What info do you keep to hand?
 

I regularly fly with experienced pilots who are far more organised than myself. :O These folk have collated helpful information over the years and put it into small folders which they keep in their flight bags for quick reference.

Off the top of my head, this includes such basics as Volmet frequency charts covering their usual area of operations, HOT tables, operational minimas, and sometimes notes on individual airports.

I want to start creating a similar folder for my own use (until now I have used my iPad but I would prefer a paper back up). Perhaps some of you experienced pilots would care to make a few suggestions as to the information you would keep in a folder for easy reference.

Thanks in advance for the suggestions. :ok:

1) Be careful - the info you put together is not 'controlled' ie not updated/amended by anyone except YOU

2) You should be able to compile your own list for heaven's sake! For starters, if it is something you need and either involves gymnastics/excessive time to find the reference book in your cramped cockpit or, say, in a cabin stowed manual or is not 'on board' at all, then it will qualify. Should not take more than 10 sectors to produce a 'starter pack'.

In my company, personal notes are discouraged. In my previous company, they were banned!

Thank you for the feedback.

Yes, I am able to come up with my own collection but I am always open to suggestions.

In terms of updating the information, yes, I accept that it is my duty so to do. The kind of information I was considering would be the very sort that professional pilots ought to be familiar with, even if it is not known off by heart.

The most useful information to carry would be a list of ops manual page numbers to guide you to where you might find the sections you might need.

152
 

Before you get airline pilots making sarky comments and tut'ing in there own special needs way.

What type of flying are you doing?

i.e. CAT, Charter, Instructing etc........

Mike etc,

Whatever you decide to carry in your personal kit, be very sure that you keep it up to date with SOPs and Jepp amendments.

Cheat sheets, which I use too, have the propensity to get horribly out of date amazingly quickly.

Be very sure that this info isn't in a book located beside you in the aircraft.

As you copy stuff into your personal files, always copy the page ref too. This makes it easy to keep up to date and also to defend your opinions on things listed.

Not sure what type you are flying but I always had a copy of the page from the performance section of the Ops Manual, (Vol 3?), that gave the table for flight with unreliable air speed. Suggest to copy this page and have it laminated, then keep it handy, like at the back of your clip board etc.

#IATA delay codes
#Volmet freqs.
#basic calculations (eg. fuel, glide etc.)
#Hydraulic transfer procedure
#on my Ipad: all manuals

Am reminded of one respected Captain that I had the pleasure of flying with about 30 years ago.

He never carried a flight bag - in his hat would be secreted a light weight headset and his licence (in the days when licences had photographs in them and could be used for entry to UK) - when asked he always said "What else do I need?"

I'm retired now, but I used to carry a laminated half-A4 size card detailing:

Side 1
B757/767 engine malfunction during cruise

Side 2
initial actions for fire and smoke drills
pre-ditching and post-ditching essentials
CB location for aural warning and stick shaker

The rationale was that these situations might require an expeditious response before the relevant QRH check list could be unearthed, particularly if one pilot was away from the flight deck. If I left the flight deck I would ask the copilot to clip the card to his wheel, 'just in case'.

In the case of ditching the card summarised the most important factors to be considered during what would be a very stressful situation.

Many years ago a 757 came to grief after taped-over static ports gave erroneous instrument readings to the pilots. At one stage the crew were getting simultaneous overspeed warnings and stick shaker operation, which probably distracted them sufficiently to lose situational awareness. Tripping the relevant CBs might have been helpful.

The info was printed on an A4 sheet which was then folded in half and laminated. If it's of any use to anyone now, it can be found here as 'B757/767 Engine Malfunction During Cruise Checklist'

As dumb as I am, I note on paper in front of me the:

Flight time.

Flight time to the critical point(s).

Sel Cal as I can't be arsed to see across to the F/O's panel.

What track we are scheduled to be on.

The upper level sig wx chart, on the side window, along with the dispatch release and desk number if we have to get info.

The Etops wx was sent before coast out so I have some idea of where I'll go if we have to divert.

Oh...and the menu for whatever gruel will be served with or without an attitiude tonight...... :)

Local restaurant telephone numbers, taxis, a card showing me the best local cell phone service to log into, numbers for the handling agents, embassy/consulate numbers, our company medical cover people, emergency credit card numbers, but not a list of knocking shops/massage parlours. All this stuff is on my I pad and in the address section of my filofax.

My predecessor discouraged carrying non-approved docs such as checklists/perf charts etc and after a chat with all the pilots they decided to carry on with that.

A list with radio station frequencies to listen on the one remaining ADF and not much else. All Company manuals and additional information is on the EFBs and always up to date, and to be honest i do keep a copy on my iPad as well, easier to read on there.

The company doesn't actively discourage one from keeping his own information binder, some keep a paper copy of the delay, fuel supplier codes etc, however even that changes from time to time and the only official information is the EFB.

Mike,
I carry a folder of A4 sheets, with personally garnered, not "date-dependent" notes, a bit like Charlie Brown and his blanket!
The contents are whatever stuff I need to access quickly (from pushback to TOC, and TOD to the gate), with the deciding factor being that not knowing it could land me in the Chief Pilots office.
Regarding aviation, I am a believer that "Knowledge is not knowing something, but knowing where to find it". (with credit to Samuel Johnson?):)

On iPad -
All FCOMs
All Co notices and manuals
Jepp FD/TC etc
Pictures of naked ladies

Hardcopy notes -
Airport notes (traps for new and old players)
Where I'm going to, flt nos and scheduled ETAs/ ETDs
Spare rough sheet of paper to write out who p!ssed me
off and why (in case it gets back to the CP)
Pictures of naked ladies

Back in the days when Pilots could carry such things as dividers etc, I used tocarry a small illuminated magnifying glass. I found this a great help on long night flights,to read that frequency or airway data or whatever, when the flight deck lighting was not that much help.

Just wondering what aircraft you were on then? Your Overhead map light is pretty bright, then there is the small hand held light that lives either side of the flight deck that can be used as a torch but above all, what was wrong with the overhead flight deck lighting? Once you reach the top of climb the lights should go to bright and stay there until you prepare for descent, there is nothing to see out of the front windows, your eyes, unless latched on to a specific object, are focused nine inches on the other side of the windshield. Hairy arsed old fighter pilots may try and dull the flight deck down, they haven't kept up with modern science, not only do bright lights help you see, they also keep you awake. All this research was done by the USAF a long time ago,, along with in flight meals and pre flight rest etc. they published a book about one and a half inches thick, no one in this day and age should be flying around in the cruise in a darkened flight deck, that is really prehistoric.

I too had a folder containing everything I needed to know. Then you realise that, over time, the folder is opened and used less and less.
So, now I have one sheet of paper. On one side it contains a few useful frequencies: ATIS, Volmets etc- on the other side it contains(in large,bold font) all SEP calls to be made to the cabin. Simples :ok: