Essential pilot gear

[1972]

What items do you take when flying, from the obvious stuff like headsets, right down to the little handy things that you just couldn't do without?

[stue]

Camera, dont even think about going flying with out one because you will miss so many good photos

[mad_jock]

mobile phone and have a list of likely tower/area numbers with you as well.

If you have a radio failure its a god send.

[Miserlou]

Brain x 1.
Eyes x 2.

Everthing else is just ego and personal preferance.

[dontpressthat]

If you can afford one, even a bascic handheld gps is very handy. if nothing else you can cross check with yr 'on paper' nav log.
Personally I always also carry a little torch, even if its not dark u may drop something down amongst the pedals etc. A Spare pen is a good idea too.

[ChampChump]

A Bear. Never criticises one's nav/radio/landings, knows when to keep quiet, offers comfort when required - the perfect co-pilot. ;)

[hingey]

A positive attitude! All those emotional problems restrict flying ability.

Never go anywhere without a camera these days, and always wear my symbolic wings.

A flying machine never hurts either!

h

[Kengineer-130]

1- kneeboard, flightplan etc, list of diversions
2- 2 torches, 1 red 1 white+ spare batterys
3- a sealable water bottle
4- couple of spare pens, calculator


like the tip about the camera though :ok: , will have to look into that

[robin]

Headset,Map, Pens, Pooleys, GPS, Oil, and Teddy

[dontpressthat]

Looks like im gonna have to get myself a teddy!!!

[stue]

Teddy?? eh? why a teddy? some company to talk to?:confused: :p

[ChampChump]

Exactly.
...and further to my previous post, the Bears like to fly and couldn't afford it otherwise on the pocket money I give them.

[Mike Cross]

Personally I find the poppers on a Teddy too tiresome. A basque is much easier.

[18greens]

Apart from the obvious things like a silk scarf, leather flying jacket, pipe you could include on your list,

Sunglasses
Ear plugs
Icom handheld radio for those IMC radio failures
Local knowledge to impress the pax (thats where the battle of blah happened in 1062)......
Sick bags (for when you impress the pax with your flying skill..)

[stue]

Local knowledge to impress the pax (thats where the battle of blah happened in 1062)......

Na, you can just make all that cr@p up!:E

[ChampChump]

Quote:......"A basque is much easier."
The problem is finding one around here. They're so, well, separatist....

[Whirlybird]

A muesli bar or two, or something similar, plus water. It's not unknown for there to be no food or drink of any kind available at an airfield when you land...no matter what they say in Pooleys. And if you have any problems, have to divert, get lost, or have to do a precautionary landing, food may be a real necessity.

[Yorks.ppl]

Top of the list when carrying pax, sick bags, courtesy of brittany ferries:ok:

Never needed one yet, but the thought of an ill pax in such a confined space just doesn't bear thinking about.:yuk:

[High Wing Drifter]

In the vein of truely essential, don't forget to always have a litre or so of oil in the hold.

[mad_jock]

The sick bags are a must.

And not just one either and prefferably with a freezer bag inside as a lining. The art of folding a chart into something which will hold puke while flying an approach is unfortunaly sadly lacking from all private and commercial training.

The reason for more than one is they tend to sit for ages folded up and when 2 litres of burger and chips with a pint pint of coke hits the bottom, it tends to leak. On no account let pax try and barf out the window even if its a Cessna where the window folds right up to the wing. All it does is atomise and spray paint the whole of the cockpit/ back of the plane including all surfaces infront of the pax.

And they are no use whats so ever in your flight bag. After one memorable day I started carrying one in the pocket in the back of my knee board. You really don't want to be hunting for one when the need arises. You have less time to deal with a sick pax than you do with an engine failure.

PS your not that bloke who was on the TV fly on the wall prog of a flying school are you. I seem to remember he had a teddy with him as well and always gave it a full pax brief before departure. And when on X-countrys chatted away to it as if it was the instructor.

[Heliplane]

A credit card.

[Mariner9]

A credit card.

Accompanied by a wife/partner who either:

a) Is very understanding; or
b) Doesn't see the credit card bill.

Luckily Mrs M9 fits into both categories :ok:

[wingman863]

Tissues to check the oil level and wipe off any fuel you get on your hands.

[funfly]

Company is quite nice

[hobbit1983]

I've recently purchased a yoke clipboard, which sits perfectly on the PA-28's control column. Doesn't restrict movement, and holds my checklist/map/approach plate etc in a very handy spot.

Cost 60 quid tho! Also go flying (for all of my 8hrs logged so far!) with the usual sunglasses, turned-off mobile, headset etc.

[ChampChump]

"PS your not that bloke who was on the TV fly on the wall prog of a flying school are you. I seem to remember he had a teddy with him as well and always gave it a full pax brief before departure. And when on X-countrys chatted away to it as if it was the instructor."
Sorry, I can't work out how to quote on here.
If you mean am I that bloke, well, no.....
....but there's no point taking Bears if you don't talk to them.
By the way, in the unlikely event that they do get airsick you only need a vacuum cleaner, no damp cloths and aerosol cleaners. Another point in their favour...

[Genghis the Engineer]

I've recently purchased a yoke clipboard, which sits perfectly on the PA-28's control column. Doesn't restrict movement, and holds my checklist/map/approach plate etc in a very handy spot.
Cost 60 quid tho! Also go flying (for all of my 8hrs logged so far!) with the usual sunglasses, turned-off mobile, headset etc.

I once F****d up and put a PA28 through a hedge. Ever since, I've had a strong aversion to anything solid and bolted to the yoke.

G

[hobbit1983]

If you don't me asking Genghis, what exactly were the circumstances there?

[Wide-Body]

I think a teddy is a brilliant idea.

