How to save $$ on pilot supplies

AdamZ

AdamZ

Touchdown! Greaser!
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Feb 24, 2005
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14,866
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Montgomery County PA
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Display name:
Adam Zucker
I remember as a student pilot asking the owner of my flight school where I could get a pair of aviation gloves, thin enough to allow me to tune the radios but warm enough to keep my finger from slowing down in the cold of winter. He of course responded if you can find them you'll pay $25.00 more than if you got the same pair of gloves at Dicks sporting goods just becuase they say aviation in front of them. So I love it when I can kind of beat the system of over charging and get the samething for less just because they don't have the word aviation in front of them. Some of the gadgets that Sporty's sells can be found at K-Mart for less than half the price.

Most recently I misplaced my foggles. A new pair of these cheap plastic glasses cost $27.00 you can get them cheaper on line but have to pay shipping. When my wife heard me grumbling about them she asked what are Foggles? My response " They are glasses frosted or painted over so you can't see out of them definitly bought a perplexed look as in why in the hell would you buy glasses you can't see out of. I finally did explain what they were and she asked what was so special that they cost $27.00 I said " I dunno they are just cheap plastic safety glasses that are frosted over" So I realized what I just said ....cheap plastic safety glasses..... I had a Gary Shelby moment .

For those of you who don't know Gary well I fly with him quite a bit he is an engineer by trade and the McGyver of Piper cheorkee flying. He can make for pennies on the dollar out of special foam and bungie cords and stuff items for your plane that you would pay mucho dinero for at an aviation supply house. Gary has made his own, Cowl Plugs, Other plugs for the plane, Gust Lock, pitot tube cover from an old tennis ball . Hell I once saw Gary use a chopstick from a Chinese restauraunt to replace a broken connecting rod, worked great until a piece of moo shoo pork got jammed in the exhaust valve.

Anyway back to the story. ... cheap plastic safety glasses.... So off to Lowes I go and $5.97 later and some tape in my shop and this is what I have. Zoggles. Before and After the tape job.

lets hear how you have saved some money of Aviation and pilot supplies!
 

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Mac approves.

P.S. How do you know they're working at night?
 

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Right after I bought my plane I couldn't pass an aisle in an office supply of hardware store without looking for something that would be handy in the plane. I gotta lotta various kinds of paper clips stowed in various pockets in bags and on the plane.

I've also picked eleventy-seven different kinds of bags, pouches, and cases so I never know where I put something. Make them all black so they disappear in the bottom of the flight bag. :rolleyes:
 
I lost my Mic muff on my Ebay purchased Sigtronics S-20 headset when I started training. Since my "office" is the basement/hobbyroom/junkroom/laundry room,.. I stumbled upon a 1" foam brush from the craft pile. These are those little foamy brushes for acrylic paint, and are just lightly attached to the wood stick.

Take off the foam part, a little sissor on a 45* angle at the ends, and whala! Instant mic muff. Available at AC Moore or Michaels craft store for 25 cents.

I really like the Zoggles,.. might have to make myself a pair:yes:

good thread,..keep them comming,.,. just got my oil heat bill and I need all the help i can get...
 
Rob Schaffer said:
...

good thread,..keep them comming,.,. just got my oil heat bill and I need all the help i can get...
Click to expand...

??? Isn't it August in PA, Rob, just like here?

My electric (A/C) bill broke $100 for the first time. :D
 
Ah yea, speaking of office supply stores, Mike, my "flight bag organizer" is something like this catalog case. Holds plenty of IFR charts, my headset bag, and such. $38 now, think I paid $20 years ago.

-Rich
 
Zoggles!! Excellent!

As far as the "incident" with the Moo Shoo pork, we were lucky the sauce had excellent lubricating properties, Thai Pad sauce would have been a disaster! :cheerswine:

Gary
 
rpadula said:
Ah yea, speaking of office supply stores, Mike, my "flight bag organizer" is something like this catalog case. Holds plenty of IFR charts, my headset bag, and such. $38 now, think I paid $20 years ago.

-Rich
Click to expand...

I have one of those in my ginormous pack-rat collection, only I bought mine 33 years ago for my business. I originally used it for sales calls. It's tattered and full of electrical parts.
 
AdamZ said:
Anyway back to the story. ... cheap plastic safety glasses.... So off to Lowes I go and $5.97 later and some tape in my shop and this is what I have. Zoggles. Before and After the tape job.

lets hear how you have saved some money of Aviation and pilot supplies!
Click to expand...

Have you ever seen that liquid etching medium you can buy at craft stores? I wonder if you could use it to etch the safety googles to fog them instead of using tape? It's just a couple dollars a bottle. I've used it to etch some designs on glass before. It just brushes on.
 
