Travel Tool Bag contents

mondtster said:
Lock wire can often be done by hand or with a multi tool.
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It can be done by hand, perhaps, depending on accessibility. But my point was that pliers (any pliers), which you omitted from your initial post, would come in handy for the task. Pliers are included in several other posts as they're handy for multitude of tasks. Your multi-tool counts.
mondtster said:
It looks like even Hyannis has a potential option to source some basic tools.
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Not on the day that I happened to drop-in. Maybe the town has grown since then.
mondtster said:
But once again, tools aren't really the problem, parts are more of the issue. I spent most of today in a car driving to pick up an aircraft part to cure an AOG situation that took 20 minutes and 3 basic tools to remove and install. Having all the tools in the world wouldn't have gotten things moving any faster than if I had to walk to town to find the tools and walk back again to return them because I would have still been waiting for the part to arrive.
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No argument here--experience confirms that you're absolutely correct and your point is well-taken.
 
Roger Wilco said:
And a C-130 support operation ready to launch at the first sign of trouble. Unless you're in Alaska, in which case you just strap it all to the struts.

Nice looking fuel tank you got there, BTW.
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I'm going to see if I can squeeze a couple of Snap-On roller cabinets into the baggage area of a Cherokee.
 
I bring 3 phillips screwdrivers - one regular, one stubby, one tight space. One regular sized slot screwdriver. A pair of safety wire pliars, a big compliment of wrenches - 5/16, 3/8, 7/16, 1/2, 9/16, 5/8, 11/16, 3/4, and 7/8. Also a quarter inch drive ratchet with most sizes 1/2" and smaller. I carry a jackpoint for the RV-10, tie-down rings, tire inflation tools, and a spare set of tire tubes (the RV-10 uses weird tire sizes). Supplies include safety wire, fuses, and one of each type plug I use. Also, I usually carry a funnel.

With this kit and a borrowed scissor jack, I can handle most things short of pulling the prop or engine...
 
Half Fast said:
My kit is very similar. I also have a small funnel, a spare airplane key, a tire pressure guage, a small flashlight, a couple of rags, and some hand cleaner.

For a mechanic to work on an airplane legally, he must have a copy of the plane's maintenance manual. I can't count on an A&P at any out-of-the-way field to have documentation for my Musketeer, so I have the manuals and IPCs for the plane and engine stored on a thumb drive in my tool bag.

Everything fits into one of these bags from HF:
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Mine are on a CD/DVD. More reliable than a thumb drive. I’ve lost count of the thumb drives that went bad.
 
murphey said:
Mine are on a CD/DVD. More reliable than a thumb drive. I’ve lost count of the thumb drives that went bad.
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True, but few laptops have disk drives these days. And I’ve had several disks go bad, too.
 
3393RP said:
I'm going to see if I can squeeze a couple of Snap-On roller cabinets into the baggage area of a Cherokee.
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Surely someone has already tried.

I recall an advertisement Piper produced some years back, in which they managed to shoehorn a piano into a Cherokee Six. Or was it a Lance, or maybe a Saratoga? Anyway, if your Cherokee happens to be a PA-32, I have no doubt that you’ll be able to stuff an entire machine shop into it. The roller cabinets can go in the forward baggage compartment.
 
mondtster said:
Lock wire can often be done by hand or with a multi tool. I don't see a point to carry a lock wire plier for the minimal amount of stuff on a light airplane that is safetied with lock wire on the extremely unlikely chance that you'd find yourself in the middle of nowhere and need to replace a damaged safety.



Nearly all box stores sell some tools, along with most auto parts stores. The auto parts stores may even have a loaner tool program that could get you by without having to buy anything. It looks like even Hyannis has a potential option to source some basic tools.

But once again, tools aren't really the problem, parts are more of the issue. I spent most of today in a car driving to pick up an aircraft part to cure an AOG situation that took 20 minutes and 3 basic tools to remove and install. Having all the tools in the world wouldn't have gotten things moving any faster than if I had to walk to town to find the tools and walk back again to return them because I would have still been waiting for the part to arrive.
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My tools aren’t just for my plane. I get to wrench on 4-wheelers and outboards more often than the airplane. My remote airplane repairs have been mostly flat tail wheels and loose engine monitor wires. Baby Bushwheels and Posilock connectors have resolved those problems. I do carry a spare Curtis valve in the Cub, but that’s it for parts.
 
