Kneeboards?

[Matthew]

The jepp trifold I have only gets 2/3 used. The clipboard is in the center section and gets used hard. The pocket behind the clipboard holds various checklists. The clear pocket on the right side is for sectionals, but they always end up in my lap, the right seat, or under my leg so they don't blow away or fall between the seats. The left pocket holds my E6B and it's where I stuff the checklist when I want to park it somewhere quick. I could live easily without the clear pocket.

I like the full length clipboards vs the short ones, I like to fold 8.5x11 in half so I have something to write on. Shorter clipboards let them hang off the bottom too much.

My Nexus ends up on my lap, the right seat, or a side pocket for reference when necessary. Some day I'll get a yoke mount.

 

[airdale]

Yup. Agree on the Ultimate Kneeboard. I have a home-made variation on the Ultimate Kneeboard. In addition to what you'd expect for a flight, mine is stuffed with reference pages like:

• FAA Reference with phone numbers, light gun cheat sheet, non-radar reporting requirements, lost comm procedures, etc. that I just laid out in Word and pushed around until I had something I liked.
• A reference card with power settings for a half-dozen or so airplanes that I fly.
• Cheat sheets for several CAP radios that I rarely operate.
• Cheat sheets for CAP air/ground communication signals sans radios
• Cheat sheet for getting intercepted (CAP is sometimes the practice dummy when the F-16s come out to play. Fun.)

None of this stuff gets looked at on most flights, but when I need it, I have it. I am nowhere near smart enough to remember all of it.

The paper is just standard 8 1/2 x 11" cut in half. Several of the day planners use the same size paper and punching, so you can buy their page accessories if you need that kind of thing. Franklin Covey makes a really nice steel punch that is much smaller than the Jepp/Sporty's punches and cost me about half the price besides.

I have tried the FlyBoys style with the floppy rings. It doesn't work for me; too hard to add and remove pages. If anyone wants a set of rings for free, PM me. I have a bunch in a junk box and I'll just send them along for free.

RE cockpits, it varies a lot. PA32 is easy, Mooney is difficult. Others are in between. In any plane with a control yoke it is unlikely that you will be able to turn rigid pages to the left/under the yoke. Flexible paper and plastic pages turn OK, though.

 

[Gucci Pilot]

My kneeboard is...my knee. I use the side pockets and other cubby holes in the airplane to store stuff. The kneeboard to me just gets in the way. If I need to write stuff down, I just bring a post-it note pad.

 

[denverpilot]

My kneeboard is...my knee. I use the side pockets and other cubby holes in the airplane to store stuff. The kneeboard to me just gets in the way. If I need to write stuff down, I just bring a post-it note pad.

There's at least one semi-famous podcasting pilot who writes on his bare knee when flying aerobatics to avoid having anything in the cockpit in the way.

And folks who've just scribbled stuff on the side window with a grease pencil.

 

[murphey]

I still use my knee board.....

that's the one ai use, too. my glarehield has velcro everywhere, so there's velcro on the pens, the tiny flashlight, etc. always 3-4 pens velcro'd to the glareshield

 

[zaitcev]

that's the one ai use, too. my glarehield has velcro everywhere, so there's velcro on the pens, the tiny flashlight, etc. always 3-4 pens velcro'd to the glareshield

I heard about freak accidents where people were killed by junk laying on the glareshield hitting them in vulnerable areas of the head, such as eyes. In your case it's velcroed, but having been in a very minor crash I realize that it's surprisingly violent. I can easily see how a AAA battery can turn into a lethal projectile. So my rule is have everything secured at all times in enclosed pockets. Pencil on the kneeboard is the only thing that uses friction retention. I let my wife have a water bottle out when she flies with me.