketing videos
• LiDAR Scanning — Point cloud data, terrain analysis
• Thermal Imaging — Heat detection, energy audits

Each service has sub-items you can toggle on or off. Expand a service card by clicking it to see detailed options.

Setting Acreage & Pricing

For area-based services (mapping, agriculture, inspection):

1. Enter the total acreage at the top of the quote builder.
2. Each service calculates its price based on the per-acre rate multiplied by acreage.
3. You can override the rate for any individual service.
4. Some services have a minimum charge that applies when the per-acre total is below a threshold.

Adding Deliverables

Deliverables tell your client exactly what they'll receive. Click + Add Deliverable to add items like:

• Orthomosaic map (GeoTIFF)
• Digital Elevation Model (DEM)
• 4K video footage (MP4)
• Edited photos (JPEG)
• Inspection report (PDF)

Each deliverable has a name and description. These appear on the PDF quote.

Adding Legal Terms & Conditions

The Terms & Conditions section at the bottom of the quote builder lets you include legal language. Common terms include:

• Payment terms and late fees
• Cancellation policy
• Weather-related delays
• Liability limitations
• FAA compliance notice

You can save your terms as part of a quote template so you don't have to re-type them every time.

Payment & Deposit Settings

The Payment & Deposit Settings section in the quote builder controls how clients can pay for the project.

• Include Online Payment Option — When enabled, clients who accept the quote will see a "Pay Now" button powered by Stripe. Requires Stripe Connect to be configured in Settings.
• Require Deposit — When enabled, clients must pay a deposit when accepting. If off, full payment is due per your payment terms.
• Deposit Type — Choose between Percentage (e.g., 50% of total) or Flat Amount (e.g., $2,500).

The deposit preview shows the calculated amount based on your current quote total. These settings are saved with each quote — different quotes can have different payment configurations.

When a client accepts a quote with online payment enabled, an invoice is automatically created and the client is directed to pay immediately.

Ground Control & Positioning

The Ground Control & Positioning section defines the surveying methodology for each project.

• RTK Required (prominent toggle) — When enabled, indicates the aircraft must have RTK/PPK GNSS. This appears prominently on the quote, email, and client-facing page.
• Who Sets GCPs — Select who is responsible for ground control points: your team, the client's surveyor, a third party, or none (PPK/RTK only).
• GCP Method (shown when "Pilot / Drone Team" is selected) — Choose AeroPoints, Base/Rover RTK, Total Station, or Other.
• Number of GCPs / Checkpoints — Specify how many ground control points and independent checkpoints.
• Coordinate System / Datum — Pre-loaded with StatePlane zones for AR, MO, OK, TX, KS, IL plus UTM and WGS84. Select "Other" to enter a custom EPSG code.
• Vertical Datum — NAVD 88, EGM96, EGM2008, Ellipsoidal Height, or custom.

All ground control information appears on the quote email, the client-facing quote page, and the generated PDF/DOCX document.

Previewing Your Quote

Before generating the final PDF, review your quote in the builder. The total bar at the top shows:

• Subtotal — Sum of all services
• Discount — If you've applied one
• Total — Final amount the client will see
• Per Acre — Total divided by acreage (if applicable)

Saving a Quote as Draft

Click Save Draft to save your quote without generating a PDF. Draft quotes appear in your Saved Quotes list and can be edited at any time.

Generating a PDF Quote Document

Click Generate Quote at the bottom of the builder. PilotLedger creates a professional PDF with:

• Your company logo and contact info
• Client information
• Itemized services with pricing
• Deliverables list
• Terms and conditions
• Total with deposit amount

The PDF opens in a new tab. You can download it or send it directly to the client.

Emailing a Quote to a Client

1. After generating a quote, click Send Quote.
2. Enter the client's email address (pre-filled if saved).
3. Add an optional message.
4. Click Send. The client receives a link to view and accept the quote online.

Quote Templates — Saving Reusable Templates

If you frequently create similar quotes, save one as a template:

1. Build a quote with your standard services and terms.
2. Click Save as Template.
3. Give it a name (e.g., "Standard Real Estate Package").
4. When creating future quotes, load the template to pre-fill all settings.

Managing Saved Custom Services & Deliverables

To create a service directly, open Settings > My Saved Services > Add Service. Enter a name, pricing unit, default rate and scope. A Roof / Structure Inspection starting template is also available. Edit can change the unit, scope and minimum charge as well as the name and rate.

When you create a custom service or deliverable in the quote builder, you can save it for reuse across future quotes.

• Saved items appear in your quote builder dropdown under "My Saved Services" or "My Saved Deliverables".
• To manage saved items, go to Settings > Custom Services & Deliverables.
• Each saved item shows its name, rate type, and default rate.
• Click Edit to change the name or default rate.
• Click Delete to permanently remove a saved item (this does not affect existing quotes that used it).

Duplicating a Quote

To create a copy of an existing quote, go to Saved Quotes, find the quote, and click Duplicate. This creates a new draft with all the same settings, services, and terms. You can then modify it for a new client or project.

Viewing Your Saved Quotes

Click Saved Quotes in the sidebar to see all your quotes. You can:

• Search by client name, project, or quote number
• Filter by status (Draft, Sent, Accepted, Declined, Expired)
• Sort by date, amount, or client
• Click any quote to open it in the builder

Editing an Existing Quote

Click a quote from your list to load it in the Quote Builder. Make your changes and click Save Draft or Generate Quote to update the PDF.

Deleting a Quote

To delete a quote, click the quote in your list, then click Delete. You'll be asked to confirm. Deleted quotes cannot be recovered.

Quote Status — Draft, Sent, Accepted, Expired

• Draft — Saved but not yet sent to the client.
• Sent — Emailed to the client and awaiting response.
• Accepted — The client has accepted and signed.
• Declined — The client declined the quote.
• Expired — Past the validity period without response.
• Invoiced — Converted into an invoice.

Quote Retention — Auto-Archiving

Quotes older than 12 months are automatically archived. Archived quotes are still accessible but won't clutter your active list. You can view them from the Manage Data section.

Viewing Archived Quotes

Go to Manage Data in the sidebar to see your archived quotes. You can search, view, and export them.

How Clients View Your Quote

When you send a quote, your client receives an email with a link to a professional quote page. This page shows:

• Your company branding and logo
• Full quote details with itemized services
• Deliverables and terms
• An Accept Quote button

Clients do not need a PilotLedger account to view or accept quotes.

How Clients Accept with Digital Signature

1. The client clicks Accept Quote on the quote page.
2. They type their full name as a digital signature.
3. They click Confirm Acceptance.
4. Both you and the client receive a confirmation email.

What Happens After a Client Accepts

When a client accepts your quote, an invoice is now automatically created:

• The quote status changes to Invoiced and the new invoice appears in your Invoices tab.
• If online payment was enabled on the quote, the client immediately sees a "Pay Deposit Now" or "Pay Now" button.
• You receive an email notification confirming both the acceptance and the auto-created invoice.
• The client also receives an invoice email containing the invoice number, total amount, deposit amount (if applicable), and a "Pay Now" button linking to the Stripe payment page.
• The client's signature, acceptance date, and IP address are recorded.
• If online payment was NOT enabled, the client sees a confirmation message and you follow up manually with payment details.

One-Click Quote to Invoice Conversion

Once a quote is accepted, click Convert to Invoice. PilotLedger automatically creates an invoice with all the quote details. This saves you from re-entering everything manually.

What Gets Carried Over

When converting a quote to an invoice, PilotLedger copies:

• Client information
• All services and line items with pricing
• Deliverables
• Payment terms
• Deposit amount

Editing the Invoice After Conversion

Click any invoice in your Invoices list to open the full editable detail view. From here you can:

• Client Information — Use the dropdown to change the client, or edit the name, company, and email directly.
• Line Items — Edit description, quantity, and rate on any row. Add new lines with + Add Line Item or remove lines with the × button.
• Subtotal / Discount / Total — All values recalculate live as you make changes.
• Due Date & Payment Terms — Adjust the payment terms dropdown or set a custom due date.
• Deposit % — Change the deposit percentage required upfront.
• Status — Update the invoice status (Draft, Sent, Partial, Paid, Overdue, Void) from the status dropdown.
• Notes — Add or edit notes visible to the client.

Click Save Invoice to persist all changes.

