As my wood plane collection grew, I knew I had to find a way to keep track of it. The solution was an Access Database that I developed that not only gave me information about each plane, but also gave me all sorts of reports.
A number of the fields in the database are based on drop-down lists which can be added to when a new entry is required (eg. finding a plane by a maker I hadn’t seen before).
There are also a number of free-form fields to record information of interest.
I have made several adjustments to the design of the database as I saw a need – one of the most recent ones was to add more detail around the location of each plane.
While not seen in the actual screen, I have a form for saving additional information about brands. I can add any document or photos I want via that form.
I wrote reports based on information I might want at my fingertips. One example is the ‘Summary by Brand’ report which I print in A5 format and carry in my car as a quick reference to make sure I don’t buy something I already have.
The database is stored on the cloud via Microsoft OneDrive (but with a copy always kept on my PC). This means that when I’m out – I can also check it via my phone (assuming I have mobile reception).