A B737-300 CAPT RPTS LOGBOOK BOARDED BY MAINT NOT IN PROPER ORDER. MISSING REQUIRED 6 PINK PAGES OF PREVIOUS MAINT HISTORY.

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I FLEW ACFT WITHOUT '6' PINK PAGES OF ACFT HISTORY. ACTUALLY; THE ACFT DID HAVE THE 'REQUIRED' 6 PAGES REQUIRED BY THE OPS MANUAL; HOWEVER; THE MEANS TO ACCOMPLISH THIS REQUIREMENT WAS SOMEWHAT SHAKY; IN MY OPINION. THE FLT WAS AN ORIGINATOR. THE PREVIOUS EVENING; THE ACFT RECEIVED AN AIRWORTHINESS INSPECTION (SC) AND WAS 'CERTIFIED' TO GO. HOWEVER; THE ONLY 'PINK' PAGE IN THE LOGBOOK WAS THE PAGE FOR THE LAST SERIES OF FLTS -- WHICH INCLUDED A BIRD STRIKE WRITE-UP AND SIGNOFF AS WELL AS THE AIRWORTHINESS RELEASE. I CALLED MAINT AND THEY DID NOT HAVE THE PREVIOUS '5' PAGES SO THEY PROVIDED ME WITH A COMPUTER PRINTOUT OF THE HISTORY OF THE ACFT FOR THE PREVIOUS 7 DAYS. THE MECHS WERE VERY HELPFUL AND I WAS COMFORTABLE THAT THE ACFT WAS BOTH LEGAL AND SAFE TO FLY. I WAS STILL UNCOMFORTABLE ABOUT THE FACT THAT I DID NOT HAVE THE REQUISITE 'PINK' PAGES REQUIRED BY THE OPS MANUAL. I THEN CALLED MAINT CTL (VIA DISPATCH) AND SPOKE TO THEM ABOUT MY CONCERN -- I DESIRED A 'FORM' SIGNED BY A MAINT CTLR ATTESTING TO THE 'MISSING' PAGES AND STATING THAT THE HISTORY WAS; IN FACT; CLR. WITH A NOTE IN LIEU OF THE MISSING PAGES AND A VALID AIRWORTHINESS RELEASE; I FELT THAT 1) ANY FAA INSPECTOR WOULD BE SATISFIED AND 2) I COULD PASS THE ACFT ON TO THE NEXT PLT IN GOOD FAITH. MAINT TOLD ME THAT NO SUCH FORM EXISTED; AND THEIR REMEDY WAS TO MAKE THE MECHS PULL THE NEXT 5 WHITE PAGES SPECIFYING 'NO FLY MAINT;' WHICH WOULD LEAVE ME WITH 6 'PINK PAGES.' THIS WAS ACTUALLY DONE (LOGBOOK PAGE NUMBERS). NEXT; I SPOKE TO A CHIEF PLT (NAME) PRIOR TO DEPARTING; AND HE DISCUSSED THIS EPISODE WITH ME. WE AGREED THAT THE 6 'PINK' PAGE REQUIREMENT WAS TO PROVIDE THE PLT WITH AN ACFT HISTORY AND TREND -- SO WITH THE VERBAL BRIEF I RECEIVED FROM MAINT; THE 7 DAY COMPUTER PRINTOUT; AND WITH A VALID AIRWORTHINESS RELEASE; I HAD MET THE SPIRIT AND LEGAL REQUIREMENTS OF THE REGULATIONS AND OPS MANUAL. I WAS GOOD TO GO; AND I WENT! IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THE DECISION TO SIMPLY PULL 5 WHITE PAGES IN ORDER TO MEET THE OPS MANUAL REQUIREMENT OF '6' PINK PAGES DOESN'T MEET THE SPIRIT OF THE REQUIREMENT AND TENDS TOWARDS PENCIL WHIPPING! MAINT SHOULD HAVE A FORM THAT CAN BE PROVIDED TO THE PLT IN LIEU OF MISSING PAGES OR OUR OPS MANUAL SHOULD BE REVISED TO ALLOW FOR A 'PROC' FOR PLTS TO FOLLOW WHEN 'PINK' PAGES ARE MISSING.