Those big black bags

[Nicholas49]

I was at Heathrow T5 yesterday and saw some BA pilots lugging huge black suitcases around. I just wondered what's inside? Is it your personal trip back, or are you carrying equipment for the aircraft? They seem large for the former, but I seem to remember being told once that they actually contain heavy equipment.

Can anyone enlighten me?!

[Otto Throttle]

Their expenses probably - only MPs get more. :}

[wiggy]

Don't tell anyone but we are having large amounts of "pilot propaganda" printed in non-Unionised print/sweat shops in the Far East, containing anti cabin crew propaganda. Pilots have been paid by Willie Walsh to get the stuff printed and they are then bringing it back to the Uk to be circulated amongst BA cabin Crew at the T5 Crew report centre.

Don't tell anyone I told you this.........:=

Either that or the big black bags were suitcases and the pilots were long-Haul Crew with a weeks worth of washing after a Long Australia trip.....:ok:

( bet you a fiver BASSA pick up on this "revalation" and inside a week it's published as the truth :})

[Nicholas49]

wiggy, very good!

What I love about this website is that there is no way I would have had the nerve to ask this question to those guys yesterday (and for all I know you may have been one of them), yet I can ask it here and get such a response!

[wiggy]

No it wasn't me, I may :) have been dragging my "long trip" suitcase around T5 this morning, but glad to be of help anyway:}:}

[Munnyspinner]

The Long trip cases are full of jazz mags - just so that Mrs. Wiggy doesn't find them under the bed.

More embarrassing than the anti CC propaganda and equally plausible.

[Northbeach]

Suitcase usual stuff for the trip: fresh shirt for every day on the road (or maybe not depends on the pilot), clothes to walk around in when off duty, swimsuit or arctic wear depends on the season and destination, laptop computer, personal grooming items all the stuff you need to exist in another hotel room for as long as the trip takes.

Flight bag: navigation publications containing numerous charts for every airport on our route system as well as many we do not fly to but might have to should the operational need come up. Those books take up the bulk of the suitcase. Company required manual(s) and personal communications radio/headset. Various professional items the pilot uses during their trip; spare glasses, clipboard, favorite spices/sauces to be added to the bland “crew meal” – whatever…

[411A]

Flight bag: navigation publications containing numerous charts for every airport on our route system as well as many we do not fly to but might have to should the operational need come up
Really?
My small charter airline has all the publications/charts etc on the airplane....no need for pilots to carry this around.

[Northbeach]

I wish it were not true, but yeah each of us still has to carry the Jepps. Plus there is a separate set of plates in the jet for every airport with a usable runway plus the low level stuff we don’t carry. Rumor has it we are going to an electronic flight bag sometime in the not too distant future.

[Nicholas49]

Northbeach, thank you for the reply.

At the risk of stretching my luck with this question, can anyone in the know confirm whether BA flight crew, like their American colleagues, also carry maps/charts in the bags?

I could swear the pilots I saw at T5 each had a small suitcase on top of the large one....

[RJ100]

My small bag contains stuff I need for the flight. Headset, paperwork, laptop etc. My larger bag contains all my clothing etc for the days that I am away. Small bag in flight deck with me, large bag in aircraft hold.

RJ.

[weido_salt]

Nicholas49

"Those big black bags"

I am sorry but that headline has racist overtones. This is unacceptable this day and age and politically incorrect! Carry on like that and you will have the racial equality people breathing down your neck. :ugh:

It is also against a "non reflective's" human rights, to be addressed in that manner.