Flight Bags

AdamZ

AdamZ

Touchdown! Greaser!
Joined
Feb 24, 2005
Messages
14,866
Location
Montgomery County PA
Display Name
Display name:
Adam Zucker
So what kind of flight bag do you use and why? What is good about it and what don't you like. What would you like in the Perfect bag. I have the sportys brief case style. It is nice but does not fit a lot. I'm looking at the Sky High bag with the twin head set bags.

http://www.skyhighgear.com/discovery.html
 
ive got a cencal something. i rarely take it in the airplane. usually just have an E6B plotter and sectional, maybe an AFD. what else do you need? :)
 
Adam, I picked up a Sky High Discovery from ebay last year but I have yet to use it in an airplane. It just seems to big an bulky. I've been using something similar to this one and it suits my needs just fine. It will hold my headset, Kneeboard, VFR charts, AFD, flashlights and batteries. For longer trips, or for IFR, I might use the Discovery Bag.
 
I use a Samsonite carry-on. Pockets galore of just the right size and hard sides which are removable as required. $25 at the local luggage store.
 
I'm currently looking for a new bag myself. Some of my musts include:

Wheels (after 2 surgeries on both shoulders and one rebuilt elbow, I've had enough)
Water proof pocket for a bottle of water or coke
Soft side
Multiple, removable organizers in the main compartment
Fold down flap for ease of accessing pens, pencils, calculator, etc

Unfortunately I haven't yet found what I'm looking for but the search continues. I may end of modifying a laptop bag.
 
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kevin47881 said:
I'm currently looking for a new bag myself. Some of my musts include:

Wheels (after 2 surgeries on both shoulders and one rebuilt elbow, I've had enough)
Water proof pocket for a bottle of water or coke
Soft side
Multiple, removable organizers in the main compartment
Fold down flap for easy of accessing pens, pencils, calculator, etc

Unfortunately I haven't yet found what I'm looking for but the search continues. I may end of modifying a laptop bag.
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kevin47881 said:
Grant..."file not found".
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For some reason you cannot go straight to that link. go to the main page and then select the Zulu Bags page

http://zuluworks.com/
 
AdamZ said:
So what kind of flight bag do you use and why?
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I use the Sporty's ultra super deluxe bag. It's got two detachable headset bags, two padded internal compartments for handheld GPS and radio, and it's big. I added on the 4-compartment internal organizer thingie so I can put lots of A/FD's, approach books, etc. plus my logbook and IFR flight file in there and not have them get lost. I also added another organizer attachment to it that has pouches to fit my E6B, plotters, and pencils.

Why do I use it? Well, I was at Sporty's one day and bought so much **** that I needed a new flight bag. How much ****? Well, my 5% AOPA discount was on the order of $60. :eek:

Oh, and I can load it up with so much stuff that when I throw it in the baggage compartment of the Arrow IV it almost gets us within CG limits. (In reality, I have to throw a 50lb sandbag back there too. :mad:)
 
kents flight bag exists for the sole purpose of ensuring that whatever airplane he ever flies will be loaded to gross.
 
Half price on all zulu bags. Maybe it's about time to get one.

Currently, I'm using a regular leather briefcase with some designer's name on it (Ralph Laren, Armani, Pierre). It was a gift.

I think the next bag I get should have a place for papers, books, and pencils as well as a place for a radio, portable GPS, and headphones. Of course, I really should just carry less "stuff".

Now, that Zulu bag Gazelle looks nice. And half price too!

I've had the deluxe Zulu Kneeboard for several years. Good quality products but at full price, a bit expensive.
 
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kevin47881 said:
Wheels (after 2 surgeries on both shoulders and one rebuilt elbow, I've had enough)
Water proof pocket for a bottle of water or coke
Soft side
Multiple, removable organizers in the main compartment
Fold down flap for easy of accessing pens, pencils, calculator, etc

Unfortunately I haven't yet found what I'm looking for but the search continues. I may end of modifying a laptop bag.
Click to expand...

This Zulu bag looks close to what you want:

http://www.zuluworks.com/prod/zulubags/oryx.htm
 
I just got my Zulu Topi Shoulder Pack yesterday and so far, I like it. It's actually a little bit bigger than I thought it would be, it's about the size of a laptop bag, and kinda looks like one. I can comfortable get 2 headsets, my kneedboard, my fuel tester, 2 flashlights, serveral pens, my transceiver, my charts and AFD and my checklists into it. I considered going with the Gazelle, but decided to go with something a little smaller.

I haven't had a chance to fly with it yet, but I hope to do that this weekend.
 
smigaldi said:
Cencal Tango. It is big enough to hold all my stuff, has the right size pockets and I liked the color, blue.
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Cencal is out of business.

I have a Cencal Tango that needs zippers. Kinda hard to get satisfaction on my lifetime warranty when I'm alive and they ain't.
 
