Stuff to have with you on cross countries?

cowman

cowman

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Cowman
So I'm about to go on my first real unsupervised cross country as a private pilot. It's pretty much perfect- about 315nm in my Archer. The place I'm going is where I grew up and I have multiple people to give me rides/places to stay. I don't have to get there or leave any particular day either... could be there up to a week.

I'm trying to get ahold of the airport manager there to see if I can get into a hangar if nasty weather comes while I'm parked.... keep getting voicemail. I have a set of ratchet straps I bought for tie-downs that I've never used in the airplane and the little straps Piper uses for control locks(also never used by me). Wondering if I should buy a set of chocks too... the longest my airplane has been parked outdoors since I bought it was the time it took to finish my oral exam. I know some are left that way all year around but it makes me nervous especially if a storm rolls in..

Got a current sectional, got my ipad with foreflight, got chargers/cables for in flight and on the ground. Towbar, spare oil bottle, a rag, a funnel, multi-tool, flashlights..

Likely to have friends who want to go for a ride so spare headsets...

Hmm... what else? Any must-haves I'm not thinking of? Maybe bring the spray bottle with windshield washer fluid and I rag I use to wipe the bugs off after each flight?
 
Make yourself a small bug out bag. Complete change of clothes, toiletries, towel, shower sandals, prepackaged foods.

Ask me how I know..... ;)
 
If you will be giving rides. Large empty peanut butter jar. Better than vomit bags. Large mouth catches everything and sealable lid stops the odor. Can also provide relief in a pinch.
 
I was gonna say chargers for your ipad but looks like u got those. Have fun!
 
For a run-of-the-mill cross country, not much. Maybe a RON bag. A waterproof barf bag might be a good idea (though I've never needed one even for passengers who said they puke easily). You've done long solo cross countries as a student. This isn't any different, except you now can have a passenger or two or three. Just do everything you've been trained to do, including W&B.

If over remote areas, an emergency survival kit, clothing appropriate to the terrain being crossed, and a handheld radio or sat phone. If over water out of gliding distance from shore, a raft, and PFD and PLB that you wear throughout the flight.

Add "tell passengers to pee" to the top of your preflight checklist. You can guess where I got that from. It really sucks to be at 3500 feet 15 miles from the nearest airport when the kid in back announces he's gotta pee real bad. A piddle pack is not a good option for kids or for passengers you aren't intimate with.

Most importantly, remember your training. Some passengers, especially kids, WILL try to distract you. Not from any malevolent impulses; they just don't know any better, even after you give the sterile cockpit lecture.
 
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cowman said:
Wondering if I should buy a set of chocks too...

Got a current sectional, got my ipad with foreflight, got chargers/cables for in flight and on the ground. Towbar, spare oil bottle, a rag, a funnel, multi-tool, flashlights..


Hmm... what else? Any must-haves I'm not thinking of? Maybe bring the spray bottle with windshield washer fluid and I rag I use to wipe the bugs off after each flight?
Click to expand...
We have chocks; never used them though.
Spare oil quart or 3, yes.
Foaming plexi cleaner and paper towels.
Spare tire
Spare inner tube x 2
Tools to change tire / tube
Tools for cowl removal
fuel sump bottle
Assuming you have a mounting solution for the ipad.
ads-b or XM is nice.
 
- 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.
 
DavidWhite 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.
Click to expand...

Sounds like your enroute to HO chi min city, not any town, USA. :yes:
 
rachet tie downs
Spare cash
Spare plastic rectangle embossed with 16 numbers, an expiration date, and mag stripe on reverse side
snacks
Small cooler with bottled water.


Small word of caution: If you bring all that we are suggesting, check your W&B. You might have to leave one of the passengers behind.
 
MAKG1 said:
Add "tell passengers to pee" to the top of your preflight checklist. You can guess where I got that from. It really sucks to be at 3500 feet 15 miles from the nearest airport when the kid in back announces he's gotta pee real bad. A piddle pack is not a good option for kids or for passengers you aren't intimate with.
Click to expand...

250nm Cross countries have been the norm for me...and for long or short flights I tell all my passengers before we depart "It is not do you have to go, but rather CAN you go...then go now!"

Other than you standard flying gear, for cross countries I always make sure I have a well equipped tool bag, 2-3 qts oil, a few bottles of water and a snack bar or two.
 
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Tell your friends to dress as they would if they had to walk home....no flip-flops, shorts, or T-shirts plus hats. Same for you, of course.

