What’s in the bag?

Sport Pilot

Sport Pilot

Pre-takeoff checklist
Joined
Dec 5, 2017
Messages
297
Location
Illinois
Display Name
Display name:
Pilot
I would like everyone’s suggestions and guidance on the items you have in your flight bag.

I have a
flashlight
external battery charger
headset
Pens/Pencils
Small first aid kit
Knee board
Water bottle
Cash
Identification
E6B
Pliers
Log book
 
I am a pretty "studentish" packer;

- Extra batteries for headset
- Handheld radio + adapter for headset
- iPad + suction cup for it
- Battery pack + cable for ipad (also use it for my iphone)
- Gopro with all accesoires and extra battery
- Sun glasses

And ofcourse, paper CHARTS!
 
Pretty much nuthin'. I bought a little backpack but never use it unless I'm staying somewhere overnight. Airplane has a first aid kit, small roll of tools, a little bottle of coolant just in case. No oil -- it burns close to zero. Day VFR only, so no flashlight other than the one in the map/glove box, along with the fuel tester and rarely-used tiedown rings. Pen, pencil, paper are all in the side pocket with the checklist cards. I don't carry paper charts any more; even IF there were a GPS outage, I've always got a good idea where I'm at and where I'm going and can fly IFR to destination (I Follow Roads/Rivers). My wallet with certs, cash and credit cards is always with me. The only thing I seem to consistently wish I hadn't forgotten to throw in the plane is a hat. I do have a handheld with VOR & ILS, and occasionally remember to bring it along.
 
I'm a minimalist. Most days just a headset and iPad. Maybe a bottle of water or headlamp for night flying if necessary.

An old timer once told me not to carry my logbook when flying. Only required if a student pilot needing the endorsements from CFI for solo flight. A. One less thing to get ramp checked. B. One less thing to carry or get lost.
 
A roll of duct tape, vaseline, rubber gloves, a lighter and a bag of gummy bears.
 
In my plane bag: Company iPad. 13 pens. FD Challenge coin. 36 business cards from people I'll never call. 4 used starbucks cards. 10 of my business cards with the former employer. Metal wings for kids from the old airline. 4 #64 rubber bands. 2 stale packs of gum. Pile of 4x6 note cards, blank. Half a sammich. Broken union pin. 2 smushed M&Ms. 4 cards full of subway stamps. Peppermint essential oil vial. Bag of peanut M&Ms, unopened. Used earplugs. Surefire flashlight and A123 batteries. CA headset. 3 plastic grocery bags. Coffee stained logbook, certificates, passport and medical. Uniform hat, type baseball.
 
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Dust, and two DC's in case Candy grows a rear seat.

It's among the joys of ownership that you don't have to pack your stuff in and out all the time. That time does get consumed, though. I never used the creeper to clean the belly of rental plane, or club plane for that matter, but this plane is MINE and you'll never find a speck on her.
 
Seems like a question with a thousand answers and it all depends on several factors. Do you rent, own, in a club, partnership? What is normally left in the plane? How far are you flying? Over what sort of terrain? So on and so forth. Too many what ifs for the answers to be of any use to someone with different circumstances.
 
jsstevens said:
A fellow could have himself a nice weekend in Vegas with that...
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heh-heh... I normally insert the Slim Pickens quote on these threads unless someone has beaten me to it.

Realistically though, I find that I take less and less to the plane with me the older I get. For work, I'm down to just carrying the headset. For a long time I carried a backpack with just a headset in it and some other stuff that other folks said I should carry, but ended up never using. That was just for show. The reality is that we have all sorts of stuff in our survival bags in the back of the plane, so any emergency stuff is just extra weight. And the reference stuff that I was told I should carry is also in the plane, so yet again, just more weight.

Now for my own plane(s) I have a shoe box sized tupperware container that has some doo-dads that I may find useful, such as a leatherman and some other minor tools. A similar box has a bunch of old sectionals that I carry just in case the iPad dies.

As I mentioned, I've gotten really minimalist with my gear. I don't even carry a handheld radio in my T-Craft. I just use my eyes and stay away from places where I have to talk. I do take my iPod and ANR earbuds when I fly the T-Craft.
 
Checkbook
Passport
Quarters for FBO vending machines
Flashlight with a warning not to look at it while on high because it may cause eye damage
Redlight flashlight
Pens
Pad of paper
Wallet
Cell phone
Laminated checklist
Keys to plane clipped on outside while driving
Keys to truck/house/hangar clipped on outside while flying

That's it. Everything else stays in the plane or hangar. It's not even big enough to be called a bag.
 
Thank you everyone for the responses. As a student, I suppose I carry other things most seasoned pilots do not. Regardless, I have learned what to carry and what not to carry. I also learned that I should use the PoA search engine before asking such a rudimentary question.
 
