Flight Equipment

[Milton1995]

Hi there, have recently joined Harvard Aviation in order to complete my PPL. Currently on excersise 9 im looking to buy all the equipment i will need. I currently have 2 books, Flying Training and Air Law & Meteorology, the AFE Vb1 A5 kneeboard, the c152 checklist, 100 sheets of VFR flight log and chinagraph pencils. I was also advised to download the EGKR ground chart and local flying area which i also have. With redhill being in the Gatwick airspace i have also downloaded the atc surveillance minimum altituded chart. Besides the other ppl books and flight computer, what else will i need/want to help my gain my PPL. Thanks Very Much!

[jollyrog]

No comment on all the books, buy what you need.

I got through about five bags (at great cost) before I found what really worked and that's where the real wastage was. I settled on a Brightline bag, which is cracking. Since buying mine, they've modified it for A4 European documents, which makes a good product even better.

The best 100 pounds you'll spend. Get the bag right first time.

[IO540]

You may find used bags etc on Ebay. A lot of people flog everything the day their get the PPL: the silly circular slide rule "computer", the books, the bag, etc.

[Maoraigh1]

As a PPL, I've worn out a few bags since 1987. My current bag is from the well known aviation goods supplier Tesco. It's the best I've had yet. Look for a bag to hold what you need. ( I can't remember what it cost, but it was a lot less than £100)

[Genghis the Engineer]

Free conference bags, or £10 equivalents from Argos or the market work absolutely fine.

G

[Dotalot]

I havent started any training yet, but intend to in the new year, so im also interested to hear what student materials and equipment everyone recommends.
Do you need your own headset, or will most flying schools let you use theirs??

[IO540]

A school must provide a headset; whether you are happy to wear it may be another matter :)

[TheChitterneFlyer]

IO540


the silly circular slide rule "computer"


Interesting that you consider your circular slide rule to be something that becomes redundant upon gaining your PPL! :ugh:

[intheskies]

Have a look on ebay theres lots of stuff on there.

[Genghis the Engineer]

IO540



Interesting that you consider your circular slide rule to be something that becomes redundant upon gaining your PPL! :ugh:

IO540 is well known for believing that all calculations and navigation should be done electronically and all "whizz-wheels" should be buried at midnight in an unmarked grave.

I certainly think he's wrong, but please don't wind him up - it's not worth it.

G

[Genghis the Engineer]

I havent started any training yet, but intend to in the new year, so im also interested to hear what student materials and equipment everyone recommends.
Do you need your own headset, or will most flying schools let you use theirs??


- Straightforward kneeboard (A5 trifolds work really well for PPL training)
- Cheap stopwatch from Argos or similar. Don't let anybody persuade you that you need to spend more than £10.
- brief-case sized bag/rucksack (really really don't waste money on expensive bags) from the local market / argos / whatever you had lurking in your cupboard.
- Long planning ruler with 1:250,000 and 1:500,000 scales
- Square planning protractor
- Whatever books your school recommends
- Pooleys CRP 1 or similar (check if the school has a preferred model)
- Some basic sunglasses (buy decent ones later if you decide you need to upgrade).


- Flying chart you can buy from your school when you need it
- Planning pad you should use whatever your school prefers, so buy it from them (or once you've had more practice, design your own and print on your home PC).

- Start with a school headset, try a few different sorts if you can borrow them to try, buy your own when you feel the time is right, but don't do it too early, there really is no need in the first few hours.


Early on you really don't need an expensive headset, expensive flying bag, charts until your instructor says you do, expensive "pilot" sunglasses or stopwatch (this last, probably ever).

eBay is good for saving money.

G

[flybymike]

Quote:
Originally Posted by TheChitterneFlyer
IO540



Interesting that you consider your circular slide rule to be something that becomes redundant upon gaining your PPL!

IO540 is well known for believing that all calculations and navigation should be done electronically and all "whizz-wheels" should be buried at midnight in an unmarked grave.

I certainly think he's wrong, but please don't wind him up - it's not worth it.

G

By all means learn the nav theory behind the Whizz wheel for initial training but when you enter the real world, no one in their right mind would prat about with something which is such a pain to use (effectively impossible en route in the cockpit) and so inherently liable to misuse. We can't stay in the caves clubbing tigers and our women indefinitely, and we certainly can't fly commercially using little plastic wheels. You will eventually get real and get something far simpler, far more accurate and more realiable. It is called a GPS, and has now even been heard of by NATS. (Cue for discussion along lines of rubbish in equals rubbish out etc but you will put much more rubbish into a whizz wheel with much more difficulty and likelihood or error)

[Genghis the Engineer]

This wasn't what the original poster asked about, and he'll certainly need a whizz-wheel to pass his PPL.

