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NinjaBill
28th Apr 2003, 06:34
Hello all

Im quite new to flying, but I'm quite fond of cool gizmos, and im fairly sure that Flying is not an area which is short on these.

What is everyones top (non essential) gadget that you take flying with you.

NB

Kolibear
28th Apr 2003, 15:08
It has to be passengers.

bcfc
28th Apr 2003, 16:43
Electronic whizz-wheel is my fav gadget.

I guess the yoke mount clip-board is a close second - very handy for the IMC.

FlyingForFun
28th Apr 2003, 17:07
Mine is the aircraft. Amazing gizmos, all of them - I still don't understand how they manage to do what they do.

Second favourite, I agree with Kolibear. A passenger is the single gizmo which can enhance a flight more than any other.

FFF
------------

topcat450
28th Apr 2003, 19:13
Mine would have to be the Credit Card that pays for it all :O

MLS-12D
28th Apr 2003, 22:20
There is no end of gizmos being sold to gullible pilots! Handy-dandy cross-wind calculators, super plotters, 'aviation watches', etc. etc.

I do not own one of these portable music thingys (http://www.ps-engineering.com/muse.shtml), but it might be kinda neat to have.

Tall_guy_in_a_152
29th Apr 2003, 00:22
I've had my eye on the AnyWhereMap from Controlvision for a year or two. It is a PDA based moving map with lots of extra functionality built in e.g. HSI and terrain avoidance warnings. The catch (apart from price) is that the database is heavily US based. The other catch is that I actually quite enjoy navigating by more conventional means (see the 'A to B' thread)!

At the other end of the Gizmo scale, the most useful piece of 'equipment' I have procurred recently is the piece of string that is glued to my pencil and tied on to my kneeboard :8 . I think the idea came from pprune, but I cannot find the message now. No more scrabbling around underneath the seat for me!

TG

witchdoctor
29th Apr 2003, 03:21
All you need to know is that these cool gizmos cost at least twice as much as the similar (if not exact) non-aviation gizmos usually available away from pilots shops. Where possible, buy the one without aviation, or pilot tags.

Flying Boat
29th Apr 2003, 04:31
My favorite GIZMO is a beautiful woman who is impressed by your flying ability & greased landings, and, willing to reward you for it later.

Failing that, how about the ultimate GIZMO, a top DV tape digital camcorder that you can place at the front of the aeroplane filming your aviation exploits from start to finish. Then you can download them onto your computer & edit them with your film making software - adding music & naration.
Yes I am a sad b*****d & done it.
Don't forget to edit out the cockups!

If you're going to be boring with snaps, do it with style!

What's the difference between a boy & a man?
The price of his toys!

Enjoy the Flying & all the toys that go with it.

FB

I have amassed the following useful gizmos:

3 good torches, you must carry one by JAR law, even during the day. Surprised me too when I heard it.
A transceiver.
A GPS.
A waterproof strobe.
A life Jacket.
A First Aid Kit.
Other First-Aid tools.
A Radar reflective Kite, doubles as an inflatable splint.
A good watch.
A good kneeboard.
A Dave Clarke Headset.
A pack of 'brief relief', toilet bags.
Waterproofs.
A good large knife.
A Multi-tool.
Jeppessen Bottlang Manuals.
Plogs.
A selection of Maps.
The usual stationary.
Not forgetting warm clothing.

Enjoy the toys.

FB


:ok:

AerBabe
29th Apr 2003, 05:13
Veritcally Advantaged C152 Person - I think that may have been me. I've always tied my pencil to my knee board, having dropped it during my very early lessons and suffered the indignity of my instructor trying to find it... :O

Best Gizmo not mentioned?

Head torch.

Invaluable when returning just before dark (or after if you're night rated) and having to put the covers on. :rolleyes:

LowNSlow
29th Apr 2003, 13:08
A head torch :eek: I will refrain from making any comments on a head torch.
A wing torch would be handy, it would help stop me banging my head on wing trailing edges after turning the lights off in the hangar and then trying to do bat impersonations when finding the door.......What genius put the light switch at the opposite end of the hangar to the door :*

The string on the pencil is a good idea.

Flying Boat, does a cigarette lighter count as a torch under JAR rules :confused: What do you do with a torch in daylight? Unless it's a head torch of course :hmm: Sorry Ab, couldn't resist it :ok:

TheKentishFledgling
29th Apr 2003, 20:51
SteveR I believe knows all about head torches, and his daughters definately don't approve, eh Steve?

;) ;)

tKF

Whipping Boy's SATCO
29th Apr 2003, 21:24
1. Fuel Tester with screwdriver on the end (and it was FREE!!)
2. Wizplot plotter (£11.50)
3. Excel spreadsheet that produces A5 VFR Flight Log (Free - Thanks Eva!)
4. Laminator machine - Used for laminating my own little check cards etc.
5. A very understanding wife.

Flying Boat
29th Apr 2003, 22:41
WBSATCO, I forgot my fuel tester with screwdriver.

LNS
I use a torch for looking into dark scary places even in daylight and, I don't bang my head.

Happy Landings..