Creating an Invoice from Scratch

You don't have to start from a quote. To create a standalone invoice:

1. Click Invoices in the sidebar.
2. Click + New Invoice.
3. Select a Client from the dropdown, or enter client details manually (name, company, email).
4. In the Line Items section, enter a description, quantity, and rate for each service. The amount is auto-calculated (qty × rate). Click + Add Line Item to add more rows, or click the × button to remove a line.
5. Review the Subtotal, apply a Discount if needed, and verify the Total — all values recalculate automatically.
6. Set Payment Details: choose a Payment Terms dropdown (Due on Receipt, Net 15, Net 30, etc.), the Due Date auto-calculates from your selected terms, and optionally set a Deposit %.
7. Add any Notes/Terms in the textarea at the bottom.
8. Click Save. The invoice is created in Draft status.

Invoice Fields Explained

Every invoice has standard accounting fields plus a group of payment-method flags that control what the customer sees on the pay page. The pilot picks the methods per invoice; the customer never sees methods you didn't enable.

Core fields

• Invoice Number — Auto-generated in INV-YYDDDNNN format (two-digit year, day-of-year, daily sequence). Older invoices keep their original format.
• Invoice Date — The date you issue the invoice (defaults to today).
• Due Date — Calculated from your payment terms.
• Line Items — Description, quantity, rate, and amount for each service.
• Notes — Optional notes visible to the client.
• PO Number — Optional. Your client's purchase order number. It appears on the invoice PDF (shown as “PO #”) and in the invoice email, which helps clients with a procurement process match your invoice to their order.

Payment method flags (who can pay, and how)

• Credit/Debit Card (allow_stripe_card) — Online card payment via Stripe. Default ON.
• ACH Bank Transfer (allow_stripe_ach) — Online ACH via Stripe. Default OFF.
• Wire Transfer (allow_wire) — Appears only when ACH is also enabled. Uses the bank info from Settings (bank name, routing, account, account name), not Stripe.
• Check (allow_check) — Requires your mailing address in Settings; the pay page shows “Make checks payable to {company}” with the address.
• Call-in Card (allow_callin_card) — Informational only. The pay page shows your call-in phone from Settings; customer calls you to pay by card.
• Custom Amount (allow_custom_amount) — Lets the client enter a payment amount of their choice on the pay page (for example, to over-pay or to pay in chunks). Without this flag, the pay page shows a fixed amount.
• Deposit Invoice (is_deposit_invoice) — Turns this invoice into a deposit. Shows a prominent yellow banner in the editor; the customer pay page heading becomes “Deposit Payment”. See Deposit & Partial Payment.
• Disclaimer Text (disclaimer_text) — Per-invoice override of the default disclaimer from Settings. Leave blank to use the Settings default.

Setting Payment Terms

PilotLedger supports standard payment terms: Due on Receipt, Net 15, Net 30, Net 45, and Net 60. Set your default in Settings. You can override it per invoice.

Generating an Invoice PDF

Click Download PDF on any invoice to generate a professional PDF document. The file is named INV-YYDDDNNN.pdf — no client name or prefix, so the same invoice file is safe to share or store.

What the PDF contains

• Your company header with logo and full mailing address pulled from Settings.
• The line items, subtotal, tax, and total (or deposit amount if this is a deposit invoice).
• A Payment Options section that lists only the methods you enabled on this invoice, with specific instructions for each:
  • Stripe card / ACH — “Pay online: {link}”
  • Check — “Make checks payable to {company}. Mail to: {mailing address}”
  • Wire — Bank name, routing number, account number, account name (from Settings)
  • Call-in card — “Call {phone} to pay by credit card”
• The disclaimer text — either the per-invoice override or the Settings default.

Sending an Invoice to a Client

From the invoice detail view, click Send to Client. A modal appears with:

• Recipients — A contact picker shows all contacts for the client with checkboxes. Contacts flagged to receive invoices are pre-checked. You can also type an additional email address below the picker. Invoices can be sent to multiple recipients at once.
• Subject line — Auto-generated with your company name and invoice number. Editable.
• Custom message — Optional personal note included at the top of the email.
• Deposit / Partial Payment — A checkbox (unchecked by default) controls whether the invoice is sent for the full amount or a deposit. See Deposit & Partial Payment below.
• Attachments — If you attached files from the invoice detail view, a note shows how many will be included.

Click Send Email. Each recipient receives a professional HTML email containing:

• Your company header and invoice number
• Invoice details (date, due date, payment terms)
• Line items table with descriptions, quantities, rates, and amounts
• Subtotal and total (or deposit amount if enabled)
• A prominent “Pay Now” button that links to the Stripe payment page
• Any attached files as email attachments
• Notes section

The invoice status automatically updates from Draft to Sent, and the payment link is enabled for the client.

Attaching Files to an Invoice

You can attach supporting documents to any invoice before sending. This is useful for including old invoices with outstanding balances, contracts, or scope documents.

How to Attach Files

From the invoice detail view, click the purple Attach File button in the action bar (next to Save, Send, Generate, etc.). A file picker opens where you can select one or more files.

Limits

• Up to 4 files per invoice
• Total combined size under 10MB
• Supported types: PDF, JPG, PNG, Word (DOC/DOCX), Excel (XLS/XLSX), CSV, TXT

Each attached file appears in a purple indicator bar below the action buttons showing the filename and size. Click the × on any file to remove it. Click Attach File again to add more.

Deposit & Partial Payment on Invoices

If you want this invoice to bill only a portion of the job — a deposit up front, for example — flip on the deposit flag at the top of the invoice editor.

The yellow deposit banner

At the very top of the invoice editor, above the line items, a yellow banner contains the “This is a deposit invoice” checkbox. When you check it, a field appears where you enter either a flat deposit amount or a deposit percent of the invoice total. Save the invoice.

On the customer pay page, the heading changes from “Invoice Payment” to “Deposit Payment”, and the displayed amount is the deposit you set — not the full invoice total. The customer pays the deposit only. The remainder stays outstanding on the invoice.

Without the deposit flag

If the banner is unchecked, the pay page shows the full balance_due as the payment amount. This is the default, and the customer cannot change it unless you also enable the Custom Amount flag.

Voiding an Invoice

If you need to cancel an invoice that's already been sent, click Void. A voided invoice remains in your records for accounting purposes but is marked as cancelled. The client can no longer pay it.

Deleting an Invoice

Deleting a Single Invoice

From the invoice list, each card has a Delete button. Click it and confirm to permanently remove the invoice.

Bulk Deleting Multiple Invoices

From the invoice list, each card has a checkbox on the left side. Check the boxes next to the invoices you want to delete. A blue action bar appears at the top with buttons for Mark as Sent, Void Selected, Export CSV, and Delete Selected.

Click Delete Selected and confirm. Only invoices with Draft or Void status can be deleted. Paid, Sent, or Partial invoices are skipped automatically with a message telling you how many were skipped.

Setting Up Stripe Connect (Your Payment Account)

Stripe Connect lets your clients pay you directly via credit card or ACH bank transfer.

1. Go to Settings > Payment Processing.
2. Click Connect with Stripe.
3. Follow the Stripe onboarding to verify your identity and bank account.
4. Once connected, a payment link is automatically included on every invoice.

How Client Payments Work

When a client clicks the “Pay Now” link in their invoice email:

1. They land on your branded payment page showing your company name, invoice number, and the amount due.
2. The page shows only the payment methods you enabled on this invoice — card, ACH, check, wire, or call-in card, in whatever combination you chose. Methods you did not enable are not visible to the customer at all.
3. The displayed amount is fixed (either the full balance_due or the deposit amount, if this is a deposit invoice). The customer can only enter a different amount if you turned on the Custom Amount flag.
4. For Stripe methods (card/ACH), the customer completes checkout and funds go to your connected Stripe account. For offline methods (check/wire/call-in), the page shows instructions only — you record the payment manually once it arrives.
5. After a Stripe payment, confirmation emails are sent to both you and the client, and the invoice status updates to Partial Payment or Paid automatically.

Payment Links — How Clients Pay Online

Every invoice has a unique payment link in the form /pay/{token}. Clients can open it from the invoice email, the invoice PDF, or a direct link you share. No client account or login is required.

The link is only functional if the invoice has at least one Stripe method enabled (card or ACH). If you enabled only offline methods, the pay page still loads but is information-only — it shows your instructions (mailing address for checks, bank info for wires, phone number for call-in card) and the customer pays outside the system.

If you need to stop accepting payment on an invoice, toggle off Payment Link Enabled on the invoice editor. The link will return “Invoice not found or payment link disabled.”

