Once upon a time I bought a student starter pack with a flight case. I have to this day not used it once because it is far too big. Instead it serves as a place to stick flying stuff I'm not using. What I generally use to carry stuff in is a homo-satchel a.k.a courier bag, which is goldilocks size. I did use the ASA flight case for a while which was fine until the strap broke (it was American so I wasn't surprised it didn't last), but any courier-type bag will do and will work nicely with a fold flat headset. Other headsets tend to come with there own carry cases so that is okay too.
Stuff to take with you:
- map (for the journey)
- flight board (why strap something to your leg if you don't have to?)
- plog and scraps of paper
- photocopies of the flying clubs Pooleys guide or better still print outs of the offiicial charts
- one pen for flight board
- one pen for use on map/ whizz wheel
- whizz wheel
- plotter (protractor and ruler combined)
- license and paper log book
- aircraft checklist
- can of red bull and king size twix (essential)
- some old rags to wipe stuff and a length of emergency loo roll (good ideas from above
)
Stuff you might need or could rent/ borrow:
- high-viz
- sick bag
- sunglasses
- GPS
- life jackets/ raft
- PLB
Stuff to leave at home:
- torch (unless you are flying at night and are prone to dropping things
)
- stopwatch (wear a watch)
- calculator (you already have a whizz wheel and most likely a mobile phone)
- fuel tester/ dip sticks (normally will be kept in the aircraft anyway)