Bob Gardner
 
I will of course have everything I'd normally take to stay a week at a friend's house... I forgot I had bought a pack of airsick bags in case a passenger needed them. Gotta figure out where... I've never been motion sick so it doesn't usually cross my mind. Someone next to me puking though... that might set me off. Bathroom breaks shouldn't be a big worry unless someone can't hold it for about 15 minutes...

The spare tire isn't a bad idea, but what sorts of tools do you need? Is it like a lawn tractor tire you can change with a couple large screwdrivers/pry-bars? Top of my cowl comes off with latches... not sure about the bottom, haven't had to take it off yet but memory is saying it just takes a screwdriver and I think I have one in my flight bag.

Oh and I do have a gen1 stratus, aux audio jack and cable, and lots of music on the iphone so should be covered there too.
 
DavidWhite 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.
Click to expand...

Not going to Russia or Vegas.
 
Travel Johns. God bless those things (unless you're in polite company, in which case... bring a blanket!?)

Overnight gear in case you get weathered in as someone said.

If you're flying in the mountains, a proper survival kit.
 
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You need a porta-John, and you need to make sure your tiedowns will work in high winds.
 
cowman said:
The spare tire isn't a bad idea, but what sorts of tools do you need? Is it like a lawn tractor tire you can change with a couple large screwdrivers/pry-bars?
Click to expand...
Yes, it is a split rim. I am not familiar with your plane but typically it is 3 bolts through the rim. You need valve stem removal tool - I use the valve stem cap with the tool built in. 2 flat screwdrivers, socket / ratchet and open / box end wrench for bolts, safety wire and wire pliers, possibly different size wrench for brake pad removal, possibly large adjustable for wheel nut, new cotter keys, a means of jacking the wheel. Other stuff possibly particular to your plane. Here is my solution for jacking our 9A.
14dkhmu.jpg
 
AggieMike88 said:
rachet tie downs
Small word of caution: If you bring all that we are suggesting, check your W&B. You might have to leave one of the passengers behind.
Click to expand...


Heh that brings up a good point too. I've never actually flown my airplane loaded even close to it's max gross weight. The field where I'm going is 4000' long and elevation is about 700' elevation so I don't feel too worried. Maybe just rotate 5kts faster than normal and expect a higher power setting to maintain airspeed/decent rate on landing?
 
$5 in quarters.
$10 in dollar bills
A really good credit card
 
Expect a slower climb out rate at full gross. I remember my first trip at full gross and the performance difference on my vertical feet per minute was a bit more than I expected.
 
cowman said:
Heh that brings up a good point too. I've never actually flown my airplane loaded even close to it's max gross weight. The field where I'm going is 4000' long and elevation is about 700' elevation so I don't feel too worried. Maybe just rotate 5kts faster than normal and expect a higher power setting to maintain airspeed/decent rate on landing?
Click to expand...

How about you get an instructor and a local student pilot or two to act as ballast, at your home field?

You should know what your aircraft is going to do before you try to do it with passengers.

This is much more important than the "what to bring" issue.

Even more important than the weight (within bounds), a more aft CG will feel different.
 
DavidWhite 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.
Click to expand...

A fella could have a pretty good weekend in Vegas with all that stuff.

Strangelove.gif
 
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MAKG1 said:
How about you get an instructor and a local student pilot or two to act as ballast, at your home field?

You should know what your aircraft is going to do before you try to do it with passengers.

This is much more important than the "what to bring" issue.

Even more important than the weight (within bounds), a more aft CG will feel different.
Click to expand...

I'm pretty sure I can wrangle an instructor up.. additional human ballast might be a problem though.

I had an idea if can't find the people... and do tell me if this is nuts. We have chickens and the place where we buy chicken feed is near the airport so my wife is always sending me over to buy it.... comes in 50# bags. I did a W&B and if I load 4 bags of chicken feed into the baggage area that won't get me to max gross but with just me in the pilot seat that puts the CG close but not all the way to the aft limit. I could load the bags incrementally... eg put 100# in and fly the pattern a couple of times, then load the rest and go again with some idea of what to expect.

I could also get a CFI and put him in the front and 200# of chicken feed in the baggage area. But that only gets me to 2335# with full fuel(max gross is 2550) and doesn't put the CG back as far...
 
If you can get the seat belt around it (or secure it some other way -- you do NOT want cargo shifting in turbulence) and you know they won't leak, four of those bags can be a "passenger" in the back seat.

I use sandbags for ballast when I need it. Doesn't seem like much difference to me. But rear cargo is often severely weight limited.

I'm surprised you can't find student pilots willing to help out for the offer of a free ride, especially if it's a really nice day. The nice thing about that is that they are self-loading.
 
