Tools to carry in plane

Depends largely on what kind of plane and how handy you are. If you're not the kind of guy is is going to be making field repairs, carrying tools isn't helpful (bring a CC instead). If you are the kind of guy to make field repairs, you know your airplane well enough to know what kinds of tools you really need to have.

1) Selection of wrenches from 3/8 to 7/8
2) Small socket set (I just have a Craftsman set that came in a small-ish case)
3) Pliers (needle nose and adjustable)
4) Safety wire + pliers
5) Spark plug socket (and a spare plug)
6) Snips
7) Various zip ties and a bag of random fasteners (screws, bolts, nuts, washers)
8) Couple of intake gaskets
9) Telescoping magnet
10) inspection mirror
11) flashlight
12) crimper + some butt splices + some extra Tefzel wire of various gauges
13) (small) selection of screwdrivers (including a full-size ratcheting w/ a nice phillips bit)

I can fix a LOT with those tools.
 
I never saw the point of carrying tools. They're heavy and they exist at every location you land at.
 
jesse said:
I never saw the point of carrying tools. They're heavy and they exist at every location you land at.
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Not necessarily, and not always when you need them. Most shops aren't in the habit of loaning out tools to people, at least not beyond some very, very basic ones. And what if you land after hours (or on a weekend)? Carrying tools has saved me from having to cancel or discontinue a trip multiple times because I've been able to just fix, or at least bandaid, the issue right there on ramp and keep going. And in my case, my tools weigh maybe 30lbs total (big maybe) and take up only a small corner of my nose baggage.
 
jesse said:
I never saw the point of carrying tools. They're heavy and they exist at every location you land at.
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Huh? Bag is around 15#, maybe 20# with a few spares.

Say, for example, you lose an alternator belt and need to put one on. Not many tools, sure, but isn't it easier to have the tools available, whether you are doing the job by virtue of being an A&P, or having everything a local mechanic might need on hand?

Plus, as noted, lending of tools or using others' tools is not something that is common.
 
ateamer said:
- One forty-five caliber automatic
- Two boxes of ammunition
- Four days' concentrated emergency rations
- One drug issue containing antibiotics, morphine,
vitamin pills, pep pills, sleeping pills, tranquilizer pills
- One miniature combination Russian phrase book and Bible
- One hundred dollars in rubles
- One hundred dollars in gold
- Nine packs of chewing gum
- One issue of prophylactics
- Three lipsticks
- Three pair of nylon stockings.
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Shoot, a fella could have a pretty good weekend in Vegas with all that stuff.
 
AV8R_87 said:
If operating in a remote area, bring clothing/24h survival gear appropriate for the conditions.

On the topic of survival, and foods to bring, here's some useful info: metabolism produces about 110 grams of water per 100 grams of fat, 42 grams of water per 100 g of protein, and 60 grams of water per 100 g of carbohydrate. Protein metabolism also generates a lot of urea, requiring even more water to flush it out.
In plain words, don't rely on high protein foods for survival purposes, they'll dehydrate you very quickly if water is scarce. Fat is the best, but most fats don't store well for long duration. Sugar is a great survival food with a very long shelf life, so if you're going to rely on one survival item, bring half a pound or more of cubed sugar with you.
Slightly less on the longevity scale, but probably the best survival food overall when water is an issue, is chocolate. A good mix of fats and sugar with minimal protein content, it will produce about 50-60% of its weight in metabolic water. Best form of survival chocolate? M&Ms, or similar sugar-coated pieces. The sugar coating keeps the pieces intact regardless of how hot it is outside.
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For 24 hours, you don't NEED food. You don't even need water, but nice to have.

The four most commonly discussed rules of survival are 3 minutes without breathing, 3 hours without shelter in an extreme environment, 3 days without water, and 3 weeks without food.

Most people seem to start their survival planning with food.

I would start with a PLB.
 
TL,DR

But what tools you carry is very much effected by your own mechanical skills. If you don't know how to use a screwdriver, why carry any tools at all?

For most people, a cell phone with sat backup (even the new iPhone sat service for texting) and a Savvy account and credit card is the best planning.
 
My plane needs a set of jacking plates in order to jack it up, necessary if you need to change a tire. It's unlikely that a shop will have a set, so I keep them in my tool bag in the plane.
 
I have an alternator belt strapped to the engine, inside the propellor. In an emergency I can change it without removing the prop.
 
Hang 4 said:
I have an alternator belt strapped to the engine, inside the propellor. In an emergency I can change it without removing the prop.
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Strapped how? Safey wire? It's an interesting idea, but it does present its own complications.
 
Daleandee said:
Portable tire inflator: https://www.amazon.com/NUSTE-Inflator-Compressor-Rechargeable-Motorcycle/dp/B0DDCJQPH7/ref=sr_1_4?crid=3GGT1Z94C9Y3I&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.USyuwA6hrX9t2W2CGVf3pknGjcmhMYwDsbk8GiddU2oiFIXNiB3ulERkD_h3vthrXRPf0bU3O9LrcT19CAx2U0iM02BVa9PVS_3quVanPF7Pt_2hCtAqH-oLJYQb6NXz3qKeOyDPnPSSiKDeTGdTNKZWVeXH56OkYYNJHNQ79zRU7-zJmpx372WNvKEC0bLJ4j26Iiqp3QZutUrWkIi1ppyP9FPCadMGAZxuBdDYZ2s.1Vz7GEDZ5MDfUqC0FICgTmpXuKzB9HVRsjvjCaq5msM&dib_tag=se&keywords=USB+rechargeable+tire+inflator&qid=1748230609&sprefix=usb+rechargeable+tire+inflator,aps,85&sr=8-4&th=1&psc=1
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I've tried those small ones but found I need a bit more airflow. I like the Ryobi handheld:
Ryobi 18V Inflator

Plus I always have valve stem extenders to accommodate my wheel pants:
Tire Valve Extension Set
 
Hang 4 said:
I have an alternator belt strapped to the engine, inside the propellor. In an emergency I can change it without removing the prop.
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Has anyone found cause to use the backup alternator belt strapped to the engine in a Lycoming? Usually by the time the main belt fails, the "backup" one seems to be so aged and weathered, it gets removed when the main one is replaced. Of course you have to pull the prop which is why the backup seems like a good idea. But Lycoming belts seem to soldier on and on, so any reasonable prophylaxis by changing the belt main belt seems to negate the need for a backup one.
 
It depends on the pilot’s ability to work on the plane. No reason to carry tools if a guy doesn’t know how to work on a plane.
 
tree9er said:
Something to think about if you’re plane isn’t from the US would be to carry a metric crescent wrench.
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Doesn’t matter. It still won’t work when set to 10mm. The crescent wrench equivalent of the 10mm socket. :p
 
List the most common failures which might ground you; select the tools and parts needed to correct those conditions.
 
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