pilot flight bag

J

James Jolly Jr

Filing Flight Plan
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Jun 28, 2017
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jollyjam
I'm a new private pilot student and would like to know what other new pilots have in their flight bag.
 
I carried a lot more stuff in my flight bag when I was training than I do now. i went from a really large flight bag to one that's about 1/4 the size. as you move through your training you'll figure out what you should have and what you don't need.
 
I used to keep chewing gum. But I left my bag in the plane on the tarmac in Phoenix once. I then bought a new flight bag.

Things I KEEP in my flight bag:
AA batteries for the headsets and a (partial) roll of quarters. The quarters actually came in handy when I landed at an unattended airport with no cell service, but they did have this weird thing on the wall that allowed you to put quarters in it and make a phone call. I also keep a leatherman, which has come in handy a couple of times.
dual USB cigarette lighter adapter and charging cords.

Things I need room for because I load them up each flight:

Ipad,
notebook and pens (for writing ATC instructions and fuel management stuff).
Stratus
Usually a couple of old sectionals, just in case.

And anything else I suspect I might need, like a pack of peanuts or a spare pair of underwear for those really scary situations.
 
90% of the time I don't carry a flight bag. Some find it necessary to carry the whole barn with them, but I don't.

I carry the necessities and that's it (water, sectional, pen, headset etc.)
 
Ryanb said:
80% of the time I don't carry a flight bag. Not necessary.

I carry the necessities and that's it (water, sectional, pen, headset etc.)
Click to expand...
I'd say about 10% of the time I don't carry one. But most of my flights are cross country.
 
As a student I had living in my Flight Bag:

Headset
Sectionals
Airport Diagrams for each flight (opted to not use FF till after PPL)
Kneeboard
Butt Gel Cushion...my trainer seat SUCKED
Spare pens...would always drop them
AF/D (AKA Now: Chart Supplement...oh crap, am I already a "back in my day" pilot?)
Spare AA batteries for ANR headset...had headset die on final during training once
A Few Cliff Bars...for when I was starting to feel zonked out
Logbook
E6B
Plotter...was just easier to keep it in my bag for ground school
Tylenol and Advil...anti getting old magic pills
Chapstick...gets dry at altitude
Tums...for when the Cliff Bars start fighting back
Water bottle

...and what turned out to be the most valuable item to this day...a baggie with a few bucks of quarters for FBO soda and vending machines while on XC trips or out training at another field!...my CFI and I would often take a quick break when refueling and recap.

I was also flying 2 to 3x a day so comfort items were more critical for me.
 
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Got a new flightbag yesterday, packed it with the following

IPad - don't actually use it now
Sectional
Bunch of pens, notepad, and for some reason a sharpie
Headset, and a backup headset
Handheld radio
Quarters
USB charging cable, Apple charging cable, cigarette lighter receptacle for USB, external battery powerpack
Flashlight and extra batteries AA, AAA
Plotter, E6B, logbook
A pocket knife

I am sure it's overkill

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk
 
Since no one else has posted it yet...

1 .45 automatic.
2 boxes of ammunition.
4 days' concentrated emergency rations.
1 drug issue containing antibiotics, morphine, vitamin pills, pep pills, sleeping pills, tranquilizer pills.
1 miniature combination Russian phrase book and Bible.
100 dollars in rubles.
100 dollars in gold.
9 packs of chewing gum.
1 issue of prophylactics.
3 lipsticks.
3 pairs of nylon stockings.
 
John221us said:
Since no one else has posted it yet...

1 .45 automatic.
2 boxes of ammunition.
4 days' concentrated emergency rations.
1 drug issue containing antibiotics, morphine, vitamin pills, pep pills, sleeping pills, tranquilizer pills.
1 miniature combination Russian phrase book and Bible.
100 dollars in rubles.
100 dollars in gold.
9 packs of chewing gum.
1 issue of prophylactics.
3 lipsticks.
3 pairs of nylon stockings.
Click to expand...
Been flying any B-52s lately, Major Kong?

One could have a nice weekend in Vegas with all that stuff.
 
