Re: The flight bag and those 'odd' items ....

[Rob]

I guess I've been reading this group for too
long. I actually understood that.

-R

[blanche cohen]

3 D-cell metal case flashlight. Suitable for night flight pre-flights,
emergencies, and creating a pilot-side door on a cherokee.

(*sniggles*)

[gatt]

"John Harper" >

> Lighter than a hammer and a lot more effective, for glass anyway (never
> tried it with Plexiglas)... an automatic centre punch (one of those things
> that you push until it goes "thunk" and makes a dimple in the metal).
> Press it up against the corner of a window and bingo. (I have a good
> reason for knowing, honest, I locked myself out of a rental car once
> and this was how they got back in).

Somebody joked about putting a Ka-Bar combat knife behind seats in airplanes
here this week, but it's a good point. I always carry mine, even in my jeep
or van. The blade of a Ka-Bar is sharp enough to cut fabric and the back of
it is a metal pommel that is flat for pounding tent stakes, and it could
easily be used to break a window.

And unlike a hammer or a centerpunch, it's great for slicing summer sausage
and cheese. :>

A Leatherman would probably do too. I carry a small flashlight, some
aspirin, a yak-sack that I liberated from a United Airlines seatback, a
knife and glasses.

> Personally I'm pretyt impaired without glasses - I can fly just fine but
> I can't read anything. I keep a spare pair of (cheap) glasses
> in the plane and another in my flight bag.

I usually wear contacts. At my first BFR, the CFI told me he'd sign me off
if I promised to carry glasses with me "in case." (pun) Made sense, so now
I almost always do.

-c

[john smith]

blanche cohen wrote:
> 3 D-cell metal case flashlight. Suitable for night flight pre-flights,
> emergencies, and creating a pilot-side door on a cherokee.

No reason to not add a LED headlamp.
Low cost, non glare lighting, long battery life, small size, light
weight.

[Kathy]

"John Harper" > wrote in message
news:1060893504.948012@sj-nntpcache-3...
>
> Personally I'm pretyt impaired without glasses - I can fly just fine but
> I can't read anything. I keep a spare pair of (cheap) glasses
> in the plane and another in my flight bag.
>
> John

British pilots are required to have a second pair of glasses, IIRC. I can't
get a second pair (long explanation deleted) so tightening the frame screws
and putting on a sports strap are now on my preflight.

Kathy

[Tony Roberts]

In article >, "Dr. Anthony J. Lomenzo"
> wrote:

> Perhaps some recall moons ago when the RAP newsgroup discussion was the
> old flight bag and what 'extras' one would carry 'other' then the usual
> and in fact almost expected items. Well, this came up again some weeks
> ago among the brethren and again I mentioned what some considered an odd
> item to have along but after some discussion it wasn't as odd as it
> first seemed!
>
> A HAMMER! Wait now! Don't be so quick to scoff! Two potentially deadly
> scenarios just for starters: smoke in the cabin [still grinning?] and a
> forced landing where mercifully you made it but even in cases of minor
> crumpling of the aluminum, door jamming is 'not' uncommon when your
> FIRST goal [and any folks with you] in such an event is to get out of
> there....FAST! Unfortunately, the human hand or fist or ad hoc shoe for
> that matter is not particularly effective against Plexiglas but a hammer
> can at least help matters. Plexiglas can be replaced, you and yours can
> not. Better you beat the thing with steel ... versus slippery flesh.
>
> But then, I know long term GA folks who 'sans' their corrective lens
> polarized specs would 'admittedly' be reduced to the German Shepherd and
> the red/white cane thing yet they do not carry a second back-up pair of
> eyeglasses. Recall that even if the corrective lens specs resemble the
> ends of coke bottles or could fry those proverbial ants in literal
> droves when tilted to the sun, the FAA concern is only that 'with' the
> specs you can pass the old Snellen requirements and so the dioptic(s) of
> the lens is not an issue...until you're suddenly found without them for
> some unforeseen reason. Or, more on the probability side of things, they
> simply break and you need a backup. Hey, get your friendly optician to
> 'also' give you a copy of the lens prescription and stick it in the
> bag....along with a back-up pair of corrective lens specs.
>
> As to others things in the flight bag, hey, as I recall there was quite
> a lively discussion about it and those odd items that folks tend to
> forget! Or reflect upon.