Welcome to the world of cross country flying.

Under no circumstance allow any female that will be riding with you to drink iced tea before you take off. That's free today, but priceless advice that will serve you well. Your flight is only going to be about 2 1/2 hours so everybody should make it if you follow this advice. :D

Oh, bring Chapstick. It's your friend in airplane.
 
I'll give my instructor a call, maybe he knows where we can find some human ballast. Most of the pilots I know who would be local are either CFIs or FBO employees who probably aren't supposed to to leave their posts...
 
Oh Good Lord! Just git yerself in the airplane, and GO. You may want to have a 1/4" drive socket set, some wrenches ranging from 5/16 to 3/4" and a few allen wrenches (at least the one that fits the radios). and a couple quarts of oil.
We're talkin' about a 3 hour trip here. Not a flight around the world.
But there's been some good advise here concerning terrain.
Are you flying alone to your destination? Or are you taking folks with you? sic sacs could be handy.
 
Two different credit cards. Sometimes credit cards & self serve fuel get silly when you're traveling. You'll need fuel for the return.
 
I'm flying alone to my destination.
KEAU -> KPPQ

Nothing terribly exciting to worry about on that route, probably will fly it at 5500 or 7500 depending on conditions. Not really worried about the flight, more ground handling and having her parked for a couple days away from home.

Also may or may not have an unknown number and size of passengers wanting a ride/tour of the immediate area. One of these potential passengers is an air force mechanic and I think has been in a small aircraft before... pretty sure none of the others have. But we're talking maybe .5-1 hour in the air and no more than 15 minutes from landing for that...
 
I found it useful to tell passengers "when I hold my finger up, please be quiet so I can listen to radio communications"

Some passengers in small airplanes just keep talking all day.
 
Leatherman tool
Charge card
Cell phone
Really, that's all you need.
Excepy water if flying in desert SW.
 
Bring a key, and keep it in your pocket. Any key. A house key will do.

Why? Because it's a Piper.

I was once locked out of a rental Piper Cherokee. It was one of my first overnight cross countries, and I was getting ready to leave the airport where I was visiting. I closed (and did not lock!) the door and went to the restroom in the FBO, while leaving the plane's key and all my stuff in the plane. I came back minutes later to discover that I could not open the Piper's door, even though it was not locked! I was saved by a kindly pilot in the FBO, who told me that this happens all the time to old Pipers. The old worn-out lock sometimes activates when the door is closed, but you can open the door with any key, like a car key. So I borrowed a car key from a mechanic at the FBO, and it worked! I was then able to get in the plane and continue my trip.
 
Excellent advice. I'll just add that I've found the following to be kind of a minimum I'm willing to leave the ground with:

* Cash. Credit cards are nice, but cash spends everywhere. Except self serve pumps.
* Water. It's dry a few thousand feet up, and mild dehydration sucks.
* Snack. I keep a granola bar in the flight bag.
* Extra batteries for the ANR headset.
* All the stuff just mentioned, but I'll second (third? fourth) the overnight bag. After my very first cross country had me spending a couple of nights away from home I hadn't planned on, I always have a change of clothes and such in a small bag. Weighs almost nothing.

* Trash bags, preferably the heavy duty ones. All sorts of uses, very little space. Let's just say that throwing up is not the only uncontrollable emission one could conceivably have to endure if an airport bathroom is not immediately available.

* Aspirin (non-prescription painkiller of choice), dramamine, etc. Again, so much bang for the buck. You or your passengers may need some and it takes so little space in the bag.

* Paper towels. I once got what seemed like most of a quart of oil on me after trying to add a quart in a 15G30 kind of day. Bottle slipped and oil went EVERYWHERE.

* All the other crap owners accumulate. Window cleaner, clean rags, tire pressure gauge, extra oil, etc.

There's lot of other stuff you -could- take, and arguably should if you want to maximize chances of survival in an off airport landing (see http://equipped.com), but this is what goes with me all the time. Plus all the stuff in my flight bag, but I assume you have that covered.
 
stroke mags. I mean, it's a 3 hour xc!


(sorry, just watched Flight)

:rofl: :rofl:
 
An extra quart of oil (or two depending on your engine) and don't forget a funnel or some convenient way of getting the oil from the container into the engine. Also I always carry a full set of tiedown ropes for those places with anchors in the ramp but no ropes and a pair of those big rubber chocks for those places without even anchors. One new main gear innertube plus a new tailwheel tube and a new tailwheel spring main leaf.
Other than that I'd just say.......a pocket full of walkin' around money and a paid up credit card, oh and a cell phone comes in handy sometimes.
 
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