Recording Manual Payments (Cash, Check, Wire)

If a client pays outside of Stripe (cash, check, wire transfer), you can record it manually:

1. Open the invoice.
2. Click Record Payment in Payment History or the top action bar. To close an invoice paid by wire or check, select Paid in the status menu. The popup fills in the remaining balance. Check one payment method, confirm that the money was received, then click Confirm Receipt & Mark Paid. The date can be changed to the actual receipt date; a reference or check number is optional. Entering a smaller amount leaves the invoice partially paid. Cancel leaves it unchanged.
3. Enter the amount, date, and payment method.
4. Click Save. The invoice status updates accordingly.

Manual recording does not charge a card or send an email. Record the amount actually received, its date, method and reference. Refunds use a positive amount and the Refund type. Revenue YTD follows dated payments minus refunds; client cards show invoiced work and received money separately. If an older invoice says its paid status needs review, enter the real missing receipt or review the balance. The application does not invent historical payment details.

Viewing Payment History

Click Payments in the sidebar to see all payments received. You can filter by date, client, payment method, and status.

Platform Fees Explained

PilotLedger charges a small platform fee on payments processed through Stripe:

• Credit Card payments: 0.5% platform fee (plus standard Stripe fees)
• ACH payments: 0.7% platform fee (plus standard Stripe fees)

Payment Protection (Escrow)

Payment Protection is currently restricted to platform administrators. It is not an ordinary pilot quote option and is not shown on the customer pay page. Older instructions about a per-quote switch, escrow checkout, fees or automatic release do not describe current pilot access.

Use the payment methods available in the invoice editor for normal customer billing. Administrators should use their authenticated controls and the applicable transaction terms; this public help page does not grant access or establish a payment guarantee.

Client Portal & Accounts

Clients can use the quote and invoice links you send for the supported viewing, acceptance and payment workflow. Follow the sign-in or verification requirement displayed by that workflow. Directory profile publication and client-portal access are separate from a pilot subscription.

Payment Protection is restricted to platform administrators in the current release; clients should not be instructed to find a Pay with Protection option on the ordinary pay page.

Multiple Contacts Per Client

Each client in PilotLedger can have multiple contact people. This is useful when a company has different people who handle quotes, invoices, and operations.

Adding a Contact

1. Open a client record and scroll to the Contacts section
2. Click Add Contact
3. Fill in name, email, phone, and title/role
4. Check the boxes for what they should receive: quotes, invoices, or both
5. Click Save

Contact Picker When Sending

When you send a quote or invoice, a contact picker appears showing all contacts for that client. Each contact has a checkbox — contacts flagged to receive that type of document are pre-checked automatically. You can check or uncheck any contact before sending. You can also type an additional email address manually in the field below the picker.

Each selected recipient gets their own copy of the email with the Pay Now button, line items, and any attachments.

Primary Contact

The first contact added (or the one marked as primary) is used to pre-fill the client name and email on new quotes and invoices. Other contacts can still be selected at send time.

Editing and Removing Contacts

From the client edit modal, you can edit or remove any contact. The contacts section is scrollable if a client has many contacts. Changes take effect immediately for future sends.

Client Intake Form & Onboarding Link

PilotLedger gives every pilot a unique shareable link that opens a professional intake form for prospective clients. Instead of manually creating clients, you send the link and the client fills everything out.

Getting Your Link

Go to Settings and scroll to Client Onboarding Link. Your unique URL is displayed. Click Copy Link to copy it to your clipboard. Paste it in your email signature, on your website, or send it directly to a prospect.

What the Client Sees

The link opens a branded form with your company name. The form has four sections:

• Company Information — Name, address, website
• Contacts — Multiple contacts with roles (Project Manager, Accounts Payable, Field Contact) and flags for receiving quotes vs invoices
• Projects — One or more projects with location, acreage, timeline, services needed, and notes
• Payment Preferences — Preferred payment method, terms, PO requirements

What Happens on Submit

PilotLedger automatically creates a new client record with all contacts and roles, then auto-generates a draft quote for each project. You receive an email notification summarizing everything. Log in, review the quotes, add pricing, and send.

Managing Your Link

• Toggle Active/Inactive — When inactive, the form shows “not available”
• Regenerate Link — Creates a new URL and invalidates the old one

Custom Pilot Skillsets

Beyond the 48 default service checkboxes in your Directory Profile, you can add your own custom skills. In Settings > Directory Profile, scroll below the service categories to the Custom Skills section. Type a skill name and click Add. Custom skills appear on your directory profile and are searchable in Find a Drone Pilot.

Converting a Won Quote to an Invoice

When a client accepts a quote, click the Won button on the quote card. PilotLedger automatically creates a draft invoice with all line items copied. You’ll see three options: Send Full Invoice (sends immediately at full amount), Send Deposit Invoice (sends just the deposit), or Modify Invoice (opens the invoice for editing before sending). You can mark both sent and expired quotes as Won.

Recording Payments & Charging Cards

On an invoice with an unpaid balance, Record Payment is in the top action bar. It is also available in Payment History, including for recording a refund. Enter the amount, date, method, and type. When the balance reaches zero, the invoice auto-changes to Paid. The purple Charge Card button lets you process a credit card payment on behalf of a client via Stripe — useful for clients who aren’t tech-savvy. Card details are securely tokenized and never stored.

Duplicating a Job Sheet

Click Duplicate on any job sheet to create a copy with a fresh job number and status reset to Created. All client info, site details, services, checklist, and notes are copied. Flight date, assignment, and delivery data start clean. Useful for recurring inspections or follow-up flights at the same site.

Website Enquiry Widget

PilotLedger provides an embeddable JavaScript widget for your website. In Settings > Website Enquiry Widget, copy the two-line HTML snippet and paste it into your site. When visitors fill out the form, a lead is created in your CRM with source tagged as “website_widget.” You receive an email notification. Toggle the widget on/off or regenerate the code from Settings.

Adding an Expense

1. Click Expenses in the sidebar (or the bottom tab on mobile).
2. Click Add Expense.
3. Enter the date, description, category, and amount.
4. Optionally attach a receipt photo.
5. Click Save.

Expense Categories

PilotLedger includes common drone business categories:

• Fuel & Travel
• Equipment & Gear
• Insurance
• Software & Subscriptions
• Repairs & Maintenance
• Training & Certification
• Marketing & Advertising
• Office & Supplies
• Subcontractor
• Mileage

You can add custom categories in Manage Categories.

Overhead Expenses vs Job Expenses

Overhead expenses are general business costs not tied to a specific job (insurance, software subscriptions, office rent).

Job expenses are costs directly related to a specific project. Link them to an invoice to see your true profit per job.

Linking Expenses to a Specific Invoice/Job

When adding an expense, use the Link to Invoice dropdown to associate it with a specific job. This lets you calculate job-level profit and loss in your reports.

Monthly Expense View

The monthly expense view shows all expenses for the selected month, grouped by category, with a running total. Use the month picker to navigate between months.

Uploading a Receipt (Photo or PDF)

1. When adding or editing an expense, click Attach Receipt.
2. Choose a photo from your gallery or take a new photo with your camera.
3. You can also upload a PDF receipt.
4. A thumbnail preview appears after upload.

OCR Auto-Fill — How Receipt Scanning Works

When you upload a receipt image, PilotLedger attempts to automatically read the text and extract:

• Vendor/merchant name — Pre-fills the description field
• Total amount — Pre-fills the amount field
• Date — Pre-fills the expense date

Auto-filled fields show an "OCR detected" badge so you know to verify them. OCR is best-effort — always double-check the values before saving.

Managing Expense Categories

Go to the expense view and click Manage Categories to add, edit, or delete expense categories. Custom categories appear in the dropdown when adding expenses.

Expense Settings (Mileage Rate, etc.)

In Settings, you can configure your IRS mileage rate for automatic mileage calculations. Enter the current rate (e.g., $0.67 per mile) and PilotLedger will calculate the deduction when you log mileage expenses.

Dashboard Charts Explained

Your dashboard includes two charts:

• Revenue Trend — Bar chart showing monthly revenue for the last 6 months.
• Revenue by Service — Pie chart breaking down income by service type.

Income Reports

The Income tab in Reports shows a detailed breakdown of all revenue. Filter by date range, service type, or client. See totals, averages, and trends.

Aging Report — Outstanding Invoices

The aging report shows all unpaid invoices grouped by how overdue they are: Current, 1-30 days, 31-60 days, 61-90 days, and 90+ days. Use this to prioritize collections.

Job P&L — Profit/Loss Per Job

For any invoice with linked expenses, you can see the true profit/loss. Revenue minus expenses equals your job profit. This helps you understand which types of work are most profitable.

Monthly P&L Statement

The monthly P&L shows total income minus total expenses for any selected month. This gives you a clear picture of your monthly profitability.

Annual P&L Statement

The annual P&L aggregates all income and expenses for the year, broken down by month. Useful for tax preparation and year-end reviews.

