New flight bag

skyflyer8

skyflyer8

Line Up and Wait
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Nov 27, 2006
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skyflyr
I got one of these for Christmas. This BrightLine bag is ingenious as far as I'm concerned.

I was pretty attached to the flight bag that I've had since the beginning of college, but not anymore. I was getting so tired of losing things and having to dump the entire thing out and start over. Things would fall out of the outside pockets, and there was no separate place for my headset.

This BrightLine bag has pocket overkill and everything has a place. I think the sunglasses pocket on top is awesome, especially since I constantly lose or wreck sunglasses. Also the bag is very compact. It holds all my stuff including a headset without looking like a giant duffel bag.

Highly recommended!
 
That is pretty nifty. It looks like it is compact too. That is always a good feature in my book. I hate hauling a huge bag around.
 
That's a very nice bag. As a CFI, there are many things I want with me half of the time but more I'd like to have for other activities such as a XC. That bag could cover such a need. I saved the link for a time down the road.

Thanks Kate!
 
Rotor&Wing said:
Do you guys actually carry that much stuff around when you go flying?
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Used to. Now its just green book, pencils, charts, scratch pad. My "flight bag" is pretty much a rubber band now.
 
skyflyer8 said:
I got one of these for Christmas. This BrightLine bag is ingenious as far as I'm concerned.
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Mine's bigger. ;)

Rotor&Wing said:
Do you guys actually carry that much stuff around when you go flying?
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Yeah. :redface:

Mostly, the big bag (I have the Sporty's Super Retardo Huge Mondo Deluxe Bag) causes me to carry more crap than necessary. Sure, I can find my way home from anywhere w/in 100nm without a single thing, but I always end up hauling around sectionals, plates, enroutes, A/FD's, plotter, logbook, charts from my last 5 trips, three headsets, knee board, GPS PLB, timer, writing utensils, handheld radio, fourteen flashlights, a lifetime supply of AA batteries, portable galley, and the kitchen sink. (Okay - Not exaggerating anything until the 14 flashlights (3))

But, there are still those flights where the headset is all I really take.
 
Rotor&Wing said:
Do you guys actually carry that much stuff around when you go flying?
Click to expand...

Good question. Answer: Depends on the flight. :)

If it's a local pleasure flight, I'll typically go with my headset, portable radio, kneeboard (with pad and pencil) and chart(s) for the flight.

Long XCs will usually add charts (obviously), portable electronics (like iPod/Zune, radio and TabletPC with electronic charts), flashlights, batteries, extra headsets (for expected pax), and any other flight-specific items.

Regardless: My rule is to travel as light as reasonable.
 
I got a demo from the owner/inventor at AirVenture this summer. I was pretty impressed, but I wasn't in the market. Thanks for the pirep, Kate!
 
Rotor&Wing said:
Do you guys actually carry that much stuff around when you go flying?
Click to expand...

If you are a renter, you will carry whatever you need for the flight.

If I am flying the Six, I have six headsets, plus GPS, charts/plates, handheld, timer, kneeboard, flashlights/headlamps,etc.

If I am flying the Champ, I have two headsets, the handheld, the GPS plus a sectional, and the kneeboard.
 
skyflyer8 said:
I got one of these for Christmas. This BrightLine bag is ingenious as far as I'm concerned.
Click to expand...

I use an Eddie Bauer duffel bag I paid $5 for at the outlet store.
When I get to my destination, I throw every into the duffel, zip it up and I am on my way. Everthing gets sorted out later.
 
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I've been pondering whether or not to buy one of these, but I just can't justify 1.3 hrs flight time for a mobile junk drawer.
 
Ever since i earned my certificate, it seems I've been slowly acquireing more to carry. Second headset, video camera, more charts for those longer flights,....

So, one of these arrived for Christmas as well,... but it's under the tree till Thursday :nono:
 
The only problem with having all of those pockets is knowing which one has what you want in it. I inevitably end up opening up all fo the zippers to find what I'm after..and then leaving them open so stuff drops out.


I ven picked up a small transparent bag as my "man purse," thinking I could see where something is. Nope. Stuff can be hidden by other stuff around it. I'm hopeless. :dunno:
 
mikea said:
The only problem with having all of those pockets is knowing which one has what you want in it. I inevitably end up opening up all fo the zippers to find what I'm after..and then leaving them open so stuff drops out.


I ven picked up a small transparent bag as my "man purse," thinking I could see where something is. Nope. Stuff can be hidden by other stuff around it. I'm hopeless. :dunno:
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You mean you'd forget the color coding on the zipper tabs?
 
AWACSEng said:
I've been pondering whether or not to buy one of these, but I just can't justify 1.3 hrs flight time for a mobile junk drawer.
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An organized mobile junk drawer. No more ruttin' around. Color-coded zipper pulls. My old flight bag was truly a junk drawer.

I need this type of flexible system because I do different kinds of flying. I can see how aircraft owners might not need such a bag -- they can leave a lot of this stuff in their plane or hangar.