How about taking this month's repetition of the "whizz-wheels are/are-not the invention of satan" argument to one of the couple of dozen threads which already exist on the subject?

G

[IO540]

IO540 is well known for believing that all calculations and navigation should be done electronically

and all "whizz-wheels" should be buried at midnight in an unmarked grave.

I never said the former, but fully agree with the latter.

But then I've never been past the crease in the map ;)

[Gyronut]

You'll probably need a few 12" rulers... they're to replace the ones that your instructor breaks when he whacks you for going above 1500ft :=
Good luck with your training. I did my PPL(H) there when Redhill Helicopters were flying out of hanger 1, had a great time at Redhill :)

[PAPI-74]

AFE PPL Course Series Pack : AFE - Airplan Flight Equipment (http://www.afeonline.com/shop/product_info.php?cPath=38_179&products_id=1968)

I used to teach using these books and found them very easy to use.

Use the aircraft stopwatch or timer on the ADF - turn it off and then on again on the runway for your FLT (flight) time and rest for ET (elapsed time - stopwatch). It is always visable in your scan as looking down into your lap is bound to mess up your flying. As long as you have a watch, you are legal.

I like the A4 boards because you can put them out of the way - keep it simple. Clip your plate to the back of the map so you don't fumble through a kneeboard adn again, you can raise it to eye height to see detail, not lower you head into your lap.
Bring the map upto you, don't look down if you can avoid it (don't strap it to a kneeboard).

[Lister Noble]

I got my own headset really early on as I wanted to breathe my own germs!
The club had Peltor sets and they were very good,but I borrowed a brand new Pilot noise cancelling set from a pal, then bought my own and never regretted it.:)
You will now get a lot of mail about best headsets:E

[PAPI-74]

Ah headsets..........
Some pinch, some fall apart, mics fail, gel seals leak.

DC's everytime - I got a pair second hand from ebay 6 years ago for my CPL IR, instructed with them and have flown turboprops everyday for 4 years. All I have done is replaced the gel seals after they slimed me (although the ear-cup knickers captured most of it).

David Clark H10-60 : David Clark - Airplan Flight Equipment (http://www.afeonline.com/shop/product_info.php?cPath=79_80_82&products_id=65)

Less than half price below:

David Clark H10-60 aviation headset perfect condition - eBay (item 290517606507 end time Dec-31-10 18:20:46 PST) (http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/David-Clark-H10-60-aviation-headset-perfect-condition-_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem43a432e06bQQitemZ290517606507QQp tZMotorsQ5fAviationQ5fPartsQ5fGear)

Sennheiser are good value but pinch my head after an hour - but that is just me.

[Milton1995]

Hi guys, mark again :), so ive finally got my finances sorted and got my hours for use after my exams. Ive got everything i need for the moment, except a headset! Since ive spent so much already i would like to go reaaaaaal budget on this one, ive looked at a few including ASA HS-A1, Flight com 4DLX & 5DLX Pilot P51 headset & the sigtronics s20. If anyone has experience of these can you let me know how you found them, and also if anyone has anyone has any headsets for sale under £120 ( 1st, or 2nd hand is fine too) then please let me know the model and condition. Thanks very much for your help guys!

[Milton1995]

headsets! fed up with the grubby club ones, any cheap yet decent qaulity headsets you can reccomend, or sell, i dont mind 2nd hand, but at the club 100th hand takes it to the extreme, cheers guys.

[Genghis the Engineer]

headsets! fed up with the grubby club ones, any cheap yet decent qaulity headsets you can reccomend, or sell, i dont mind 2nd hand, but at the club 100th hand takes it to the extreme, cheers guys.

This one (http://www.gps.co.uk/Headsets/HM-Series/HM40-Headset/p-95-224-790/), comfortable, rugged, cheap, and good noise attenuation. I flew with one last week that I bought in 2000 and it's still going strong.

G

[Milton1995]

Thanks so much for the quick reply G, i understand the price, but is the quality still good?

[Genghis the Engineer]

Thanks so much for the quick reply G, i understand the price, but is the quality still good?

Comparable, in my opinion, with a pair of David Clarkes 3-4 times the price, yes.

A few very noisy aeroplanes I'll choose to borrow the Bose from work, but a couple of hours in most light aeroplanes they're fine. I did about 90 hours last year, and probably 50 of those were wearing this headset, including a couple of fairly noisy old light aeroplanes - without any trouble. Our syndicate aeroplane (big old taildragger) has Peltors in it, but I prefer my HM budgets for comfort and sound quality.