Exporting Reports to CSV

Click Export CSV on any report to download the data as a spreadsheet. You can open CSV files in Excel, Google Sheets, or any accounting software.

Adding a Client

There are two ways to add clients:

• From the Quote Builder — Select "+ New Client" and fill in their details.
• From the Clients page — Click Clients in the sidebar, then Add Client.

Client List & Search

The Clients page shows all your clients in a searchable, sortable list. Each row shows the client's name, company, email, and number of quotes and invoices.

Editing Client Details

Click a client's name to open their profile. Edit any field and click Save. Changes apply to future quotes and invoices but don't affect existing ones.

Deleting a Client

Click Delete on a client's profile to remove them. Existing quotes and invoices for this client are not affected.

Client History (Quotes & Invoices)

Click a client to see their complete history: all quotes you've sent them and all invoices, with statuses and amounts.

What is the Pilot Directory?

The Find a Drone Pilot directory at findadronepilot.com is a nationwide map where potential clients can search for drone pilots by location and service type. Included with every plan at no extra charge; creating and publishing a profile is optional.

Part 107 Certificate Number

The current directory setup requires a Part 107 certificate number. In Settings > Public Profile, enter it, save your profile and choose whether to publish. Profile publication is optional.

The directory can show a Part 107 badge, but current public profile responses can also include certificate information. Do not assume the certificate number is private merely because a particular page shows only a badge. Review what you publish and contact support for account-specific privacy questions.

The certificate does not expire; maintain the required aeronautical knowledge currency separately. See certificate tracking.

Setting Up Your Public Profile

1. Go to Settings > Public Profile.
2. Fill in your bio and credentials (Part 107, etc.).
3. Select your services using the categorized skill picker. Services are organized into 8 categories with expandable sections. Click a category header to expand or collapse it. Select all services you are qualified to perform.
4. Upload a profile photo and portfolio images.
5. Toggle Public Listed to ON to appear on the map.

Choosing Your Service States

Click the states where you offer services on the interactive map. Clients searching in those states will find your listing.

Listing Your Services & Credentials

PilotLedger uses a comprehensive categorized service system with 48 service types organized into 8 categories. Select every service you are qualified and equipped to perform. More selections mean more RFP matches and more visibility on the directory.

Service Categories

• Mapping & Survey — Orthomosaics, photogrammetry, LiDAR, topographic, volumetric, corridor mapping, bathymetric, GCP survey
• Inspection — Roof, tower/telecom, bridge, power line, solar panel, wind turbine, building/facade, flare stack
• Thermal & Specialized Sensors — Thermal/IR, multispectral, hyperspectral, methane/gas detection, NDVI/crop health
• Photography & Video — Aerial photography, cinematography, real estate, construction progress, event coverage
• 3D & Modeling — 3D reconstruction, digital twins, stockpile measurement, BIM integration
• Agriculture — Crop monitoring, precision ag/spraying, livestock monitoring, field mapping
• Public Safety & Emergency — Search & rescue, disaster response, accident reconstruction, wildfire, law enforcement
• Environmental & Utility — Environmental monitoring, wetland delineation, erosion, utility survey, pipeline, stormwater

Add any certifications you hold (FAA Part 107, TRUST, state-specific licenses) to further build client confidence.

Controlling What Contact Info is Visible

Choose which contact details are visible on your public profile: phone, email, website, and address. You can show some and hide others.

How Clients Find You on the Map

Clients visit findadronepilot.com, enter their location or zip code, and see nearby pilots on a map. They can filter by service type and click your pin to see your profile.

Managing Inbound Leads

When a potential client contacts you through the directory, you receive a lead notification. View and manage leads from the Leads section in your sidebar.

Converting a Lead to a Quote

Click Create Quote on any lead to start a new quote pre-filled with the lead's contact information and project details.

What Are RFPs?

Clients can submit Request for Proposals (RFPs) through the PilotLedger directory at findadronepilot.com. An RFP describes a project, lists the states involved, and specifies what services are needed.

PilotLedger automatically matches the RFP to pilots whose profiles have overlapping states and services, and sends email notifications only to those matched pilots. This is included with your directory subscription at no additional cost. PilotLedger does not take commissions on any work that results from RFP matches.

Viewing Incoming RFPs

Navigate to the Opportunities section in your dashboard. You will see a list of RFPs you have been matched with, showing:

• Project title
• Client name
• States involved
• Skills/services requested
• Date posted

Cards are marked as New (unread), Viewed, or Responded. Click any card to see the full project details.

RFP Matching — How It Works

When a client submits an RFP, PilotLedger checks two things:

1. States: Does the pilot serve at least one of the states in the RFP?
2. Services: Does the pilot offer at least one of the services requested?

Both conditions must be true for a match. To maximize your opportunities, make sure your profile has all applicable states and services selected.

Responding to an RFP

Click on an RFP to view full details, then click Respond to send a message to the client. Your response includes your contact information so the client can follow up directly.

All further communication and agreements are between you and the client — PilotLedger is not involved in negotiations, pricing, or contracts.

RFP Status (New / Viewed / Responded)

Each RFP card shows its current status:

• New — You have not opened it yet.
• Viewed — You opened the details but have not responded.
• Responded — You sent a response to the client.

You can respond to as many RFPs as you want. There is no limit.

Setting Up Stripe Connect (Accept Payments)

Stripe Connect lets your clients pay you directly via credit card or ACH bank transfer.

1. Go to Settings > Payment Processing.
2. Click "Connect with Stripe" — you'll be redirected to Stripe's secure onboarding.
3. Complete the identity verification (requires valid government ID and bank account).
4. Once verified, your status shows "Stripe Connected" with a green indicator.

You can access your Stripe Express dashboard anytime from Settings to view payouts, transaction history, and manage your bank account.

Stripe processes payments and deposits funds to your bank account within 2 business days (card) or 3–5 business days (bank transfer).

Company Information

Go to Settings to update your company name, contact person, address, phone, and email. These details appear on all your quotes and invoices.

Logo Upload

Upload your company logo in Settings. Your logo appears on PDF quotes, invoices, and your public profile. Supported formats: PNG, JPG. Recommended size: 300x100 pixels.

Payment Terms Defaults

Set your default payment terms (Net 15, Net 30, etc.). This is automatically applied to new invoices but can be overridden per invoice.

Quote Validity Period

Set how long your quotes are valid (default: 30 days). After this period, quotes automatically expire unless the client accepts.

Default Deposit Percentage

Set a default deposit percentage (e.g., 50%) in Settings. This pre-fills the deposit percentage field on new quotes and invoices.

Payments & Billing Settings

Several fields in Settings feed directly into what your customers see on the pay page and in invoice PDFs. Fill these in once and they’ll be used automatically on every invoice.

• Mailing Address — Required if you want to offer the Check payment method. The address is printed on invoice PDFs and on the pay page as “Mail to: {address}”.
• Bank Info — Required for the Wire payment method. Enter bank name, routing number, account number, and account name. These appear on the pay page and PDF only when wire is enabled.
• Call-In Phone — Required for the Call-in Card method. This is the number customers will call to give you a card manually.
• Default Disclaimer Text — The legal/boilerplate text that appears on every invoice PDF. Can be overridden per-invoice via the disclaimer_text field.
• Default Payment Methods — PilotLedger remembers the payment-method checkboxes you used on your last invoice and pre-populates them on the next new invoice. There’s nothing to set here — it happens automatically when you save an invoice.

Changing Your Password

1. Go to Settings.
2. Scroll to Change Password.
3. Enter your current password and your new password.
4. Click Update Password.

Setting Up Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)

Two-Factor Authentication adds an extra layer of security to your account. Even if someone obtains your password, they cannot log in without access to your authenticator app. We strongly recommend enabling 2FA for all accounts.

Enabling 2FA

1. Go to Settings > Security.
2. Click Enable 2FA.
3. PilotLedger displays a QR code. Scan it with an authenticator app such as Google Authenticator, Authy, or any TOTP-compatible app.
4. Enter the 6-digit code from your authenticator app to confirm setup.
5. PilotLedger displays 10 backup codes. Save these somewhere safe — a password manager, printed copy, or secure note. Each backup code can only be used once.

Logging In with 2FA

Once 2FA is enabled, logging in requires two steps:

1. Enter your email and password as usual.
2. Enter the 6-digit code from your authenticator app when prompted.

Using a Backup Code

If you lose access to your authenticator app (lost or broken phone), you can use one of your 10 backup codes instead of the 6-digit code. Each backup code works once. After using a backup code, set up 2FA again on your new device.