I've got the bag all stuffed now and have no trouble remembering which pocket things are in. Then again, the way my brain works, I can remember where a particular tool is among three tool boxes if I'm the one who put it there.
 
I use a back pack that holds a laptop (swiss gear) works great for me.. 1 pack and travel around the world.
 
Rotor&Wing said:
Do you guys actually carry that much stuff around when you go flying?
Click to expand...
I generally just have my headset if I'm local VFR. Make it an IFR cross country and then, yes, I have a lot of crap.
 
Let's see the bag always has
one headset, handheld radio, GPS+Cables, Electric E6B, one large and two small flashlights, spare batteries, highlighter, pens and pencils, pad of paper, lap desk, Michigan airport directory, EC AFD, EC1 plates, Current Michigan area VFR/IFR charts, Water bottle, planes flight log, IFR organizer, manual E6B, two plotters.

If I will be flying with a CFI I add
materials appropriate for the lesson, foggles, my log book

When my wife is coming I add
one headset, snacks

For a XC flight
Flight planner documentation, additional charts as needed and a light jacket if flying towards a cooler climate
 
RMCN172RG said:
Oops, forgot the keys to the plane:eek:
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Me, too. When I flew Young Eagles I would strap in, load the kids, and then realize I had to unbuckle to get the keys out my pocket. Really impressed the kids, I'm sure. :D
 
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RMCN172RG said:
Oops, forgot the keys to the plane:eek:
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Hey don't laugh I've misplaced my airplane keys way more ofthen than I want to admit to. The last time it happened I went to fly some practice approaches with kent. Ended up leaving my keys on the FBO counter. Good thing Kent is in the same flying club as me, so i just borrowed his keys.

Actually I really need a good consistent place to put my keys during preflight. It seems every time I'm ready to go I do the whrere th f*** are my keys dance.
 
yea kent is going to have back problems when he gets older from lugging around that flight bag.
 
vontresc said:
Actually I really need a good consistent place to put my keys during preflight. It seems every time I'm ready to go I do the whrere th f*** are my keys dance.
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Hang the key on the knob for the DG. Otherwise just leave it in both position in the mag switch.
 
Rotor&Wing said:
Keys? Airplane keys? What are these keys you speak of? For the door?

Real airplanes don't require keys.....:rofl:
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Real airplanes have worn-out pin locks that will open with anything flat inserted in the key slot.
 
vontresc said:
Actually I really need a good consistent place to put my keys during preflight. It seems every time I'm ready to go I do the whrere th f*** are my keys dance.
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When I get out of my SUV at the airport the plane keys go on a lanyard and the SUV keys go in the flight bag, process reversed when finished securing the plane.

The keys go in the flight bag when we arrive at our final destination, if its a lunch run they go back on the lanyard and either go around my neck (tucked under my shirt) or in my pocket with the lanyard hanging out so I know where they are at at all times. Mary also has a back up set in her carry on/purse with her asthma meds so they are always handy in an emergency.
 
jesse said:
Hang the key on the knob for the DG. Otherwise just leave it in both position in the mag switch.
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If I remember I usually do the key ring on the DG thing, but I have to admit, the mag switch idea ought to work great. Hell it would probably make the prop pull through easier, when trying to limber up the engine :D
 
I put the keys on the dash with the flappy leather fob hanging over the edge so as not to lose the keys down a vent hole (like that would ever happen... again!).
Bag is very nice but much to busy for me. I carry a small duffel (one "pocket") with the radio, headsets, GPS and its stuff. There's a small briefcase (two "pockets") too with the charts books foggles and stuff. I often wonder why until there's that one trip I didn't have it all with me when I really needed it. (Can you fetch Fred at XYZ and give him a ride back?)
 
Funny thing about airplane keys. The fuel key for the pumps at the club are on the same ring as the airplane keys. So, I put gas in plane, get in plane, get all starpped in and comfy in plane, run engine start checklist, go to turn key to START position, realize keys are still in the fuel pump controll, reverse all of above in order to retrieve keys, then repeat the entire process.
 
This is an interesting bag, but I wonder how durable it is? I quickly destroyed my last (average-priced) flight bag, mostly by lugging it around the country (with cameras and other extra junk jammed into it) on airliners and cramming it under Champ seats. The next one has to be me-proof. :D

Regarding the "too much stuff" syndrome: it's easy to find oneself lugging all sorts of crap around when one rents. When I was still an active power-airplane renter, I carried all kinds of junk that an owner or club member would have waiting in the plane, including the dreaded but often-necessary removable PTT rig, which would always somehow entangle itself in everything.

Even now, in what's left of my flight bag, I have:
Kneeboard (with charts, flight plan forms, E6B, etc)
Fuel sampler
Foggles
Headset
PTT adaptor
Handheld nav/comm
Flashlight
A couple of dead batteries
Sic-Sacs
Porta-John (gel pouch)
Numerous pens, markers and pencils
Mini-screwdriver (for squelch adjustment on old radios)
Probably at least one very old energy bar
 
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