Pilot Accessories

Wired.com recently had an article about an odd website called Tattoos In Flight, which is a homage to the art of aviation tattoos and the stories behind them. In fact, the website’s founder, Ryan Keough, is both a professional pilot and an avid tattoo wearer.

A quick search of his website revealed a few tattoos with a decidedly British connection, including this leg tattoo montage of USAAF P-51 Mustangs that was created by Oliver Jerrold, a tattoo artist at Hope and Glory Tattoo in Swaffham, Norfolk. Tattoos In Flight also reminded readers that while the P-51 was made famous when the US Army Air Forces used them during World War II and they were built by North American Aircraft in the USA, they were actually designed and built to meet specifications requested by the Royal Air Force (RAF) for a single engine fighter aircraft back in 1940:

Spitfires also make popular tattoos and this example was created by Paul Fuller of Sharpside Tattoo Studio in Seaford, East Sussex.  Apparently the wearer is a microlight pilot who chose the Mark IX variant of the Spitfire because “he feels it’s the best all round development of the Spitfire before being overpowered by the Griffon engine!”

Aviation tattoos can be more than just airplanes as the daughter of an avid pilot in the USA has had part of the poem High Flight by John Gillespie Magee, Jr. tattooed on her back in his memory:

Finally, Tattoos In Flight has found this photo of Freddie Laker, the son of British airline entrepreneur Sir Freddie Laker who has a tattoo of the logo of his fathers airline, Laker Airways, on his shoulder. However, there is no word whether Richard Branson or Michael O’Leary have their logos tattooed anywhere on their bodies! 

Are you a general aviation pilot who regularly takes long range trips and you are worried about not having a restroom on board or no appropriate place to land in order to use one? Here is a pilot accessory idea courtesy of David Cenciotti and his Aviationist blog: Soviet designed underwear with urine collection devices called “piddle packs.”

As you can see from the pictures David obtained (he won’t divulge who his source was for them…), the way the “piddle packs” work should be self explanatory as they are obviously intended for male pilots:

Apparently, there must not have been any female fighter pilots in the Soviet Air Force – or perhaps they were never sent on any long range missions requiring “piddle packs.”

Either way and as you can imagine, anyone having to urinate in a cramped fighter cockpit while wearing a flight suit can be a tricky and downright dangerous maneuver. In fact, David noted that at least two fighter planes were lost in attempts to do so (their pilots were able to safely eject but we can only imagine what their superiors said afterwards). Hence, the reason for developing such underwear systems.

However, David also posted a link to an Air Force Times article about a small medical equipment development company called Omni Medical Solutions that is based in Milton, Vermont and makes next generation underwear for fighter pilots priced at a mere $2,800 – not including the sealed bags.

A quick look at the company’s website reveals a whole range of stylish products that both male and female pilots might be interested in, such as the following:

Of course, another and far cheaper alternative to long range underwear would simply be not drinking any tea, coffee or carbonated beverages before a long distance flight! Then again, that might not be an option if you are a professional fighter pilot….