Sport Pilot said:
Thank you everyone for the responses. As a student, I suppose I carry other things most seasoned pilots do not. Regardless, I have learned what to carry and what not to carry. I also learned that I should use the PoA search engine before asking such a rudimentary question.
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Rudimentary or not, it doesn't matter. Whatever you ask, someone will always suggest the search. :frown2:
 
midwestpa24 said:
An old timer once told me not to carry my logbook when flying. Only required if a student pilot needing the endorsements from CFI for solo flight. A. One less thing to get ramp checked. B. One less thing to carry or get lost.
Click to expand...

I've been meaning to put my cert and medical in a badge holder and clip it to my flight bag.
 
GeorgeC said:
I've been meaning to put my cert and medical in a badge holder and clip it to my flight bag.
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I keep mine in my wallet since I may not have a flight bag with me if I am giving instruction in someone else's plane.
 
Sport Pilot said:
Thank you everyone for the responses. As a student, I suppose I carry other things most seasoned pilots do not. Regardless, I have learned what to carry and what not to carry. I also learned that I should use the PoA search engine before asking such a rudimentary question.
Click to expand...

That's right man. How DARE you ask a question that's been asked before? We all know that you should review all past posts going back all the way to the inception of POA before you ask such things. Let me guess, the next thing you'll do is make the comment, "pull the red handle" and think its original...and funny.
 
EdFred said:
I keep mine in my wallet since I may not have a flight bag with me if I am giving instruction in someone else's plane.
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Yep. Most days nothing but a headset in my hand going between planes.
 
midwestpa24 said:
An old timer once told me not to carry my logbook when flying. Only required if a student pilot needing the endorsements from CFI for solo flight.
Click to expand...

"61.51...
(2) A student pilot must carry the following items in the aircraft on all solo cross-country flights as evidence of the required authorized instructor clearances and endorsements—
(i) Pilot logbook;
(ii) Student pilot certificate; and
(iii) Any other record required by this section.

(3) A sport pilot must carry his or her logbook or other evidence of required authorized instructor endorsements on all flights.

(4) A recreational pilot must carry his or her logbook with the required authorized instructor endorsements on all solo flights—
(i) That exceed 50 nautical miles from the airport at which training was received;
(ii) Within airspace that requires communication with air traffic control;
(iii) Conducted between sunset and sunrise; or
(iv) In an aircraft for which the pilot does not hold an appropriate category or class rating.

(5) A flight instructor with a sport pilot rating must carry his or her logbook or other evidence of required authorized instructor endorsements on all flights when providing flight training."

I don't know what qualifies as "other evidence"...
 
If you see me walking out to my plane, you will see an iPad in my hand. Maybe a Mtn Dew if it’s a short flight.
 
Capt. Geoffrey Thorpe said:
(3) A sport pilot must carry his or her logbook or other evidence of required authorized instructor endorsements on all flights.

(4) A recreational pilot must carry his or her logbook with the required authorized instructor endorsements on all solo flights—
(i) That exceed 50 nautical miles from the airport at which training was received;
(ii) Within airspace that requires communication with air traffic control;
(iii) Conducted between sunset and sunrise; or
(iv) In an aircraft for which the pilot does not hold an appropriate category or class rating.

(5) A flight instructor with a sport pilot rating must carry his or her logbook or other evidence of required authorized instructor endorsements on all flights when providing flight training."

I don't know what qualifies as "other evidence"...
Click to expand...

Got me there Capt. Then again I have yet to deal with a sport or recreational pilot, and would be sure to brush up on the requirements when I do.
 
Sport Pilot said:
I would like everyone’s suggestions and guidance on the items you have in your flight bag.

I have a
flashlight
external battery charger
headset
Pens/Pencils
Small first aid kit
Knee board
Water bottle
Cash
Identification
E6B
Pliers
Log book
Click to expand...

I do have to ask, why the E6B?
 
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midwestpa24 said:
I have yet to deal with a sport or recreational pilot, and would be sure to brush up on the requirements when I do.
Click to expand...
There is a certain level of wonkisity with the sport pilot rules.
Then you get into things like adding a "Sport pilot sea" endorsement to someone with a private or "higher" for example.
 
Sport Pilot said:
I would like everyone’s suggestions and guidance on the items you have in your flight bag.

I have a
flashlight
external battery charger
headset
Pens/Pencils
Small first aid kit
Knee board
Water bottle
Cash
Identification
E6B
Pliers
Log book
Click to expand...

 
Crappy old phone snapshot of what used to be in my bag when I was flying Strike Eagles:

L to R:

Puke bag
Sharpie
Velcro straps for holding pens on your hand
LED light for mounting on mask
Maglight
IFR charts
Quick-reference checklists
Emergency checklists
Nomex gloves
skull cap

bag.jpg
 
Do any of you guys that use the heater also pack a carbon monoxide detector?
 
When the butterflies start dropping dead I know to shut off the heat and pop open the vent window.
 
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