Ed Haywood said:
So what do you have in your travel maintenance bag?
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Every tool needed to clean a fouled spark plug, splice a broken wire and r&r a wheel and repair a holed inner tube, and an old raggedy pair of coveralls. That plus a credit card with a low balance and a cellphone with a good charge.
 
Tools said:
Now, when I show ya my spare 1500 lb tablesaw…
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Here's mine. Made at the Rockwell Delta plant in Tupelo, where my grandfather was chief engineer for 50 years. Unfortunately I don't have room except in my garage, where it would rust terribly, so it currently sits in my mom's basement. Someday I will claim it and put it to use.

PXL_20220905_154152489.jpg
 
Seriously other than a flat tire what mechanical repair can a non A&P pilot repair on the road legally on a certified aircraft?
 
bonefishpete said:
Seriously other than a flat tire what mechanical repair can a non A&P pilot repair on the road legally on a certified aircraft?
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Many things. Fouled spark plug, loose or missing fasteners, broken wiring, burned out lights, sticky hinges, broken safety wire, loose or damaged ducting, leaking or damaged hoses, etc.
 
Half Fast said:
Many things. Fouled spark plug, loose or missing fasteners, broken wiring, burned out lights, sticky hinges, broken safety wire, loose or damaged ducting, leaking or damaged hoses, etc.
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Maybe this suggests a more practical approach to the OP’s inquiry.

Instead of listing the tools and parts we carry with us, just in case, it might prove more useful to ask the membership what specific mechanical problems they have encountered while away from home that were, or could have been, fixed with the right tools.

For my part, just a few that spring to mind are (among others):

Fouled spark plug​
Alternator belt​
Clogged fuel injector​
Broken wires/loose terminals​
Light bulbs​
Loose/missing fasteners​
Exhaust leak at clamped joint​
Mysterious disappearing inspection covers (a ragwing thing)​

I note that nearly all of those could be fixed with tools/parts previously mentioned in this thread, but I’m merely a sample size of one. I wonder what all y’all have encountered while venturing out into the wild blue yonder.
 
Carry a small bag that has most of the tools one would need for a field repair or part replacement. About 14" by 10" by 10" and weights about 20#. Contains all the usual wrenches, sockets, pliers, screwdrivers, cutters, pokers, glues, and tapes one would expect. Have had to change starters, mags, alternator cables, etc. in the feed. Also good as can help other pilots if the need and opportunity arises.
 
Ed Haywood said:
I hope you're happy. See what you have done?

View attachment 153749
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@Ed Haywood ,it was @Tools!
I had the Kinepex Cobra pliers...
but see, I fixed that little problem. Got myself a small pair of the parallel jaws to round out my set! They look like they'll be handy for sure! It's a good brand.

In hindsight though, I wish that I'd ordered a larger one. I have plenty of box and open-end wrenches for hex heads and fittings of this size... It's the really big sizes that I don't have covered well. Oh well, I've gotta keep something in mind for my Christmas wish-list :)
 

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I used to carry no tools at all except the piper jumper/electrical hookup cables*. But two years ago I got stuck in Indiana for 1 night due to a flat tire.

Now my load out is excessive and I'm confident I carry enough tooling I could rebuild my entire airplane from scratch if something broke. Being forced to spend an unscheduled night in Indiana does that to a person.

*That reminds me I should probably re-read the POH and remind myself how those piper jumper cables work, because I've never had to use them. And, inshallah never will. But should probably refresh my memory just in case lol.
 
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My experience with packing tools 'in case' over the years is I never have the thing I wish I brought and always have a bunch of stuff that's useless for the issue at hand. I would tend to focus on aircraft specific stuff that you're not going to easily find in local stores. I have safety wire/pliers, a spare spark plug, and a piper external power adapter. I also have a multi-bit screwdriver and my multi-tool. All that said I've never had an issue away from home that I could have reasonably fixed myself without a special order item or an A&P.
 
Back into this conversation. Looking for the Knipex pliers wrench. I see some on Amazon and other places for ~$60. And then I find these for 10% of that. Spoofed website or something?

knipexpliers.it.com

KNIPEX Tools 86 05 180 T BKA 7" Pliers Wrench with Tether Attachment-C

German-engineered cutters, strippers & gripping pliers for pros. Durable, ergonomic, built to last. Free worldwide shipping.
knipexpliers.it.com knipexpliers.it.com
 
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.
 
flyingron 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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Your standard issue survival kit per Major Kong, classic.
 
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