The BIG Flight BAg

[Bryon]

Why is it that the more experienced we become, the more stuff we have to carry. Some of the flight bags I have seen guys manhandling into a cockpit are really duffel bags in disguise

 

What is in them?:question:i_dunno

 

 

[Guest Qwerty]

I've noticed the same thing Byron, I have noticed the same thing with cars and 4WDs too, and the amount of gear is directly proportional to the age of the driver/pilot and I have a theory.

 

As people age they tend to want more luxury and convienience, so you start off when you are 30 taking a map, a pencil a GPS a set of screwits and a pair of sox for a weekend away. It seems that by the time you are 65 for a 50 Nm day out, you will have three sets of clothes, a firstaid kit, enough nav gear to get to get to the north pole, a tool kit to enable a total rebuild and enough spare parts to get you through three 100 hrly services and a rebuild should you write off the plane on landing.

 

:stirring pot:

 

 

[Bryon]

Is it because our Boy Scout training has taken a while to kick in (Be Prepared) or is it because we dont trust our ability to improvise anymore:hittinghead:

 

 

[Guest Qwerty]

I think that it is a result of age making people more cautious and probably a bit of fuddy duddy factor too. I've even caught myself thinking that I should take this that and the other. As it is I take more that I used to. I make a concious effort to keep the pile of crap to a minimum.

 

 

[DarkSarcasm]

Buy a smaller bag so you're forced to take less?

 

 

[Guest Qwerty]

Funny you should say that Darky, When I go for more that a day trip here is my inventory:

 

I have a small blue canvas bag (about the size of a handbag) that I take for my clothes and stuff,

 

a clipboard for my maps and crap,

 

I take a jacket (force of habbit from growing up in Tas)

 

I take a 500 ml water bottle (force of habbit from living in the outback)

 

a tiny first aid kit,

 

a tiny toolbox

 

and for Bass Strait crossings a life jacket and PLB (required by law)

 

SOMETIMES I might also take spare fuel depending on my intentions.

 

Oh Oh Oh and ERSA, its a big turd of a thing but is is very handy.

 

I know that list is bordering on a fuddy duddy sized list but I have determined that it WILL NOT get any longer.

 

Cheers, Qwerty

 

 

[DarkSarcasm]

I know that list is bordering on a fuddy duddy sized list but I have determined that it WILL NOT get any longer.

I dunno Qwerty, I thought they all sounded pretty reasonable really...

 

I'm not doing navs yet so right now I fly with a pen, credit card, licence and car keys but I'm sure that list will grow somewhat when I move onto my XC endorsement

 

 

[Guest Qwerty]

When I go overnight I need to take a tooth brush, hair bush, deoderant, foot powder, and sox and undies for each day. In my own aircraft I take a very basic tool kit just so I don't get stranded by something simple. The tool kit has a few tools, tape, cable ties, wire, and some other crap like that. The first aid kit was put together by my GF who is a nurse, it is about the size and weight of a two slice sandwich.

 

There is some other stuff like credit card, ASIC, Carnet cards.

 

I spit in the face of ageing and time and I am doing pretty well too judging by the number of times that I am told that I should act my age.

 

Live hard and fast.

 

Cheers Qwerty:clap:

 

 

[DarkSarcasm]

Next week though, ill add more to that, as Ill have my own car keys (Just bought my first car Just need to get P plates next year) :big_grin:

Out of curiosity, if you don't have your Ps yet, why take the car keys? (perhaps it's just me, I'd lose them and not realise, since I wouldn't be putting them in the car straight after...)

 

I leave my phone in my car when I fly, it's not like I'm going to answer it when I'm flying! (beating that Gen Y addiction)

 

 

[Tomo]

I have now have two brief case type tool boxes I use...

 

The little small one - about a foot rectangle (if there is such a combination!;) ) comes with me on the aircraft and carries ~

 

*ERSA

 

*Pencil

 

*Rubber

 

*Pen

 

*Peal-it stick on stickers (extremely helpful in the drifter, sticking them on the inside of the wind shield out of the wind, Ie. with Radio Frequencies, flight plan info, airfield info etc...)

 

*Bull dog clip (great for clipping flight plan/info/map on to the wind shield of the drifter)

 

*WAC/VTC/VNC and I put the ERC in as well for good measure!