Disabling 2FA

1. Go to Settings > Security.
2. Click Disable 2FA.
3. Enter your current 2FA code from your authenticator app and your password to confirm.

Login Security & Rate Limiting

PilotLedger protects your account from brute-force attacks with automatic login rate limiting.

• After 5 failed login attempts, your account is temporarily locked for 15 minutes.
• This lockout is per email address — your team members will not be affected by your lockout.
• If you are locked out, wait 15 minutes and try again.
• You can also use Forgot Password to reset your password — the reset link bypasses the lockout.

What To Do If Your Account Is Locked

PilotLedger automatically locks your account after 5 consecutive failed login attempts. This is a security feature to protect your account from unauthorized access attempts.

What You’ll See

When your account is locked, you will see the message: “Account locked due to too many failed attempts. Please contact support.” on the login screen. You will not be able to log in, even with the correct password, until the account is unlocked.

How to Get Unlocked

Contact PilotLedger support to have your account unlocked:

• Email: [email protected]

Include your registered email address in your request. For security purposes, support may ask you to verify your identity before unlocking your account.

Preventing Future Lockouts

• Use the Forgot Password link if you are unsure of your password rather than guessing
• Consider setting up a Password Manager to store your credentials securely
• Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) for an additional layer of security without affecting lockout behavior

Managing Your Subscription

Go to Billing in the sidebar to see your current plan, billing status, and next payment date. You can update your payment method or cancel your subscription.

Upgrading/Downgrading Your Plan

Open Billing, select your new plan and billing frequency, and review the change in Stripe before confirming it. Stripe shows the effective date and any prorated charge or credit. For example, Business Solo to SkyView Solo adds processing for $30 more per month.

Directory eligibility is included in every plan. Changing between Business and SkyView does not publish or remove your profile. Losing an assigned SkyView license removes processing access; subscription expiry leaves existing local projects available to view.

Installing PilotLedger on Your Phone

PilotLedger works as a Progressive Web App (PWA), which means it installs like a native app without the app store.

On iPhone (Safari):

1. Open pilotledger.com in Safari.
2. Tap the Share button (square with arrow).
3. Scroll down and tap Add to Home Screen.
4. Tap Add. PilotLedger now appears as an app icon.

On Android (Chrome):

1. Open pilotledger.com in Chrome.
2. Tap the three-dot menu in the top-right.
3. Tap Add to Home screen (or Install app).
4. Tap Add. PilotLedger appears as an app icon.

Mobile Navigation — Bottom Tab Bar

On mobile, PilotLedger uses a bottom tab bar for quick navigation:

• Home — Your dashboard
• Quotes — Quote builder
• Invoices — Invoice list
• Expenses — Expense tracking
• More — Settings, billing, reports, and more

Tap the hamburger menu (three lines) in the top-left for the full navigation drawer.

Creating Quotes in the Field

The quote builder is fully functional on mobile. Fields stack vertically for easy entry. You can create and send quotes right from a job site.

Snapping Receipts on the Go

When adding an expense on mobile, tap Attach Receipt. Your phone will offer to take a photo with the camera. Snap a picture of the receipt and it's automatically uploaded and attached to the expense.

Mobile Tips & Tricks

• Pull down on any list to refresh the data.
• Swipe left on a line item to reveal the delete button.
• Use the bottom tab bar for quick navigation between main sections.
• The app works offline for viewing cached data. An internet connection is needed for creating or saving records.

Your PilotLedger Email Address

Every PilotLedger account can claim a dedicated @pilotledger.com email address — a real mailbox hosted on our mail server. This gives you a professional address tied directly to your business (e.g., [email protected]) and lets all client email activity flow into PilotLedger automatically.

To set up your email identity, go to Settings → Email Integration. PilotLedger will suggest two options:

• Company slug — derived from your company name (e.g., Drones Inbound LLC → [email protected])
• Name slug — derived from your first and last name (e.g., [email protected])

Choose one and click Confirm. Your mailbox is created instantly. The address is locked after creation to prevent abuse.

Mode 1 — Send from PilotLedger

Mode 1 is the most integrated option. You compose emails directly inside PilotLedger and they are sent from your @pilotledger.com address. Every email you send is automatically logged to the client's activity timeline. Incoming replies are captured via IMAP polling every 5 minutes and logged as well.

To send an email in Mode 1:

1. Open a client's detail view
2. Click Send Email (only visible in Mode 1 with a configured identity)
3. Fill in the subject and body
4. Click Send — it is logged instantly

Optional toggles available in Settings:

• Forward incoming replies — forwards any client reply to your registration email
• In-app notifications — shows a notification badge when a client replies

Mode 2 — BCC Logging

Mode 2 is for pilots who prefer to keep using Gmail, Outlook, or another email client but want client emails logged in PilotLedger. When you set up Mode 2, PilotLedger gives you a unique BCC address like [email protected].

Simply BCC that address on any client email you send. PilotLedger receives it, matches the sender to the correct client by email address, and logs it to the activity timeline automatically — no manual entry needed.

Mode 3 — Manual Entry

Mode 3 is the simplest option — no automation. You log client contacts manually from inside the client detail view. Use this if you prefer to keep email entirely outside PilotLedger but still want a record of your communications.

To log a manual contact:

1. Open a client record and click the Activity tab
2. Select a contact type (Email Sent, Phone Call, Quote Sent, Meeting, Site Visit, etc.)
3. Add a note describing what was discussed
4. Click Log

You can also create custom contact types that are saved to your account for future use.

Accessing Your Webmail

Your @pilotledger.com mailbox is accessible via webmail at mail.pilotledger.com. Log in with your full email address and the password shown in Settings → Email Integration → Mailbox Info.

You can also configure your address in any IMAP-capable email client (Outlook, Thunderbird, Apple Mail) using these settings:

• IMAP Host: mail.ammoinspector.com — Port 993, TLS
• SMTP Host: mail.ammoinspector.com — Port 587, STARTTLS
• Username: your full @pilotledger.com address

Client Activity Timeline

Every client has a unified Activity Timeline in their detail view showing all interactions in chronological order — regardless of which email mode you use. The timeline includes:

• Emails sent and received (Mode 1)
• BCC-logged emails (Mode 2)
• Manually logged contacts (Mode 3)
• Pipeline stage changes
• Quotes sent, accepted, or declined
• Invoices created and paid
• Notes added by you or your team

Receiving & Forwarding Replies

In Mode 1, PilotLedger polls your mailbox every 5 minutes for new replies. When a client replies:

1. The reply is logged to the client activity timeline
2. If Forward Replies is enabled, the message is forwarded to your registration email
3. If In-App Notifications is enabled, you will see a notification badge

Matching is done by the sender's email address. If a client replies from a different address than what is on their record, update their email address in their profile or log it manually.

Bring Your Own Email (BYOE) — Custom SMTP

If you already have a professional email account through Gmail, Google Workspace, Outlook, or another provider, you can connect it to PilotLedger instead of using your built-in @pilotledger.com mailbox. This is called Bring Your Own Email (BYOE).

With BYOE configured, all quotes, invoices, and client communications sent from PilotLedger will come from your own email address (e.g., [email protected]) rather than your PilotLedger address.

Setting Up BYOE

1. Go to Settings → Email Integration
2. Select Bring Your Own Email
3. Choose your provider from the preset list (Gmail, Google Workspace, Outlook, Office 365, Yahoo, iCloud, Zoho, Fastmail) or select Custom SMTP for any other provider
4. Enter your SMTP Host, Port, Username, and Password
5. Click Test Connection to verify your credentials before saving
6. Click Save

SMTP Presets

When you select a provider from the preset list, PilotLedger automatically fills in the correct host and port settings. You only need to provide your username and password (or app password).

Testing Your Connection

Always use the Test Connection button before saving. PilotLedger will attempt to authenticate with your SMTP server and report success or any error (wrong password, blocked port, app password required, etc.). A test email will be sent to your account email address to confirm delivery.

Switching Back to PilotLedger Email

You can switch back to your built-in @pilotledger.com address at any time by selecting Send from PilotLedger in Settings → Email Integration and saving.

Pipeline Overview

PilotLedger's CRM pipeline gives you a complete view of where every client stands in your sales process — from first contact to closed deal. The pipeline appears as a value dashboard card on your home screen and as colored stage badges on each client in your client list.

The pipeline integrates directly with your quotes: when a quote is accepted, the client is automatically moved to Won. When you send a quote, PilotLedger can automatically schedule a follow-up reminder if the client has not responded after a configurable number of days.