Head set, fuel tester, gloves (in winter, easier to do a proper pre-flight), check lists, paper chart, iPad w/fore flight
 
John221us said:
Since no one else has posted it yet...

1 .45 automatic.
2 boxes of ammunition.
4 days' concentrated emergency rations.
1 drug issue containing antibiotics, morphine, vitamin pills, pep pills, sleeping pills, tranquilizer pills.
1 miniature combination Russian phrase book and Bible.
100 dollars in rubles.
100 dollars in gold.
9 packs of chewing gum.
1 issue of prophylactics.
3 lipsticks.
3 pairs of nylon stockings.
Click to expand...
You left out a box of condoms..
 
John221us said:
Since no one else has posted it yet...

1 .45 automatic.
2 boxes of ammunition.
4 days' concentrated emergency rations.
1 drug issue containing antibiotics, morphine, vitamin pills, pep pills, sleeping pills, tranquilizer pills.
1 miniature combination Russian phrase book and Bible.
100 dollars in rubles.
100 dollars in gold.
9 packs of chewing gum.
1 issue of prophylactics.
3 lipsticks.
3 pairs of nylon stockings.
Click to expand...
I have some of that in the bag or in the bad day stash. Bug dope and sunscreen rather than drugs. Credit card instead of cash. Sometimes the .45, sometimes not. Not into lipstick or stockings but to each their own and the Supreme Court said there is nothing wrong with that.
 
Don't confuse your "Student Baggage" with your "Pilot Baggage"

I had a monster bag with all my books, study materials, big metal plotter, electronic E6B, 8 1/2 x 11" spiral notebook for questions, homework answers all that snizzle. It NEVER saw the inside of a plane.

Then I had a headset bag with (go figure) a headset, knee board, chart, small plastic plotter, and some pens. My ex used to call it my "Pilot Purse"

Now what I lug is pretty minimal. I only use "the big bag" when I need more headsets for passengers. Everything for two up in the RV is always in there, but when I'm taking one of the club planes I often need more ears.
 
Ravioli said:
Don't confuse your "Student Baggage" with your "Pilot Baggage"

I had a monster bag with all my books, study materials, big metal plotter, electronic E6B, 8 1/2 x 11" spiral notebook for questions, homework answers all that snizzle. It NEVER saw the inside of a plane.

Then I had a headset bag with (go figure) a headset, knee board, chart, small plastic plotter, and some pens. My ex used to call it my "Pilot Purse"

Now what I lug is pretty minimal. I only use "the big bag" when I need more headsets for passengers. Everything for two up in the RV is always in there, but when I'm taking one of the club planes I often need more ears.
Click to expand...

you only carry paper and a sextant now right?? thats all I carry now personally

who am I kidding...I have 4 ipad minis in my bag!
 
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Flight bag has my iPad mini 3, iPad one back up, spare AA batteries and last months GPS data card.

Kneeboard, pens, headsets are all left in the plane, in the hangar.
 
AA batteries
Spare GPS Database card (with either the old database, or the new one, waiting for the date to put it in)
Pen
Notepad
Checkbook
Medical
Sunglasses (I use a pair of flip up sunglasses with a prescription for distance vision)
Gum
Leatherman
Mini-Flashlight w/red, blue, green, and white lenses, with a clip
Wet-wipes (for cleaning oil and avgas off my hands)
iPad
iPad Mini
Stratus
GoPro cam in case
iPhone 6+ (acts as my micro-mini iPad that I use for my digital checklists, and E6B)
Printed backup charts for the area I plan to fly in
Backup handheld radio w/headset adapter
Bag of nuts and raisins
Peanut Butter Granola bar
Stainless Steel water bottle (keeps a liter ice cold)
Backup battery brick w/charging cable

Yeah, it weighs a ton.

I also keep a fanny pack in the plane that has everything I need to survive for 24hrs (including PLB) should I crash (and survive) If I'm flying someplace that's too far to rent a car and drive back in the same day, I bring a change of clothes, hygene kit, and meds. If I'm flying over real mountains, then I carry an additional bag that will keep 3 people alive for 3 days, in just about any conditions. (Has a kick-ass trauma kit as well.)
 
