Jason Schappert, the blogger behind MzeroA.com, has written a great post for the Let’s Go Flying blog about what the top 5 most important items pilots need to have in their flight bags. These five items are:
- Headset. Not only is having a headset necessary for flying, its probably better to have your own headset rather than a rented one if you are concerned about what the previous user may have left behind on a rented one. Otherwise, Jason recommends buying an Active noise reduction (ANR) headset because this headset has state of the art noise reduction technology that will make your flying more enjoyable.
- Kneeboard. You will need a stable platform to write on while flying and one that won’t go flying as soon as you hit turbulence. That’s where a kneeboard comes in. Moreover and if you use an iPad, you will need to have a kneeboard to avoid damaging it.
- Charts and Diagrams. Even if you use an iPad, its still smart to keep a few paper charts handy. After all, paper charts won’t overheat or stop working when the battery runs out plus you could even be checked by airport authorities for them before or after your flight.
- Pilot’s Operating Handbook (POH). Carrying the Pilot’s Operating Handbook (POH) for the aircraft that you will be flying is important because it will contain important information like the weight and balance of your aircraft and its checklists. Likewise, airport authorities might check to see if you are carrying one.
- First Aide Equipment. There is always the chance that you could end up with an airsick or a hypoxic passenger. Moreover and if you are ever forced to land off airport, having a first aide kit will definitely come in handy to deal with any minor injuries that may have occurred.
And while these are probably the most important items to have in your flight bag, they are certainly not the only items that you might want to be carrying. Hence, are there any other items that could be just as important to have in a flight bag that Jason left out?
Here's the contents of my bag and/or items on my person for each flight, organized neatly…
http://instagr.am/p/e8WoZ/
I always make sure I have a small headlamp in my flight bag. I keep it in the same pocket that my headset is in. I like headlamps better than flashlights because I can use it hands-free. It is useful when pre-flighting and fueling after dark. Also, I have used it in flight at night to read charts or instruments, especially in older airplanes that have poor cockpit lighting. I would also add an E6B or electronic flight computer, and definitely two pens to write with. Never know when one of them will run out of ink or otherwise quit working.