Pipeline Stages Explained

Every client has a pipeline stage. The six stages are:

• New (gray) — A fresh contact, not yet reached out to
• Contacted (blue) — You have made initial contact
• Qualified (yellow) — You have confirmed they have a real need and budget
• Proposal Sent (purple) — A quote has been sent and is awaiting response
• Won (green) — Quote accepted, project is happening
• Lost (red) — They went with someone else or decided not to proceed

Won and Lost are terminal stages. A client can be moved back to an active stage at any time if circumstances change.

Moving a Client Through Stages

To update a client's pipeline stage:

1. Open the client record
2. In the Overview tab, find the Pipeline Stage selector
3. Click the stage button you want to move them to
4. The change is saved instantly and logged to the activity timeline

You can also filter your entire client list by stage using the Stage dropdown at the top of the Clients section — useful for quickly seeing all "Proposal Sent" clients who need follow-up.

Marking Won & Lost

When you mark a client as Won or Lost, PilotLedger prompts you for an optional reason code. Examples:

• Won: "Repeat client, 50-acre solar inspection"
• Lost: "Price too high — went with local competitor"
• Lost: "Project cancelled due to funding"

Win/loss reasons feed into your Retention Metrics report so you can track your close rate and identify patterns over time.

Client Tags

Tags let you categorize clients any way that makes sense for your business. Examples:

• Solar — clients who need solar inspections
• Repeat — clients who have hired you more than once
• VIP — high-value or priority accounts
• LiDAR — clients needing LiDAR-specific work
• Insurance Required — clients requiring a certificate of insurance

Tags appear as colored pills on the client list and client detail view. Filter your entire client list by any tag using the Tag dropdown filter.

Managing Your Tag Library

Your tag library is shared across all client records. To manage it:

1. Open any client record and click the Tags & Custom Fields tab
2. Click Manage Tags
3. Type a tag name, choose a color, and click Add
4. To remove a tag, click Remove — this removes it from all clients

To apply tags to a client, click the tag pills in the Tags section. Selected tags highlight in their color; click again to remove. Changes save automatically.

Follow-Up Reminders

Reminders help you stay on top of every client relationship. You can create a reminder on any client with a due date, time, and note.

To add a reminder:

1. Open a client record and click the Reminders tab
2. Click + Add Reminder
3. Set the date/time and add a note (e.g., "Follow up on aerial survey quote")
4. Click Save Reminder

Due reminders appear on your Dashboard in the Upcoming Follow-Ups widget. Overdue reminders are shown in red. Click ✓ Done to mark complete directly from the dashboard without opening the client record.

Auto Follow-Up on Quotes

PilotLedger can automatically create a follow-up reminder when you send a quote and the client has not responded after a set number of days — so no opportunity slips through the cracks.

To configure:

1. Go to Settings → Auto Follow-Up Reminders
2. Toggle Enable Auto Follow-Up on
3. Set the number of days (default: 7)

When the client accepts the quote, the reminder is automatically marked complete. When they decline, it is cleared as well.

Custom Client Fields

Custom fields let you track business-specific information on every client record. Examples:

• FAA Authorization Required (Yes/No)
• Preferred Contact Method (dropdown: Email, Phone, Text)
• Contract Expiration Date (date)
• Property Acreage on File (number)
• Lloyd's Certificate Required (Yes/No)

To define custom fields:

1. Open any client and click Tags & Custom Fields
2. Click Manage Fields
3. Enter a field label and choose a type: Text, Number, Date, Yes/No, or Dropdown
4. For dropdowns, enter the options separated by commas
5. Click Add Field

Fields appear on every client record. Removing a field clears it from all clients.

Client Lifetime Value

PilotLedger automatically calculates each client's Lifetime Revenue — the total of all paid invoices for that client. It updates every time an invoice is marked paid.

Lifetime revenue and job count appear:

• On the client list as a sortable column
• On the client detail Overview tab
• In the Retention Metrics report

Sort your client list by Lifetime Revenue to immediately see your highest-value clients and prioritize accordingly.

Pipeline Value Report

The Pipeline Value dashboard card shows the total estimated value of all active quotes across each pipeline stage — a real-time snapshot of your sales pipeline:

• Revenue sitting at each active stage (New, Contacted, Qualified, Proposal Sent)
• Total open pipeline value
• Count of Won, Lost, and active clients

Pipeline value is calculated from all quotes in Sent, Viewed, or Pending status linked to clients in active stages. This reflects real opportunities, not expired or archived quotes.

Client Retention Metrics

The Retention Metrics report (in the Reports section) gives you a high-level view of client health:

• Repeat Client Rate — percentage of clients who have hired you more than once
• Avg Jobs Per Client — average number of completed jobs across all clients
• Avg Revenue Per Client — average lifetime revenue across all clients
• Total Lifetime Revenue — sum of all paid invoices across all clients

A repeat client rate above 40% is a strong indicator of business health in drone services, where repeat contracts from solar farms, utilities, and agricultural operations drive the majority of revenue.

What is a Project?

A Project is an umbrella that ties together every document and event for a single engagement — the accepted quote, job sheets for the flight days, invoices (including deposits), deliverables, the client relationship, and free-form notes. Think of it as the folder you’d keep for one piece of work, automated.

Projects live in their own nav item (Projects) in the sidebar, separate from the flat lists of Quotes, Invoices, and Job Sheets.

Auto-Creation on Quote Acceptance

When a quote is accepted, PilotLedger checks whether the quote is already attached to a project. If not, a new project is automatically created and the quote is attached to it. This is the most common way projects come into existence — you don’t have to do anything special.

If the accepted quote was already part of a project (because you attached it manually), nothing changes — the quote stays with the existing project.

Manual Project Creation

You can create a project directly, before any quote exists, from the Projects page. Click + New Project. A modal opens with:

• Name — what to call the project (e.g. “Oakridge Solar Farm Inspection”)
• Primary Client — picker from your client list; required
• Description — optional free-form notes about scope, expectations, timeline

Save, and the project is ready to have quotes, job sheets, and invoices attached.

Project Numbers

Every project gets a unique number in the form P-YYDDDNNN — two-digit year, day-of-year, and a daily sequence. The format mirrors invoice numbering (INV-YYDDDNNN) so related documents line up visually. Project numbers are immutable once assigned.

Project Detail Page

Open any project to see its detail page with six sub-tabs:

• Quotes — All quotes attached to this project
• Jobs — Job sheets tied to this project
• Invoices — Every invoice, including deposit invoices, attached to this project
• Deliverables — Files and assets produced for the project
• Clients — The primary client plus any additional clients with their roles
• Notes — Timestamped free-form notes you can add at any time

Attaching Existing Quotes, Jobs, or Invoices

Each sub-tab has an + Attach existing button. Use it to pull in a quote, job sheet, or invoice that already exists in your account but isn’t yet associated with this project. The same document can be detached from the project later without deleting the underlying record.

Multi-Client Projects

A project has one primary client (set at creation), but you can add additional clients on the Clients sub-tab with a specified role (for example, a general contractor as primary plus an end-user/property owner as “site contact”). This is useful for jobs where a broker or GC owns the invoicing relationship but the site is someone else’s.

Project Status

Projects have four status values:

• active — Work in progress (default for new projects)
• on_hold — Paused, no current activity
• completed — Work delivered and closed out
• cancelled — Engagement did not proceed

The Projects list view filters to active and on_hold by default so completed/cancelled history doesn’t clutter your daily view.

Deposits and Projects

When a quote is accepted and a deposit invoice is generated, both the deposit invoice and the eventual final invoice live on the same project. The Invoices sub-tab shows you every invoice for the engagement, and the total amount collected across all of them is the project’s billed-to-date.

What is a Job Sheet?

A Job Sheet is a field operations document generated after a quote is accepted. It is the document you bring to the job site — summarizing scope of work, site location, flight details, equipment, client contact information, and special instructions. Think of it as your internal work order.

Unlike a quote (client-facing, shows pricing) or an invoice (payment request), a job sheet is an operational document for your use or to share with your crew.

Creating a Job Sheet

To create a job sheet:

1. Go to Job Sheets in the main navigation
2. Click + New Job Sheet
3. Fill in the project and site details
4. Add equipment, crew, and flight parameters
5. Save the job sheet

Job sheets can also be created automatically from an accepted quote — see Job Sheet from an Accepted Quote below.

Job Sheet Fields Explained

Open a job and choose Edit Job to change the project name, client, site address, amount, flight date, start/end times, priority and notes. Save applies the changes; Cancel leaves the job alone. Empty start/end times make the calendar event all-day. Set a start time to place it in the hour grid. The amount can be set on the job or inherited from its linked quote/invoice; changing it does not rewrite existing billing documents.