 

*Wallet

 

*ASIC

 

In the Jab I add ~

 

*Flight computer

 

*Protractor

 

*Ruler

 

*Knee board

 

And in the Bigger case I carry all the non essential 'in-cockpit' junk! Like ~

 

*RAA Ops Manual

 

*Log book

 

*Other area WAC/VTC's etc...

 

*And what ever else I fancy carrying with me to the airfield!

 

Other stuff that I usually carry ~

 

*Mobile phone (I think that is an essential part to safe fun flying for all - I've gotten into the habit of texting take off and landing notices to somebody)

 

*Water bottle (at least 500ml)

 

*Camera

 

*Leatherman ('freestyle' at that!)

 

*And what ever else I've forgotten!

 

It packs up to a pretty small little bundle really! :thumb_up:

 

 

[Bryon]

I dont carry water....(it is an age and bladder thing - I dont want to be caught short at 3500ft)

 

I have all the usual stuff in a flight bag (this stays in the car), but normally just chuck the relevant maps and ersa pages in my headset bag and take my kneeboard.

 

 

[DarkSarcasm]

Just always chuck them in the same place at home (or hide them in the same place ). Mine are always on my desk, so I know where they are...

 

I'm impressed you have time for picture taking, I'm too busy concentrating on the flying! :)

 

 

[Tracktop]

Surely the phone could be most useful if you have the misfortune to require a precautionary / emergency landing close to home. Of cause you would have your PLB if you were further away, but I suppose even then maybe its nicer to use the phone.

 

 

[DarkSarcasm]

I'll definitely start carrying my phone when I start flying solo, but for now I know that my instructor has his phone and if I take mine, it's just another thing to lose...

 

I wouldn't fly solo without a phone though, it's another way of making things that bit safer

 

Although after reading this thread, I might try and find room in my pockets for my phone as well... This may be a stupid question, but if you leave it turned on while flying, does the signal affect the radio/aircraft at all?

 

 

[GraemeK]

This may be a stupid question, but if you leave it turned on while flying, does the signal affect the radio/aircraft at all?

Not a stupid question at all!

 

Seems to me that there is no evidence to suggest interference with aircraft systems from mobile phone use. And the ban on mobiles in aircraft in the US is from the FCC not the FAA (ie it plays merry hell with the cellular system, hence the FCC's involvement).

 

Having said that, have you ever heard a continuous clicking sound in your headset? That (I'm told) is from your mobile or that of your instructor - annoying but hardly an issue. I've had it once or twice, but turning off our mobiles fixed it.

 

 

[Guest check-in]

Survival water, screwdriver, Swiss army knife, ERSA, charts, headsets, PLB, hand-held backup VHF and a couple of pens & pencils live permanently in various pockets and nooks and crannies on board. I keep a fairly accurate log of flight times versus fuel used and added - single sheet of paper. No ruler or protractor as I do the planning on the ground, figuring I don't have enough hands to fly it and do accurate chart work in such a cramped and unstable environment. If I have to make any changes in the air, it's simply a thumb on the map effort. I find that the HEMA maps Motorcycle Atlas is better than WAC charts for actual navigation with the advantage that you get all of Australia in one light booklet. The Airservices charts are essential for avoiding controlled airspace but away from their coverage it's the Motorcycle Atlas for me.

 

So the 'flight bag' is a very small canvas bag which contains my anti-breakdown kit. That is: mobile phone, toothbrush, clean undies and a spare shirt. I think almost every time I ever had an aircraft break down on me, I had no change of clothes.

 

Plus licence in case I get ramped. A camera just in case I see something I want to remember.

 

Computer is the mark one brain which can still multiply and divide well enough, but the mobile phone has a calculator function if necessary.

 

Once flying, I don't worry too much about accurate measurements of miles, knots or litres - everything in the air is based on time. Half a tank is 2 hours, leaves me an hour's safe flying equals a conservative 100 nm (but an unplanned increase in headwind of 20 knots won't be a show-stopper) etc. If I am 3 minutes behind an ETA this leg I just pro-rate the effect on the the ETA to the next waypoint.

 

 

[Deskpilot]

Darky, I'm glad you decided to carry your phone when you go solo, so neccessary in the case of an out landing. Gotta ask though, don't you feel naked without your handbag? Most women won't leave the house without it, and all the junk it carries.