What else are you going to throw out of the pram when you get a stroppy AFISO.:E

Luv to all AFISO's

Wide

[Genghis the Engineer]

If you don't me asking Genghis, what exactly were the circumstances there?

In a nutshell, trying to land on a short runway in conditions that weren't in my favour (obstructions that made me take quite a high approach, combined with wind at 90° to the runway), and failing to have the sense I was born with, nor the airmanship I was trained with - that would have made me decide to divert to another airfield a few miles away. So, I was still doing about 10mph when I reached the far end of the runway.

G

(but let's not take this too far off topic).

[CherokeeDriver]

My little multi-tool and a sharp knife. An aerosol of "goo" that is used to fix punctures and a bottle big enough to wee into!

[mad_jock]

must admit Genghis will know the engineering implications better than I.

1. I also would be very wary of attaching anything which isn't in the original certification to the main control system. And would argue that a friction clamp to the yoke was actually an illegal mod. Your sticking a 2-3 kg weight on the main flight controls could set up all sorts of funny harmonics which wouldn't have been tested for. Also because of the height and weight of them it will effect the lateral balance of the controls ie effect the stability in roll.

2. The yoke clip board is a sharp edge right in front of your face and they are quite sturdy things when compared to your face.

The GPS yoke holders also fall under this bracket although they arn't as heavy as the clip boards. Would definatly advise you don't have them fitted in any other stage of flight other than cruise.

[Chippik]

A pair of RAF capeskin gloves, stopwatch, couple of pencils (Chinagraph and normal) as well as my flightsuit and jacket

[bcfc]

Better to have and not need, than need and not have.

(within reason, of course)

[cessnasey]

may i ask what is the purpose of a flight suit? why do people wear these in light aircraft?

[Ni Thomas]

Why a flight suit? ..... Errrmm..... More pockets?

[cessnasey]

sorry if that seemed a stupid question to you, but, after 4 lessons i am still fairly new to this hobby and couldnt understand the point of a flight suit (other than to keep warm maybe?). and after hearing the answer, i still dont! more pockets?

hmmm. im not rying to be rude, honest! i just think the bear sounds more useful than the flight suit :) lol

[Ni Thomas]

Nope - Sorry Cessnasey - I didn't reckon on it being a stupid question - I rather thought it a nice sarky (sp?) one! :)
Let's see then Why a Flight suit? Hmmmm ... more errms ... more pockets AND it keeps your sunday best free from oil AND it has a nice military style perspexy thigh pocket to put maps in and write fings on. :hmm:

[maxdrypower]

Ni Thomas , I always thought " bit daft wearing a flying suit " especially in a light aircraft as the urine extraction element increases by a factor of 10 when you walk into the flying club. That was until a friend of mine flying in cyprus had a very minor fire in a PA28 unfortunately this fire was under the instrument panel which as you will no is pretty much right where your legs are . He was wearing chinoey type pants which set alight . The passenger put the fire out with the extinguisher and subsequently landed the a/c . The pilot had major skin graft surgery on his thighs and was in considerable pain for about 6 months , all this for a fire which they say lasted about 10-15 seconds . Nomex and the ohter stuff would no doubt have prevented these horrendous injuries . They are not the be all and end all but anything that gives you that extra time to react has got to be a good thing . In this case I think they would have helped but who knows.
Not a nice tale but I think it goes some way to showing some peoples thinking . I personally wear one when I know the mickey taking lags wont be there . Doers look a bit odd when you dont walk out to a harrier but hey flight safety an all that.
You may be sted to know the fire was put down to a combination of wiring problem to the battery master and some eeeejit placing a non emptied fuel strainr on top of the glareshield and letting fuel run down the back of the panel . they say it would have caused a short circuit and not a fire had the fuel not been involved , but ho hum

[Final 3 Greens]

A big shiny Breitling watch :}

[hobbit1983]

Thanks for replies re. yoke clipboard - have started new thread on topic.

I'm intending to check with my FTO as to the correct usage of the thing (and did check before I purchased it!)

[Jo Cover]

Ray Bans.... Aviators of course!!








And I happen to have a contact who works for......;) ;)

[Farrell]

Enough fuel

[Chippik]

Cessna,

As mentioned it has pockets to put things which is usefull if you fly an aircraft with no floorpan or if there are many little gaps for items to get lost in. The fire aspect is also another major reason why people wear them
See the thread below
http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?t=184109

(also see CAP 632 annex E)

[robin]

Quite true - any aircraft that might go into unusual attitudes, or any open-cockpit a flight suit is a good idea.

You'd look a bit posey getting out of a PA28 or C172 though

[Genghis the Engineer]

Quite true - any aircraft that might go into unusual attitudes, or any open-cockpit a flight suit is a good idea.
You'd look a bit posey getting out of a PA28 or C172 though
Well I've been doing so for years, and still do. Feel free to criticise, but I ain't stopping now!

G

[Dude~]

People often seem ignorant of the fact that whilst Nomex is indeed fire retardent, it is not insulative, and therefore if there is a fire you will still get injured by the heat.

In order to be fully effective the nomex suit must be worn over thermals to reduce heat transfer, such as racing car drivers wear.

[cessnasey]

hey, thanks for the explanations. i honestly wasnt being sarcastic, i just wondered whats the benefits of this. i see what you mean though, quicker and easily accesible going for a pocket rather than digging into a bag at 4000ft for ur gadgets and gizmos and flying essentials.

and of course, safety. hey if a flight suit buys you 8 seconds extra to get out of a burning aircraft (debatable i know, dependant on situation etc. lets try stay on topic) then its worth it easily.

hope i havnt offended anyone or come across sarci, that wasnt my inention.