bcfc - glad to hear it!! Only a semi-serious comment, as I've been surprised to hear a lot of PPLs (members of my group included) who are very casual about missing articles. I've had 31 years of being flown in various kinds of military aviating machine, together with 7 years of helping to design / build them.
If I ever lose anything in a cockpit (or even suspect that I have), the plane and hangar are pretty well stripped bare until I've accounted for it. There was one time after I'd flown and I was around 30 miles away from the airfield, driving home, when I couldn't find my cigarette lighter. I turned round, went back to the airfield and scrutinised the aircraft cockpit....... only to find that it had slipped down the back of the car seat!!
I would like to think that all student PPLs are made aware of the importance of loose articles at an early stage in their training, but I have my concerns that they are not.
Master Caution - also see Page 6 of
GASIL 4 of 2002 and
this AAIB Report.
[Edited to correct links]