Originally Posted by
nevillestyke
I knew an ex-captain who used a hand-held to sometimes talk to the tower, without abusing the privilege. However, he got his set confiscated, one day, when a nearby Phillips RF engineer happened to overhear him using it.
I heard about quite a few private pilots that carry hand-held radios in case of electrical failure in the aircraft. (Much safer than just squawking NORDO...)
I think I also heard someone mentioning picking up their clearance before powering up the aircraft...