FB
:ok:

flyingwysiwyg
29th Apr 2003, 23:04
Flying Boat, does a cigarette lighter count as a torch under JAR rules

:sad: :eek: I think I've found the Pl.........BOOM! :ouch:

Tinstaafl
29th Apr 2003, 23:11
1. LED torches, about the size of a 10p piece but thicker, of course. I have two, one with a red LED and the other with a blue/white LED.

Red for cockpit work, blue/white for checking things eg pre-flight or seeing whether the ice on the wings is thick enough to switch the boots on.


2. Jepp. CR5 whiz wheel. Only 3.75" diameter & fits in almost any pocket. None of this clunky slide type computers for me.

3. A watch with world timezones, analogue face & whiz wheel. The bezel is great for currency conversions. Set & leave the rate when I arrive then no more calculations to work out what I'm paying.

englishal
30th Apr 2003, 05:04
Me and my mate did a cross channel checkout a couple of years ago. The instructor couldn't believe it when we pulled out the laptop, hooked it up to the GPS and had our moving map software running on the back seat. I think he was pretty amazed, spent the whole trip staring at it.

Cheers
EA:D

drauk
30th Apr 2003, 07:04
An iPAQ with a wireless GPS makes a pretty good moving map, with both 1/4 and 1/2mil genuine CAA charts. AnywhereMap is good on the iPAQ in the US but the database is U/S in the UK, if you see what I mean. Being wireless is nice because you can hand it to whoever wants to look at it.

Tall_guy_in_a_152
30th Apr 2003, 07:32
How do you get the CAA charts into the iPAQ? Do you scan them yourself or is there a package available commercially?

'Been looking out for something like that.

The problem with most commercial systems seems to be the cost of keeping the database up-to-date.

Cheers,

TG.

SKYYACHT
30th Apr 2003, 12:49
I know that this is a bit sad, but my best gizmo, in terms of usage and practicality, is a "Third Hand" chart clip. It is a piece of spring metal, attached to a length of broad elastic with a clip on it. You simply attach it round your thigh (Ohh err missis!) and stuff your quarter-mil into it. Stops it falling off the pax seat. Only cost me $3.50! Otherwise, my other gizmo is a hand held GPS.

Blue skies!

:)

drauk
30th Apr 2003, 16:28
Tall guy, CAA Maps: you can scan them yourself but it is a pain because you have to join the bits together and then calibrate them. You can buy them ready done in various places (transair for example) but basically they are a Memory Map product:

http://www.memory-map.co.uk/maps_uk_intheair.htm

It is 50 quid for half the country. This includes the 1/2mil and the 1/4mils. Keeping up to date is a question of buying a new one.

maggioneato
30th Apr 2003, 17:48
Anyone else use Vortrack, I think that has got to be one of the best purchases I've made. Only drawback is every time you buy a new chart, the studs have to be put on the vor's.

stiknruda
30th Apr 2003, 18:00
Neatest gizmos on my aeroplane are the aerobatic sight and the aileron spades!

Stik

Julian
30th Apr 2003, 20:26
Yellow post it notes - absolutely bloody marvellous!!! Just dont stick over the instruments!

FlyingForFun
30th Apr 2003, 20:30
Why not stick post-it notes on instruments?

My PPL instructor once confessed to me that he lost one of his suction cups which he used to give his IMC students "instrument failures". He was very embarassed at having to use one suction cup and one post-it to cover the instruments. I suggested to him that if he used two post-its, the students wouldn't know of the existence of suction cups, and so there would be no need for him to feel silly.

As far as I know, he took my advice and never replaced his lost suction cup!

FFF
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jayemm
30th Apr 2003, 21:13
Never mind the hi-tech stuff, the best Gizmo for long flights is the 'Brief Relief' bag. It takes the :ugh: out of flying.

Aerobatic Flyer
30th Apr 2003, 21:42
Best gizmo is heavy-duty hydraulically-activated skis, which let your aeroplane go to places others can't reach. (Worst gizmo is light-weight electrically-activated skis, which don't always activate in sync.....:rolleyes: )

Another neat toy is the tamper-proof electronic G meter, which records who pulled how many and when.

For a cheap 'n' cheerful gizmo, the Wind Protractor is hard to beat. It makes wind correction angles and ETA's a cinch to calculate for anyone who can use a pencil.

Julian
30th Apr 2003, 22:46
FFF, Why? Exactly as you said, you cant see the instruments!:D

On my IR flight test the examiner used the old 'Octupus Suction Cup' type rubber soap pads your mum used to have by the bath. I burst out laughing when he stuck em to the panel - he still passed me though :}

drauk
30th Apr 2003, 23:31
I assume FFF was talking about covering the instruments for partial panel training. During my IMC test we had no suction cups nor post-it notes, so we used the "even poorer man's version" - if you get a piece of paper and push it against the DI and AI so that the adjustment knob comes through the paper it stays in place and - bingo - partial panel.

Mr Wolfie
2nd May 2003, 06:55
Tall_guy_in_a_152

If you want to scan CAA charts yourself (or indeed any other maps) and calibrate them so that they can be used with an IPAQ of other Pocket PC connected to a GPS, you need a copy of OziExplorerCE from www.oziexplorer.com - (shareware demo and then $25 to register).

Of course, not exactly legal from a copyright point of view, and £50 for both the half and quarter mil Southern England charts from MemoryMap is not exactly steep anyway.

Mr W