Good deal, Adam! I'll have to remember that for some students.
 
ausrere said:
Have you ever seen that liquid etching medium you can buy at craft stores? I wonder if you could use it to etch the safety googles to fog them instead of using tape? It's just a couple dollars a bottle. I've used it to etch some designs on glass before. It just brushes on.
Click to expand...

Any plastic glue will have the same effect.
 
Adam Like I said on the phone I was told that home made foggles are not accepted. I think this would cover it but I might be wrong.

Sec. 61.4​
Qualification and approval of flight simulators and flight training devices.

(b) Any device used for flight training, testing, or checking that has been determined to be acceptable to
or approved by the Administrator prior to August 1, 1996, which can be shown to function as originally
designed, is considered to be a flight training device, provided it is used for the same purposes for which​
it was originally accepted or approved and only to the extent of such acceptance or approval.
 
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Look at the definitions in 61.1. Foggles are not a "flight training device"
 
I've seen hoods made from file folders, so I'd presume that if they accept those they would accept the Zoggles. With some spare spray paint, you could mask off the area to remain and mist the remaining portion to get the frosted effect too.

Hmm,. checked at home,.. I have a pair of safety glasses, but not ones that would work well for under a headset, they are more industrial with wrap around. Sounds like a construction site visit is in order,.. they have boxes of those type glasses for visitors ;) (I'm an engineer, not just going to walk onto any ole jobsite)
 
Rob Schaffer said:
I've seen hoods made from file folders, so I'd presume that if they accept those they would accept the Zoggles. With some spare spray paint, you could mask off the area to remain and mist the remaining portion to get the frosted effect too.

Hmm,. checked at home,.. I have a pair of safety glasses, but not ones that would work well for under a headset, they are more industrial with wrap around. Sounds like a construction site visit is in order,.. they have boxes of those type glasses for visitors ;) (I'm an engineer, not just going to walk onto any ole jobsite)
Click to expand...


Snag a few pair for me. Hah hah hah. :)
 
A CFII I flew with did something similiar to the zoggles, only he taped off the part he wanted to see out of and took heavy grit sandpaper to the rest. It still let light in but you could not see out.
 
Bob Noel said:
Look at the definitions in 61.1. Foggles are not a "flight training device"
Click to expand...

Cool I was just told by a DE that they were not accepted but maybe just he would not accept them you are correct about the definition.

Rob if you need some we have plenty I trash a couple every few months.

You can also tape off the clear area and give a light sand blasting if you can get one to use.
 
Lisa I thought if beading them but was told that it works on glass but may not work on plastic. I also considered painting them Rob and I may do that but I'll see how the tape hold up first. Dan I thought about the glue as well that would work, but one of the reasons I deceided to go with Black tape was that the ones I just borrowed to shoot approaches were black plastic and I really liked them. I found with the frosted version the frost actually magnifies sunlight comming in, so it can actually get kind of blinding. I suppose however the frosting probably simulates IMC a little better given the whiteness.
 
Adam,
I love your idea, but don't try to patent it! For prior art, just look at Rod Machado's new Instrument Pilot's Handbook, where he describes and has a picture of the same thing!

And for cheap ideas, if you use unbound plates, instead of expensive binders, bust get 1" binder clips from your local office supply store.
 
AdamZ said:
Hell I once saw Gary use a chopstick from a Chinese restauraunt to replace a broken connecting rod, worked great until a piece of moo shoo pork got jammed in the exhaust valve.
Click to expand...

:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:

lets hear how you have saved some money of Aviation and pilot supplies!
Click to expand...

One of my favorite flashlights, I found in the aviation aisle at Wal-Mart. It clips to a seat belt, and you can change the angle so that it illuminates an approach plate just about right. I think it cost me $4.97, and Sporty's now sells it for $20 or so.

Another one is the flashlight that has two red and two white LED's, both dimmable. Sporty's sells that one now too, and I got it before they sold it from an astronomy supply house for about 1/2 the price.

Haven't built much of anything from scratch that I can think of...
 
Been making my own pitot covers for years. Bounce down to Cloth World, buy some remnant red vinyl, cut to shape, including a long ribbon of the stuff, borrow the wife's sewing machine, and 5 minutes later you're done. Only difference is they don't have the white "Remove Before Flight" stenciled on the ribbon.
 
I guess most of you know how to make your own wheel chocks. Piece of 4 x 4 cut diagonally, drill a hole in each half and pass a nylon rope through. Much cheaper than buying them from a supplier.

Same sort of thing with gust locks. 1 x 2 board cut to length, drill a hole in the center, insert bolt with wing nut through 2 of them. Easy to install, easy to remove.
 
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AdamZ said:
Dan I thought about the glue as well that would work, but one of the reasons I deceided to go with Black tape was that the ones I just borrowed to shoot approaches were black plastic and I really liked them. I found with the frosted version the frost actually magnifies sunlight comming in, so it can actually get kind of blinding. I suppose however the frosting probably simulates IMC a little better given the whiteness.
Click to expand...