 

 

[DarkSarcasm]

Darky, I'm glad you decided to carry your phone when you go solo, so neccessary in the case of an out landing. Gotta ask though, don't you feel naked without your handbag? Most women won't leave the house without it, and all the junk it carries.

Yeah, I definitely won't be flying solo without it. So far though, solo hasn't happened yet.... (soon hopefully though!)

 

I do take my handbag with me, I just leave it in the boot of my car. I'm not going to need half the stuff I have in it while flying! Everything in there is important though, can't count anything as 'junk'

 

 

[Yenn]

I bought my first mobile phone about a month ago, so I could tell my wife if I was going to be late back from flying. I have used it once, just to see if it worked.

 

As far as taking a lot of gear, get a smaller plane. Mine takes very little.

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

Darky, I use my mobile a lot in-flight, although It's not high on the list to answer it, even if I could hear it ring. I do text a lot whilst flying, mostly to whoever is keeping SAR for me, and often to destination. I also have the phone Nos of all the area airports so I can call and get an enroute AWIS or ATIS on that airport,(recorded message) which can give me an update on wind or any rain at that airport, if thats where I'm heading.

 

I have made calls, and do sometimes answer them. I don't have any fancy bluetooth or intercom hookup box though. I just stick the earpiece under the headset gel and hear fine. They seem to be able to hear me talk also and of course it has that cool aeroplane noise in the background, which impresses them no end, so they then think I'm cool too !!.

 

Generally I try and keep usage to a minimum to preserve battery in case I need it for emerg use.

 

No I wouldn't recommend you pull your's out just yet, while you're doing circuts with your instructor. That would be very Gen Y but not cool, if you know what I mean........

 

 

[turboplanner]

Funny you should say that Darky, When I go for more that a day trip here is my inventory:I have a small blue canvas bag (about the size of a handbag) that I take for my clothes and stuff,

 

a clipboard for my maps and crap,

 

I take a jacket (force of habbit from growing up in Tas)

 

I take a 500 ml water bottle (force of habbit from living in the outback)

 

a tiny first aid kit,

 

a tiny toolbox

 

and for Bass Strait crossings a life jacket and PLB (required by law)

 

SOMETIMES I might also take spare fuel depending on my intentions.

 

Oh Oh Oh and ERSA, its a big turd of a thing but is is very handy.

 

I know that list is bordering on a fuddy duddy sized list but I have determined that it WILL NOT get any longer.

 

Cheers, Qwerty

Jeez Qerty, you must be nearly 100!

 

 

[Thx1137]

My list. Most of this stuff is small and light so leaving it behind wouldn't save much and keeping it all in one spot means I probably wont forget anything :-) The mapping stuff is in a pencil case sort of thing so it all stays together. The bigger items float around in a small bag just big enough for the ERSA, headset and pencil case.

 

Sunglasses

 

Hat

 

Pens

 

Pencils

 

Dry marker

 

Eraser

 

Pencil Sharpener

 

VTC and VNC

 

ERSA (a copy of ERSA pages for airfields I am flying near live under my flight plan)

 

Flight Computer and Scale Rule

 

Water

 

Phone

 

Headset

 

GPS

 

Kneeboard

 

Camera (no mucking around, point in the general direction and click :-))

 

PLB

 

Weight/balance sheet (laminated)

 

 

[Guest Qwerty]

Jeez Qerty, you must be nearly 100!

OOOOOhhhhhhhhhh CRAP, I thought that I was doing pretty well. That is the list of gear that I took when I flew from Tassie to Port Douglas....no.... Cook Town last year. I was away for three weeks. I didn't think it was over the top.

 

Has anyone got any suggestions on what I could have left out.

 

:black_eye: Qwerty

 

 

[DarkSarcasm]

No I wouldn't recommend you pull your's out just yet, while you're doing circuts with your instructor. That would be very Gen Y but not cool, if you know what I mean........

Maybe I should find out when the 'Gen Y' years start, so I can see if he fits in too, he might accept it as an excuse then

 

(Just in case it's not obvious, I'm not being serious)

 

 

[Tomo]

Like I've said... I carry my phone for the exact same reason as Maj does, to contact the person keeping an eye/ear out for you. Also it beats walking to the nearest farm house if you have an outlanding somewhere to contact someone!

 

I don't answer it, but can text in flight quite easily, though I don't like doing it so much in the drifter for fear of it dropping out of my hand, and...... gone...!