What I don't carry anymore:
Handheld radio
AFD
paper charts (we do keep a DC/Balt TAC chart in the plane)

I'm down to an iPad, kneeboard w/notepad, a headlamp, big flashlight, little Mag light. No batteries - I just change 'em regular.

IFR I often print the approach plates I think I might be using.
 
Headset, GATS jar, pens, extra contact lenses and glasses, sectional/TAC, and any airport diagrams and flight planning notes I need for the flight.
 
Pens
Notepad
Headlamp (flashlight I can put on my forehead for hands free light)
Flashlight
Stratus (in its neoprene case, wall charger, and cigarette lighter charger)
IPad in its metal kneeboard/clipboard case
Ipad mini backup
extra Apple lightning cable to charge either of the above
Old bad elf GPS (never use it anymore, but didn't really have anywhere else to put it)
Portable battery charger for Ipads
copy of POH
home made check lists (one for normal procedures, one for emergency)
Plotter and E6B (where else can I keep them such that I can find them should I ever need them again)
Plane and hangar keys
log book
medical certificate

If I'm going flying, I can just grab my bag and my headset and go.
 
Almost nothing in the flight bag per se because everything other than glasses, ipad, phone and wallet stay in the airplane in the hangar.
 
The ANR headsets just become passive if the batteries die, right? I don't view that as an emergency.

Good lists and insight for a guy out of the cockpit 5 years.

Is stratus the traffic alert?
 
Terry M - 3CK (Chicago) said:
The ANR headsets just become passive if the batteries die, right? I don't view that as an emergency
Click to expand...

Yes...everything just gets annoyingly louder. Had it happen on short final during my early PPL training and was confused as hell as to what was going on. Landed ok but my CFI was trying to figure out what I was so confused about! Not an emergency but certainly was a distraction!
 
It shrinks with experience.

For VFR ops in my plane, just my headset and my iPhone with foreflight, which I don't use often.

For IMC ops, headset and iPad mini with scratchpad and pen on the case cover.
 
Water,gum,granola bar,chapstic,tylenol,logbook, kneeboard, small flashlight that has white/ red led lights, efb, rca plug so i can listen to some tunes from my phone, oxy/hr metar and 2 cans of oxygen since it's common for me to fly up high. Plus a shot of oxygen at night is nice or when your getting tired.

All up weight 5lbs of less. And of course the credit card.
 
As little as possible, or what I need for the flight. That being said, my every-day items... headset, blulink, tablet, charging cable, battery pack, batteries for blulink, certificate/documents, small legal pad, pens. Night? Add flashlights and a couple more batteries. XC? Probably a kneeboard.
 
I just finished my PPL earlier this year, and did all my training through the university I was attending (overpriced flight training btw), but while I was training I carried a backpack and it held:
Headlamp
  • Flat head screw driver
  1. Batteries for headlamp
  2. POH
  3. FAR/AIM (Never used, but you never know)
  4. Headset
  5. Plotter
  6. E6B
  7. iPad
  8. Small legal notepad with Pilot G2 pens (the only pens I can stand to use)
  9. GoPro (not necessary, but handy for debriefing if that's your thing)
  10. Battery brick for the iPad and GoPro
  11. Local Sectional
  12. Snacks for XC
  13. Water/Mountain Dew
  14. Medical
  15. Drivers License
  16. Debit Card
Not all of these are used on every flight, but you never know when you'll need some of these. My flight school was pretty strict about using paper sectionals, but the iPad was great when you stopped at an FBO so you could view your next route without having to bring out the large sectional. Depending on your flight school, they may ask you to bring along a view limiting device once you start your simulated instrument stuff, but our school kept a hood in each plane.If you're fortunate enough to have your own plane, most of this can be left in there.
 
Headsets, survival kit/water, GATTS Jar, Stormforce Tiedown kit, Oxygen Tank, Cowl Plugs, Spare oil and funnel, can of plexus and cloths live in the plane.

The photo stuff is what comes with the flight bag.View attachment 56050
 

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Ipad
QRH
Paper checklist
flashlight
headset
airbus headset adapter
pens
second set of reading glasses
zip cuffs
and
safety vest for walk arounds

bob
 
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