I hated Foggles for that very reason plus one more -- the clear plastic part optics are so poor it gave me a headache after an hour or so. It was like looking at the panel through an aquarium.

My suggestion for a cheap, but effective pilot supply is a $10 headlamp from Wal Mart.
 
I'd like to know a way to make my own sectionals, approach plates, en-route low altitude charts, and AvGas. Those definitely comprise the biggest expenses I have. :D

My friend's been making his own cowl plugs for years. Although, his definition of "making" is just taking some foam cushioning and stuffing it in the cowl. If you wanted to be a bit more proper about it, take that foam, and then buy some fabric and borrow Ray's wife's sewing machine! :)

P.S. Ray, your wife must not have convinced you on the excessively expensive sewing machines that could put in the "REMOVE BEFORE FLIGHT" lettering. My ex had me buy her some Husqvarna thing that would sew letters in it, in at least 4 different fonts, no less! :eek:
 
Ted DuPuis said:
I'd like to know a way to make my own sectionals, approach plates, en-route low altitude charts, and AvGas. Those definitely comprise the biggest expenses I have.
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If you want to save on some of those, print out IAPs from Airports you'll be flying to and any alternates, and buy one IFR/VFR Low Altitude planning chart (instead of half dozen IFR charts).

I have a subscription and get the charts and the bound IAP books, but now I have a stack of expired paper about 10 feet high.
 
Ted DuPuis said:
P.S. Ray, your wife must not have convinced you on the excessively expensive sewing machines that could put in the "REMOVE BEFORE FLIGHT" lettering. My ex had me buy her some Husqvarna thing that would sew letters in it, in at least 4 different fonts, no less! :eek:
Click to expand...

Truth is, I'm too darned lazy to mess with putting letters on the ribbon. I have that attitude, 'I know what it's for, what anybody else knows is moot'. Besides, I'm a lousy seamstress. :goofy:
 
2256Q said:
Truth is, I'm too darned lazy to mess with putting letters on the ribbon. I have that attitude, 'I know what it's for, what anybody else knows is moot'. Besides, I'm a lousy seamstress. :goofy:
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Those are good reasons, too! :yes:

I'm actually a pretty decent seamstress, except I don't look good in the required skirt. ;)

I agree, though, any pilot shouldn't need a reminder of "remove before flight." That said, a friend of mine got a big red "REMOVE BEFORE FLIGHT" keychain for the keys on his Goldwing. It works well, because he said on more than one occasion he's left the keys in the ignition and walked off. Now it's obvious. Any big red keychain probably would have sufficed, though. :)
 
Being a cheapskate! I know about that.

Plan using the free planner from flightprep.com, which you can supplement with inexpensive digital charts.

Get free NACO plates and airport diagrams in batches using the free "Aviator Trip Pack" tool found at http://cmensys.com/

View them using the fast-loading, free, PDF reader from http://www.foxitsoftware.com/ -- which does not annoy with popups or "call home" surreptitiously like Acrobat Reader does.

Print the plates kneeboard size, double sided, with Fineprint (http://fineprint.com/products/fineprint/index.html) using the unlimited free demo or pop $50 for what is probably the most useful utility program I have ever seen.

Punch them with the $23 "Jepp" steel punch from FranklinCovey.com, which is more compact than the one Jepp will sell you for $40 or Sporty's will sell you for $50.

Make a "Jepp" kneeboard from an old planner (Daytimer, FranklinCovey, etc. They are all the same punch pattern.) or buy one ready made from someone like: http://www.harper-aviation.com/fixedRing.html

Buy dividers, pockets, rulers and other gadgets from Daytimer, FranklinCovey, etc. at OfficeMaxMart, so no shipping cost compared to Jepp products and a much better range.

Lurk the various websites hawking "pilot reference cards" for good ideas, then make your own. Print them with FinePrint, punch them with your FranklinCovey punch, and put them on your kneeboard. Attached is a flight planning form to get you started.
 

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Ted DuPuis said:
I agree, though, any pilot shouldn't need a reminder of "remove before flight."
Click to expand...
The other day I was trying to figure out why the pitot tube covers for the new Cessna are labeled "right" and "left" since the pitot tubes are symmetrical. My flying buddy finally came up with the idea that it is because, that way, the "remove before flight" printing on the streamer is facing outward so you can read it. :rolleyes:
 
Everskyward said:
The other day I was trying to figure out why the pitot tube covers for the new Cessna are labeled "right" and "left" since the pitot tubes are symmetrical. My flying buddy finally came up with the idea that it is because, that way, the "remove before flight" printing on the streamer is facing outward so you can read it. :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

The smartest pitot cover system I ever saw was on the '47 V tail bonanza (I'm other airplanes had them too).