G

[Milton1995]

Thanks so much! So you reckon they should be fine for the 152 then?

[Genghis the Engineer]

I've flown probably 70 hours in C150s and C152 wearing them, without any trouble or discomfort.

G

[Rabbs]

Agree with all the above - get your own headset once your sure you will complete the PPL

- also worth getting a fuel tester - handy to have your own, as invariably there wont be one in the aircraft when you need it...

[SNS3Guppy]

Milton,

I own several flightcom 4DX headsets, and have had them for a number of years. They've been quite robust. I originally bought them for use with an intercom system for students.

I found that while they will work, they weren't as comfortable as I'd have preferred. Or as quiet. Headsets serve two purposes; protect your hearing, and improve communications. A good headset will also make it easier for you to hear important sounds in flight, such as the engine, the slipstream, and certain cockpit noises. Some do this well by filtering out higher frequency sounds, some by active noise attenuation, and some simply passively as a function of being on your head.

With earcup headsets such as the flightcom, I added the Oregon Aero hush kits to every one I own. These are kits of high density foam which augment the foam already in the earcup. They make the headset quieter, and improve the communications capability by making it easier to hear transmissions or intercom sounds.

I also added the oregon aero earseals and headband to each headset. The earseals are made of leather-covered "memory foam," and form to fit my head during use as they warm slightly against my skin. It makes for a much more comfortable fit. I use them inside my helmet, too. The headband is a wide one that distributes the weight of the headset, and pads it with wool. It makes for a much more comfortable wearing of the headset, especially for long periods.

Economically, another step up is the Lightspeed series of headsets, which have much less clamping force on the head, and good audio characteristics. I've owned several. They're not as durable as flightcom or david clark type headsets, but they work well, and they're comfortable.

One of the best headsets you can use is the Bose; the Bose X, or the new A20. I use a QC15 with a uflymic, and it works extremely well. It's comfortable, quiet, and not all that expensive.

If you're going to buy a headset, invest in a good one that will stay with you for a long time. It's worth paying a little extra for a quality headset.

[Milton1995]

Thanks very much for your reply, could you just have a quick look at these two and tell me what you think? Thanks so much.

Sennheiser HME 95 Passive Headset with Sennheiser Case £150.00 (http://www.flightstore.co.uk/sennheiser-hme-95-passive-headset.asp/headsets/passive)


Pilot PA12.8s Passive Headset £150.00 (http://www.flightstore.co.uk/pilot-pa128s-passive-headset.asp/headsets/passive)

[Milton1995]

At the moment im sorted for another 10 hours until i get to the navigation stage, then ill fly periodicaly twice a month to do solo navigation. Do you still think it worth getting my headset? TRANSAIR PILOT TA 200 HEADSET WITH FREE HEADSET CASE (http://www.transair.co.uk/sp+TRANSAIR-PILOT-TA-200-HEADSET-WITH-FREE-HEADSET-CASE+6920)

I was also checking out this one, what do you think?

[p1andy]

I use the Sennheiser one you have listed there. I find it comfortable to wear and it has served me well so far.

Only thing i would say about it is that the volume control box (attached on the leads) is a bit big but can get tucked out the way down the side of your seat.

[The500man]

For a cheap headset, you're better off buying something used off ebay. Seems to be plenty of David Clark, Peltor or Sennheiser headsets on there most of the time. Though I bought a new Sennheiser HME-95 as my first headset. The benefit is that it folds flat and will go in a courier bag/ homo-satchel.

I'd also get an A4 flightboard (with plotter/ protractor/ pen pockets) instead of the A5 ones. I use one side for a plog and the other for plain paper to write down clearances etc.

Don't waste money on a stop watch. The examiner is going to ask you what your ETA is rather than how many minutes are left subtracting from the stop watch. So a regular watch is fine.

Don't buy a chart until you absolutely need it because it will go out of date.

You may want to get a plotter for easier diversion planning, since they will fit in the flight board and do two jobs at once (heading and distance).

Good luck with your training.

[Milton1995]

Thanks, do you find the sound qaulity and noise cancelling good?

[The500man]

The fold flat HME-95's or the bigger 100's seem fine to me. I've used them both on C150/152/172 without any sound or compatability issues. If your dead set on a new headset either would be a decent choice for £150 - £200.

Noise reduction on the 95's is better than some of the David Clarks I've tried and they are far more comfortable to wear.