Key fields on a job sheet:

• Project Name — descriptive name for this job
• Client — linked client record
• Site Address / Location — where the flight will take place
• Scheduled Date & Time — when the job is planned
• Services — work being performed (pulled from the linked quote)
• Equipment — drones, sensors, and ground equipment
• Crew — pilot and any VO or support personnel
• Flight Parameters — altitude, overlap, speed, GSD target
• Special Instructions — site access notes, hazards, FAA authorizations
• Status — the current operational stage, from Created through Delivered or Cancelled

Generating a Job Sheet PDF

To generate a PDF:

1. Open the job sheet
2. Click Generate PDF or Download PDF
3. The PDF is formatted for field use — print it or load it on your tablet

The PDF includes your company logo and branding, all job details, and a signature block for client or crew sign-off.

Job Sheet from an Accepted Quote

When a client accepts a quote, PilotLedger prompts you to create a job sheet from it. The job sheet is pre-populated with:

• Client name, company, and contact info
• Project location from the quote
• Services and scope from the quote line items
• Acreage and survey parameters from the quote

You only need to add the operational specifics (equipment, crew, flight parameters) before generating your PDF — no double-entry of project details.

Job Sheet Status

Job statuses are Created, Assigned, Scheduled, In Progress, Flown, Processing, Under Review, Complete, Delivered and Cancelled. Choose a status in the job detail view or move an operational card on the dashboard. Invoiced and Paid are billing stages calculated from actual invoice and payment records.

Milestones and Billing

Milestones may use fixed amounts or a percentage of the job total. A fixed milestone can be billed even when the job total has not been set. Set the job total with Edit Job to calculate percentages and remaining balance. Allocation describes the planned milestones; Invoiced shows the amounts on their invoices. Changing a job total does not alter an invoice already created.

Mission Reports

Open Mission Debrief on a job, complete the debrief and generate a report. The preview formats headings, lists, tables and separators. Download PDF creates a document with your company identity, logo when configured, contact information and page numbers. Save Report keeps the text with the job. Review its content before sending it to a client.

Battery Cycles and Reported Health

In Batteries, Add or Edit a battery to enter Current Cycles and Reported Health (%). Enter measured health from the battery or manufacturer; leave it empty when unknown. The fraction of the cycle limit used is a separate measure and is not treated as measured battery health.

Delivering Files to Your Client

PilotLedger has a built-in file delivery system so you can hand finished work to your client without Dropbox, WeTransfer, or email attachments. Everything lives on the job. Open a job sheet and find the Deliverables & File Delivery card. From there you can:

• Upload Files – add individual files (photos, reports, orthomosaics, point clouds, video).
• Upload Folder – add an entire folder at once with its structure preserved.
• Send to Client – email the client a private link where they can browse and download everything.

Your client never needs a PilotLedger account. They receive a link, open it in any browser, and download their files. The link is read only: clients can view and download, but they can never delete or change anything.

Uploading Deliverable Files

1. Open the job, then scroll to the Deliverables & File Delivery card.
2. Click Upload Files and pick one or more files. You can select many at once.
3. A progress bar shows each file as it uploads. Uploads run several at a time, so a batch of photos does not crawl through one by one.
4. When a file finishes it appears in the list with its size and a download arrow.

Each file is sorted into a category automatically based on its type (for example point clouds and GeoTIFFs as deliverables, PDFs and spreadsheets as reports, photos as raw data). You can upload more files at any time, and the list updates as each one completes.

Uploading Large Files

Large drone deliverables (LiDAR point clouds, full orthomosaics, 4K video) are handled automatically. Files up to 100 MB upload in a single step. Files larger than 100 MB are split into parts and uploaded piece by piece, with the progress bar tracking the whole file.

You do not need to do anything different for a large file: just pick it like any other. The part by part method is more reliable on big files, so a brief network hiccup is less likely to ruin a multi gigabyte upload.

Uploading a Whole Folder

When a job produces a structured set of files (for example a mapping mission with hundreds of photos plus a point cloud and an orthomosaic), use Upload Folder instead of selecting files one by one.

1. Click Upload Folder.
2. Choose the folder on your computer. Your browser may ask you to confirm that you want to upload everything in it. Confirm.
3. PilotLedger uploads the entire folder, including subfolders, and keeps the folder structure intact.

The combined progress shows how many files of the total have finished. Files upload several at a time so large folders move quickly, and any file over 100 MB inside the folder still uses the part by part method automatically.

Browsing Files in a Folder Tree

Once you have uploaded folders, the deliverables list shows a folder tree instead of a flat list. Click a folder name to expand or collapse it. Folders are listed first, then loose files. Each file shows its size and how many times it has been downloaded.

Loose files that were not part of a folder appear at the top level. Your client sees the same tree on their delivery page, so what you see is what they get.

Deleting Multiple Files at Once

To clean up a job, you can delete many files in one step instead of one at a time.

1. Use the checkbox next to each file to select it, or click Select all to select everything in the list.
2. Selecting a folder's checkbox selects every file inside that folder.
3. Click Delete selected (N), where N is the number of files chosen.
4. Confirm once. The selected files are removed from storage and from the list in a single action.

You can still delete a single file with the delete (✕) button on its row. Bulk delete is only available to you and your team. Clients can never delete anything.

Sending Files to Your Client

1. Upload your files or folders to the job.
2. Click Send to Client in the Deliverables card.
3. Confirm or enter the client's email address and add a short message.
4. Click send. PilotLedger emails the client a branded message with a Download Your Files button that opens their private delivery page.

Sending also marks the job as delivered and records the date. You can send again at any time if the client loses the email or you add more files. The delivery email tells the client the link stays active for 90 days.

What Your Client Sees

When your client clicks the link, they land on a clean page branded with your company name and the project name, along with any message you added. They will see either a simple file list (for loose files) or a browsable folder tree (when you uploaded folders).

For each file the client can click to download. The page is read only. Your client cannot rename, delete, upload, or change anything. This is by design, so a delivered job can never be altered by the recipient.

If a link ever shows "Delivery Not Found," the link is wrong or the job was removed. Re-send from the job with Send to Client to generate a fresh email.

Downloading Folders and ZIP Files

For folder deliveries, the client page makes it easy to grab everything at once instead of clicking every file:

• Folder ZIP – each folder has a button that downloads just that folder as a single ZIP file, with its structure preserved.
• Download all as ZIP – a button at the bottom downloads the entire delivery as one ZIP file.

The ZIP is built on the fly as it downloads, so even multi gigabyte deliveries start downloading right away and do not need to be prepared in advance. Individual file download links are always available too.

Adding an Aircraft

1. Click Logs in the top navigation, then Aircraft.
2. Click + Add Aircraft.
3. Enter the aircraft details:
   • Make & Model — e.g., "DJI Matrice 350 RTK"
   • Serial Number — Manufacturer's serial number
   • FAA Registration — Your FAA registration number
   • Type — Fixed-wing, Multirotor, VTOL, etc.
   • Status — Active, Grounded, or Retired
4. Click Save.

Aircraft Status

• Active — Airworthy and available for missions. Appears in flight log aircraft dropdown.
• Grounded — Temporarily out of service (maintenance, damage, etc.). Does not appear in the flight log dropdown.
• Retired — Permanently removed from service. Historical flight records are preserved.

Flight Logging

1. Click Logs > Flight Log.
2. Click + New Flight.
3. Select the Aircraft from your fleet.
4. Enter flight details:
   • Date & Time — When the flight occurred
   • Location — Where you flew
   • Duration — Total flight time
   • Batteries Used — Number and type
   • Payload — Sensor/camera used (optional)
   • Notes — Weather conditions, observations, etc.
5. Optionally link the flight to a Job or Client.
6. Click Save.

Flight History

The Flight Log shows all recorded flights in reverse chronological order. You can search by date, aircraft, or location. The dashboard Fleet Summary card shows your total aircraft count and accumulated flight hours.

Adding a Maintenance Record

1. Click Logs > Maintenance.
2. Click + Add Maintenance.
3. Select the Aircraft.
4. Choose the Type: Scheduled, Unscheduled, or Repair.
5. Enter a description of the work performed.
6. Add the date, cost, and who performed the maintenance.
7. Click Save.

Why Maintenance Records Can't Be Edited

PilotLedger maintenance records are immutable by design. Once saved, a maintenance record cannot be edited or deleted. This is an intentional safety feature that mirrors how maintenance logs work in aviation — a permanent, tamper-proof record of all work performed on your aircraft.

