Any kneeboard/clipboard recommendations? I'll plan to buy just those two items for now. Eventually a calculator for taking the written, eventually a headset and maybe then a bag to put it all in (or use one I already have).
Kneeboard:
I've gone to a spiral steno pad.
- Holds a pencil in the spiral and if the whole thing flies and whacks someone in the head, we should've landed already, and we probably aren't going to be able to write down anything anyway. But it won't hurt them.
- If it falls on the floor you just pick it up. Shove it under your leg if you think it's going anywhere.
- Pack of five of them runs about $3 at the office supply store or Amazon.
- Stick pieces of paper in it on a page you're not turned to (charts, whatever) they stay in there just fine.
- Cardboard covers when folded open are plenty of support to write against.
Even the steno pad won't work in many taildraggers anyway, nowhere to put it, so if it's hot out, you're probably wearing shorts, so just scribble on your knee with a pen. Or get an old fashioned grease pencil or whiteboard marker in fine point and write on the window if you really need to write. LOL. Clean it off later. Whiteboard marker is easier cleanup, but grease pen is more readable. Pick your poison.
I still have one of those crazy leg tourniquet kneeboard things with a hard metal back and nylon cover with zippered pouches for pens and custom printed paper inserts for VFR and IFR flights, blank pages, etc. Velcro from hell on the strap to go around a leg.
-It usually ended up on the floor. Like 90% plus of the time.
- It always gets in the way when checking the flight controls for full travel unless you have a seat you can crank way down low. Yoke will hit on it on your thigh.
- And again, taildraggers... useless there too unless you like whacking your hand that's on the stick into a lump of nylon encased metal, you'll leave it in the car.
It only took me two decades to realize I really only need about $5 worth of stuff, a great headset, and a shirt I can clip a pen or pencil to.
One nice thing in one of the airplanes I fly is someone stuck some Velcro to the pillars on both sides and then bought those $0.50 open ended fake leather sunglasses cases with cotton cloth inside them, from a cheap store, and applied the opposite Velcro to the back of them... and stuck them to the window pillars.
Very nice little pouches to hold extra pens or pencils within reach of both sides of the cockpit. I may stick one of those in the 182.
No worries. Everyone buys the expensive crap and has stuff at home that looked great on the Sporty's website or the catalog, and it never goes anywhere near an airplane after they realize they don't need it.
My airplane co-owner does like his colored tab divider thing that's also spiral bound but doesn't have paper. Just plastic dividers. He puts all his printouts and such in it, along with taxi diagrams and a couple of charts if he's flying away from the local area. It also goes on the floor when not in use.
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