I got a Sky High. It was expensive but after a few years I haven't managed to turn the fabric to shreds and break the zippers like I have with previous bags.
 
kevin47881 said:
Thanks Bill, that's the closest thing I've seen and the price is right!
Ah heck, order going in today :)
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I want one like that as my replacement laptop bag. Let me know if the handle is long enough that it wouldn't be hitting my heels.

I'll check it out at Oshkosh.

I was going to invent a handle extender for luggage like that.
 
mikea said:
I want one like that as my replacement laptop bag. Let me know if the handle is long enough that it wouldn't be hitting my heels.

I'll check it out at Oshkosh.

I was going to invent a handle extender for luggage like that.
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It should be delivered early next week as shipping will be via UPS ground. I'll let you know.

BTW, why are there two threads with the same title, both started by Adam?
 
mikea said:
Cencal is out of business.

I have a Cencal Tango that needs zippers. Kinda hard to get satisfaction on my lifetime warranty when I'm alive and they ain't.
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Many good luggage stores do repairs onsite. If not, they usually have someone they send it too. You might also check with a tailor or a shoe repair store. When all else fails, send it to me. I can always use another bag and I have a couple of good businesses here that would get it fixed.
 
smigaldi said:
BTW did Cencal go out of business or something? I can't find them listed anymore.
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Yep. My CFI/FBO was a dealer for them. He said one week he was talking to Cencal and the next week the phone was disconnected.
 
Sporty's Slimline for my XC needs. Lasted 11 years so far with no issues. Local flights a kneeboard with map pockets does it.
 
I wish that the Zulu Bags were on sale when I was looking for a new flight bag. I ended up with an Avery "Pro Trainer Bag". It's really for dog training, but it has lots of pockets and a huge main compartment for headsets and charts and all kinds of flashlights. Its waterproof and sits really nice on the floor wherever I put it, and stays open or closed too.

It was about $30 at Gander Mountain on closeout, but the "retail" price online is always $49.99.

As a side note, it also says "Pro-Trainer Bag" on the strap, so when I show up for a student, it's a little funny....at least to me anyhow.

Here is a retail link for it if anyone wants to see what a redneck flight bag looks like:

http://www.gundogsupply.com/avprotrainba.html

By the way, as far as flight bags go, this dog does hunt!

--Matt
 
kevin47881 said:
It should be delivered early next week as shipping will be via UPS ground. I'll let you know.
quote]

The bag arrived yesterday. I must say it seems to be of high quality with numerous compartments for organization.

Thanks to Bill and Grant for pointing me in the right direction!:cheerswine:
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ejensen said:
Sporty's Slimline for my XC needs. Lasted 11 years so far with no issues. Local flights a kneeboard with map pockets does it.
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Me too. 14 years and still looks new.
 
Ive got a gps, who needs a flight bag.

Seriously though, April gave me a leather bag with my initials embroidered on it last Christmas. Dont know the name of the bag, but i believe it was from sportys.
I have wired bose headsets so i never keep anything but charts and the green book in my bag. maybe a flashlight and batteries too.
 
I have a Samsonite invertable overnight bag.
It's about 10" wide 14" tall and 6" deep.

Looking at the front of it, it has a clasping front, when you open it up it has a mesh zippered pocket where I keep my GPS update card and some loose change. Next to that on the left front is a flap, which opens and has spots to put 3 pieces of ID. Behind those pockets is a zippered pocket where I keep my passport, mini mag light and lifeline pilots badge. Behind that is a velcro pocket in which I have nothing right now. That's what's under the clasping front. Close the front clasping front, and behind that is a full depth zippered pocket. That holds my charts and A/FD. Then behind that is another zipper which allows the whole back to open up into a 24" duffel bag. I never open it up full size though. Then there's another zippered pocket behind that in which I keep checklists and E6-B, or a PTS. Then finally there is an open pocket on the back side of the bag where I clip all my pens and pencils to.

I hope this one lasts forever because I don't see it on samsonites website.
 
EdFred said:
I hope this one lasts forever because I don't see it on samsonites website.
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Keep you fingers crossed!! You know how much I travel and I have had really bad luck with that brand of luggage. I have found Briggs and Reily, Delsey, and Travel-Pro to be the most robust stuff around. So my nickel's worht of free advise is to treat that one not too rough.
 
smigaldi said:
Keep you fingers crossed!! You know how much I travel and I have had really bad luck with that brand of luggage. I have found Briggs and Reily, Delsey, and Travel-Pro to be the most robust stuff around. So my nickel's worht of free advise is to treat that one not too rough.
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Well it generally only moves from my truck to my plane. So hopefully it does!
 
Bill Jennings said:
smigaldi said:
BTW did Cencal go out of business or something? I can't find them listed anymore.
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I believe they did, too bad, I liked their gear.
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You know I was just thinking the other day about how my Cencal bag is almost 10 years old and still looks like new. I was thinking that I'd happily pay a premium for another based on how well it's held up over the years. Now that I know they're out of business, I'm sure my bag will self destruct the next time I use it. :rolleyes:
 
thats probably why they went out of business. made their product too good, noone needed repairs or replacements
 
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