Annotations & Corrections

Since maintenance records cannot be edited, PilotLedger provides Annotations — correction notes that attach to an existing record. To add an annotation:

1. Open the maintenance record you need to correct.
2. Click Add Annotation.
3. Type your correction note explaining what was incorrect and what the correct information is.
4. Click Save.

Annotations are timestamped and attributed to the user who created them. The original record remains unchanged, with the annotation displayed alongside it. A complete edit history is maintained.

Archiving Records

While maintenance records cannot be permanently deleted, Owners and Admins can archive (soft-delete) records that were created in error. Archived records are hidden from the default view but remain in the system for audit purposes.

Logging Pilot Hours

1. Click Logs > Pilot Log.
2. Click + New Entry.
3. Enter the date, duration, aircraft type, and any notes.
4. Click Save.

Your pilot log tracks cumulative flight hours for currency and proficiency purposes.

Part 107 Certificate Tracking

An FAA Part 107 remote pilot certificate does not expire. To exercise its privileges, maintain the required aeronautical knowledge currency within the preceding 24 calendar months, using the applicable test or recurrent training. This is separate from aircraft registration expiration.

Certificate currency and registration reminders

Keep the certificate number and your test/training completion record. If a current screen calls the Part 107 reminder date an expiration date, treat it as a currency reminder, not expiration of the certificate. Enter the appropriate due date from your training record; aircraft registration has its own actual expiration date. Review reminders against those records.

Information entered into a published directory profile may be public, including certificate information in current directory responses. Do not treat a badge-only display as a guarantee that the certificate number is private. Publishing the profile is optional.

FAA certificate and currency guidance

NDAA Compliance Certification

PilotLedger's NDAA Compliant Equipment setting and directory badge record an account attestation and apply product filters. They do not independently certify an equipment chain or all government-contract requirements.

Section 889 telecommunications restrictions, the FCC Covered List and American Security Drone Act/FASC restrictions have different scopes and authorities. Identify the actual contract, applicable current restrictions, equipment and supporting documentation before making a compliance representation. A manufacturer-origin field or a US-made aircraft alone does not establish compliance.

Use the account's equipment setting and Fleet records to document the intended restrictions. Review any flagged aircraft with the account owner. Refer to FAR 52.204-25 and the ASDA covered foreign entity list for their respective requirements.

Maintenance Interval Alerts

PilotLedger monitors your maintenance schedules and alerts you when service is due. Set Next Service Date or Next Service Hours on any maintenance record. Red OVERDUE badges appear when past due, yellow DUE SOON for 7 days/10 hours out, green UPCOMING for 30 days. Indicators show on aircraft cards in the fleet list. You receive one email per day listing all items needing attention.

Embeddable Verified Badge

Get a dynamic SVG badge to embed on your website that links to your verified directory profile. In Settings > Website Verified Badge, copy the embed code. The badge shows your verification status (green Verified, blue Certified, or navy Member), star rating, and review count. It updates automatically — no manual refresh needed. Choose Small, Medium, or Large size.

Flight Operations Map

The Map View in the Jobs section shows an interactive map with FAA airspace (Class B/C/D, restricted, prohibited, MOA, national parks), LAANC altitude grid, active TFRs (updated every 15 minutes), surface winds, weather radar, and your job markers. Toggle layers on/off. Click any airspace polygon, TFR, or job marker for details. Flyability assessment shows go/caution/no-fly based on Part 107 thresholds.

Kanban Board for Jobs

The Kanban tab in the Jobs section displays a drag-and-drop board with 7 columns: Created, Assigned, Scheduled, In Progress, Review, Complete, Delivered. Drag a job card between columns to update its status. Cards show job number, project name, client, date, assigned pilot, priority, and amount. Click a card to open the full job detail.

Job Debrief & Mission Report

After completing a job, the Mission Debrief section auto-expands on the job sheet. Fill in 7 sections: Flight Conditions, Operations Summary, Equipment, Safety, Deliverables, Client Interaction, and Lessons Learned. After saving, click Generate Mission Report with Mav to have Maverick AI create a professional mission summary. The report can be saved to the job, copied, downloaded as PDF, or emailed to the client.

Incident Reporting

Use Incidents to document the event, observations, people, aircraft, damage and follow-up. A software warning helps identify a possible reporting obligation; it does not file a report or establish compliance.

For an operation under Part 107, report to the FAA within 10 calendar days when it results in serious injury to any person, any loss of consciousness, or damage to property other than the small unmanned aircraft, unless the repair cost (including materials and labor) does not exceed $500, or the fair market value in the event of total loss does not exceed $500. Other reporting obligations can also apply.

Review the actual circumstances even if no software warning appears. FAA reporting guidance.

Battery Grouping

In the Battery Tracker, the Battery Pairs section lets you group batteries for multi-battery aircraft (e.g., M350 TB65 pairs). Create a pair, assign two batteries as Position A and B, and track their health side by side. Yellow warnings appear at 20+ cycle mismatch, red at 50+. When you log a flight with grouped batteries, cycles are recorded for all batteries in the group automatically.

Calendar Subscription (iCal Feed)

In Settings > Calendar Subscription, get an iCal feed URL you can subscribe to in Google Calendar, Apple Calendar, or Outlook. Your PilotLedger jobs appear as calendar events that update automatically. One-way outbound only — PilotLedger does not access your external calendar.

Inviting Team Members

Team management is available on the Business Team ($119/month) or SkyView Team ($159/month) plan. To invite team members:

1. Click Admin > Team (only visible on Team plans).
2. Click + Invite Member.
3. Enter their email address and select a role.
4. Click Send Invite. They'll receive an email to create their account.

Roles & Permissions

PilotLedger uses role-based access control with four levels:

• Owner — Full access to everything. Can manage billing, team members, and all business operations. One per account.
• Admin — Same as Owner except cannot manage billing or transfer ownership. Can see all financials, create quotes and invoices.
• Pilot — Can create quotes, view clients, log flights, and manage their assigned jobs. Cannot access invoices, payments, or expense data.
• Field Pilot — Most restricted. Can only see assigned job sheets, log flights, and add maintenance records. Cannot access quotes, invoices, clients, or financials.

Field Pilot Dashboard

When a Field Pilot logs in, they see a simplified dashboard showing only:

• Assigned Job Sheets — The jobs they've been assigned to work
• Flight Logging — Log flights against their assigned jobs
• Maintenance — Add maintenance records for aircraft

Field Pilots cannot see quotes, invoices, payments, expenses, reports, or other team members' work. This is ideal for subcontractors or employees who need field access without financial visibility.

Client Reviews

After a client makes a payment, they are prompted to leave a review of your services. Reviews include a star rating (1-5) and an optional written comment.

Reviews appear on your Pilot Directory public profile, helping potential clients see your track record.

Review Badges

As you accumulate positive reviews, PilotLedger awards badges that display on your directory profile. These badges signal reliability and quality to potential clients browsing the directory.

Tax Rate Setup

1. Go to Settings.
2. Scroll to Tax Rates.
3. Click + Add Tax Rate.
4. Enter the name (e.g., "Arkansas Sales Tax") and rate (e.g., 6.5%).
5. Click Save.

You can create multiple tax rates for different jurisdictions or service types.

Applying Tax to Invoice Line Items

On the invoice detail view, each line item has a Tax dropdown. Select the appropriate tax rate for each line item. The tax is calculated automatically and added to the invoice total.

Discount Codes

PilotLedger offers promotional discount codes for new subscribers. If you have a discount code:

1. Enter the code during signup on the billing page.
2. The discount is applied to your subscription immediately.

Affiliate Program

Earn 15% commission on every pilot you refer to PilotLedger. Your referrals get 20% off their subscription.

1. Go to Settings > Billing to find your unique affiliate link.
2. Share your link with other drone pilots.
3. When they sign up and subscribe, you earn 15% recurring commission.

Customer rights and administrator support

Authorized platform administrators manage a customer's access from the customer page in the administrator panel. The Customer Rights panel records access overrides and effective access. Use the authenticated panel to review the account, module/desktop eligibility and the available override controls; ordinary chat cannot authenticate an administrator, inspect an account or change rights.

Account owners manage their team's roles and assigned SkyView licenses in their account controls. A custom role controls permitted actions; subscription/module eligibility and an assigned license are separate requirements. A role name by itself does not grant every module. Review the effective-access result after saving an authorized change.

Invoices after quote acceptance

The current public quote-acceptance workflow attempts to create an invoice and associate it with the project. If an invoice already exists, or automatic creation fails, the workflow can require review or manual conversion. Check the quote's linked invoice before creating another. Do not assume every accepted quote always needs manual conversion, or that acceptance guarantees invoice creation succeeded.