Cross Country Equipment Needed

mandm

mandm

Avionics Upgrade
Joined
Feb 7, 2020
Messages
3,616
Location
Chicago
Display Name
Michael
Home Airfield
KUGN
Hi there, I’m planning some cross country travel and this will be an extended trip away from the home airport. What tools / equipment would you bring with you? And any tips if any maintenance work is needed away from the home airport. Thanks!
 
The standard answer to this question is a credit card. I personally like to have whatever tools it takes to pull the cowl, a few quarts of oil, tiedown ropes, and gust locks. Anything else, I can pick a tool up at a hardware store or borrow one from a mechanic on the field. Or just pay the mechanic to fix the plane while I’m exploring the BFE State Park or whatever.
 
I usually carry the items below in the plane at all times. They all fit neatly into a plastic toolbox i bought at walmart. In my duffle overnight bags, i usually carry some sort of food/water in case i go down in a remote area...things like slim jims or packets of tuna fish.

  • 2 qts of Oil
  • basic tools (one of each screw driver, wrench, pliers)
  • 1 spare sparkplug/copper gaskets just in case one goes south on me (fouled or just bad)
  • deep well socket for that sparkplug
  • Battery jumper plug thingy in case battery dies or i leave something turned on
  • tie downs
  • tire pressure gauge
  • set of wooded chocks
  • toilet paper (you never know)
 
  • 1 or 2 quarts of oil, depending on how far I'm going
  • Pour spout or funnel for above
  • Tiedown ropes
  • Aluminum wheel chocks
  • Cockpit cover
  • Fuel sampling cup/screwdriver.
  • Safety wire
  • Zip ties
  • Pliers
  • 3/8, 7/16, 1/2" wrenches, small crescent wrench
  • Multi tool
  • Paper towels
A canvas tool bag holds everything except the ropes and cockpit cover.
 
Really depends where you’re flying. If over really sparse or mountainous areas, add a PLB to any list. I always have Dana’s list for trips under 3-4 hours. Over that, food, water, fire starter, blanket and a tarp. But I live in Colorado. In Denver yesterday the temps was over 90 during the day, down to mid50 s at night. And that’s in town. We’re already getting snow in the mountains.
 
The above are all good. I also keep several granola bars and these Bumble Bee Lunch on the Run kits handy while flying. They’re shelf stable, lightweight, a few bucks, and actually taste pretty good. We actually use them at OSH a lot. Also, keep some water bottles handy.

2BF5B133-554F-490B-991B-3AB183D57C0D.jpeg
 
Two different credit cards can be useful, especially for self-serve fuel stops, just in case one card goes inop for some reason. Not a big deal to get a declined card at home while trying to buy a new pair of jeans at the mall, but at some unattended airport in the middle of nowhere, it can be extremely inconvenient.
 
I'll be a +1 to all this, but I add a spare tube for mains to the mix.

That said, I'm flying, essentially, a Chevy Suburban of the skies and have the room in the back.
 
I have an old sturdy plastic milk crate that is my "Go" box for XC. I keep it packed and stocked so I can just throw it in the baggage area. It has a set of basic hand tools, chocks, tie down ropes, and a plastic compartment organizer with a selection of common hardware such as cotter pins, lock nuts, butt splices, fuses, bulbs, etc. For tools, a 1/4" socket set, box end wrench set, assorted screwdrivers and pliers, multimeter, stripper/crimper, and utility knife will cover many situations. If you do a lot of grass strips, add stakes and a hammer. Oh, and spare usb cables.

I had a problem on a trip once and bought cheap tools from Autozone, only to have the pliers literally break in my hand. After that trip, I bought decent Craftsman stuff.

Safety wire and duct tape are surprisingly versatile. For example, enroute to Oshkosh I noticed an unusual draft hitting my face in the cabin. I investigated and found that a hinge pin on my side window had failed. This was on a Saturday evening at a state park airstrip in rural Kentucky, so a credit card wasn't much help. A couple of loops of safety wire allowed me to continue my trip without delay.

hinge.jpg
 
I like the responses above…a few basic tools and supplies that you’re comfortable with can go a long way.

if you take a tire/tube, spark plug, or something similar, make sure you know how to determine appropriate torques, etc.

A cell phone number for your mechanic would be useful, too.
 
The suggestions above are pretty good. I'll take a different approach with this though - make sure your airplane is well maintained before you leave home so the surprises are minimal or nonexistent. I've flown extensively in some very remote areas and all the tools/equipment and credit cards in the world won't help in some circumstances that are often easily avoidable.
 
Dana said:
  • 1 or 2 quarts of oil, depending on how far I'm going
  • Pour spout or funnel for above
  • Tiedown ropes
  • Aluminum wheel chocks
  • Cockpit cover
  • Fuel sampling cup/screwdriver.
  • Safety wire
  • Zip ties
  • Pliers
  • 3/8, 7/16, 1/2" wrenches, small crescent wrench
  • Multi tool
  • Paper towels
A canvas tool bag holds everything except the ropes and cockpit cover.
Click to expand...

What is the safety wire and zip ties used for?
 
Gotcha, thank you much. I’m preparing my milk crate, I also have added life jackets and a flashlight. I guess I should weigh this and adjust my useful load accordingly too :)
 
mandm said:
Gotcha, thank you much. I’m preparing my milk crate, I also have added life jackets and a flashlight. I guess I should weigh this and adjust my useful load accordingly too :)
Click to expand...

One can never have too many flashlights or knives. Except at TSA, I guess.
 
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