Originally Posted by
BackPacker
If you have budget to buy extras such as handheld radios, I would prioritize things differently. First, I would buy a good headset. Maybe one of those ANR ones, or an in-ear headset. Second on my list would be a good GPS, or (like I have) an iPad with a decent navigation app (SkyDemon is the best option in Europe, I don't know about Canada).
If you fly over hostile terrain a lot (which I can imagine in Canada) my third choice would probably be a PLB and possibly some other survival kit. And in very busy airspace, a PCAS such as the Zaon MRX/XRX or PowerFlarm. A handheld radio would probably come in fourth or fifth place on my list of priorities.
+ 1
Personally the first thing I would invest in is Foreflight for your I pad with a Bad Elf or equivalent external GPS. The moving map is a huge aid in maintaining situtional awareness and being able to obtain a near real time radar composite radar picture is a very valuable flight planning tool.
I have a handheld radio ( An old King KX99) with a headset adapter that I used to always carry with me but now I never bother as I can get ATC on my cell phone if the radio were to fail.
As far as I can recall I have only ever had 2 for real radio failures in 38 years of flying. On one of them I landed short at an uncontrolled airport and called my home, controlled, field from a pay phone (Collect
) and the second occurred inside the control zone and so I just sqwaked 7600 and continued until I saw the green light and landed.
I have however seen many pilot induced radio failures and so it is important to have a systematic troubleshooting methodology to use when you think you have a Comms issue.