There's a small metal cover mounted on a pivot with a spring. Opposite is a wide flat surface.

When the airspeed gets over 20 the cover pivots back, opening the pitot for ram air.

Neat!
 
2256Q said:
I guess most of you know how to make your own wheel chocks. Piece of 4 x 4 cut diagonally, drill a hole in each half and pass a nylon rope through. Much cheaper than buying them from a supplier.
Click to expand...

If you have low-hanging wheel pants, you can use PVC pipe and a few 90* elbows and build a squared-off 'U' shape. Lightweight and seem to do the job.


Also.. For an IFR "approach timer", you can hok the $25 to Sporty's etc. for the "Aviation Timer", or you can go to Wal-Mart's cooking utensil section and get the SAME timer (make & model even) for $10.
 
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dmccormack said:
The smartest pitot cover system I ever saw was on the '47 V tail bonanza (I'm other airplanes had them too).

There's a small metal cover mounted on a pivot with a spring. Opposite is a wide flat surface.

When the airspeed gets over 20 the cover pivots back, opening the pitot for ram air.

Neat!
Click to expand...

I've seen that on Air Tractor's as well. It's a pretty slick and simple design!
 
I had a modified one of these on the Cardinal...

image.php
 
AdamZ said:
I remember as a student pilot asking the owner of my flight school where I could get a pair of aviation gloves, thin enough to allow me to tune the radios but warm enough to keep my finger from slowing down in the cold of winter. He of course responded if you can find them you'll pay $25.00 more than if you got the same pair of gloves at Dicks sporting goods just becuase they say aviation in front of them. So I love it when I can kind of beat the system of over charging and get the samething for less just because they don't have the word aviation in front of them. Some of the gadgets that Sporty's sells can be found at K-Mart for less than half the price.

Most recently I misplaced my foggles. A new pair of these cheap plastic glasses cost $27.00 you can get them cheaper on line but have to pay shipping. When my wife heard me grumbling about them she asked what are Foggles? My response " They are glasses frosted or painted over so you can't see out of them definitly bought a perplexed look as in why in the hell would you buy glasses you can't see out of. I finally did explain what they were and she asked what was so special that they cost $27.00 I said " I dunno they are just cheap plastic safety glasses that are frosted over" So I realized what I just said ....cheap plastic safety glasses..... I had a Gary Shelby moment .

For those of you who don't know Gary well I fly with him quite a bit he is an engineer by trade and the McGyver of Piper cheorkee flying. He can make for pennies on the dollar out of special foam and bungie cords and stuff items for your plane that you would pay mucho dinero for at an aviation supply house. Gary has made his own, Cowl Plugs, Other plugs for the plane, Gust Lock, pitot tube cover from an old tennis ball . Hell I once saw Gary use a chopstick from a Chinese restauraunt to replace a broken connecting rod, worked great until a piece of moo shoo pork got jammed in the exhaust valve.

Anyway back to the story. ... cheap plastic safety glasses.... So off to Lowes I go and $5.97 later and some tape in my shop and this is what I have. Zoggles. Before and After the tape job.

lets hear how you have saved some money of Aviation and pilot supplies!
Click to expand...

Bringing this thread back :thumbsup: ,... made my first pair of Zoggles this week in preparation for my first IR Training flight this Friday. :cool2:
 
There's a lot of history here with doing things "on the cheap". I recall the plumber's heat tape on the leading edges of wings as a very nice de-icer. Also, the eliminating of the dangerous spreading of the demised one's ashes by lashing the actual cadaver to the cowl of a Cessna 337 "Mixmaster", thus avoiding any blowback into the cockpit.

Then there was the wing walk compound over the windshield to permanently obscure forward vision for simulated IMC. No need for Zoggles then. The list is endless!








:D
 
Ted DuPuis said:
Those are good reasons, too! :yes:

I'm actually a pretty decent seamstress, except I don't look good in the required skirt. ;)
Click to expand...

Wouldn't that be, "seamster"?

Ted DuPuis said:
I agree, though, any pilot shouldn't need a reminder of "remove before flight." That said, a friend of mine got a big red "REMOVE BEFORE FLIGHT" keychain for the keys on his Goldwing. It works well, because he said on more than one occasion he's left the keys in the ignition and walked off. Now it's obvious. Any big red keychain probably would have sufficed, though. :)
Click to expand...

I know a guy has such streamer on a set of keys for an Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser.
 
SCCutler said:
I know a guy has such streamer on a set of keys for an Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser.
Click to expand...

I saw someone who had such a streamer on his Fourth Amendment Freedom Baggie (ZipLoc) that holds his regulation-sized 3 ounce bottles of liquids for airline flights.
 
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