A small pair of vice-grips. I was flying once when the knob on the
throttle disintegrated. Quite by coincidence (from tightening a lock) I
had some vice-grips in my flight bag and I gripped the throttle and they
worked just fine. There are lots of items in an aircraft that can break or
come loose and just need holding, and several controls that could break
and then you need an instant handle.
Also a flashlight or l.e.d. headlamp, and - a luxury but one that I am
about to purchase - a handheld radio. If I ever did go down, I would
really like to have a radio with me for if/when search & rescue flew
overhead!

--
Tony Roberts )
PP-ASEL
VFR-OTT - Night
Cessna 172H

[MC]

An ex-food 500ml glass jar with a sealable lid for
those longish cross-country trips.
(in non-coastal areas of Australia runways can be
few and far between, for that *urgent* pit-stop)

[journeyman]

On 14 Aug 2003 16:02:36 -0600, blanche cohen > wrote:
>3 D-cell metal case flashlight. Suitable for night flight pre-flights,
>emergencies, and creating a pilot-side door on a cherokee.

I call it a PART: Passenger Attitude Readjustment Tool.


Morris

[rgb]

I also carry folding plier, allways useful to unscrew the oil cap of
thoses ranted planes flew by students who screw that cap thight like
hell ...

:-)

Tony Roberts wrote:

> A small pair of vice-grips. I was flying once when the knob on the
> throttle disintegrated. Quite by coincidence (from tightening a lock) I
> had some vice-grips in my flight bag and I gripped the throttle and they
> worked just fine. There are lots of items in an aircraft that can break or
> come loose and just need holding, and several controls that could break
> and then you need an instant handle.
> Also a flashlight or l.e.d. headlamp, and - a luxury but one that I am
> about to purchase - a handheld radio. If I ever did go down, I would
> really like to have a radio with me for if/when search & rescue flew
> overhead!
>

[Al Gilson]

in article ,
Tony Roberts at wrote on 8/15/03 10:07 PM:

> In article >, "Dr. Anthony J. Lomenzo"
> > wrote:
>
>> Perhaps some recall moons ago when the RAP newsgroup discussion was the
>> old flight bag and what 'extras' one would carry 'other' then the usual
>> and in fact almost expected items. Well, this came up again some weeks
>> ago among the brethren and again I mentioned what some considered an odd
>> item to have along but after some discussion it wasn't as odd as it
>> first seemed!
>>
>> A HAMMER! Wait now! Don't be so quick to scoff! Two potentially deadly
>> scenarios just for starters: smoke in the cabin [still grinning?] and a
>> forced landing where mercifully you made it but even in cases of minor
>> crumpling of the aluminum, door jamming is 'not' uncommon when your
>> FIRST goal [and any folks with you] in such an event is to get out of
>> there....FAST! Unfortunately, the human hand or fist or ad hoc shoe for
>> that matter is not particularly effective against Plexiglas but a hammer
>> can at least help matters. Plexiglas can be replaced, you and yours can
>> not. Better you beat the thing with steel ... versus slippery flesh.
>>
>> But then, I know long term GA folks who 'sans' their corrective lens
>> polarized specs would 'admittedly' be reduced to the German Shepherd and
>> the red/white cane thing yet they do not carry a second back-up pair of
>> eyeglasses. Recall that even if the corrective lens specs resemble the
>> ends of coke bottles or could fry those proverbial ants in literal
>> droves when tilted to the sun, the FAA concern is only that 'with' the
>> specs you can pass the old Snellen requirements and so the dioptic(s) of
>> the lens is not an issue...until you're suddenly found without them for
>> some unforeseen reason. Or, more on the probability side of things, they
>> simply break and you need a backup. Hey, get your friendly optician to
>> 'also' give you a copy of the lens prescription and stick it in the
>> bag....along with a back-up pair of corrective lens specs.
>>
>> As to others things in the flight bag, hey, as I recall there was quite
>> a lively discussion about it and those odd items that folks tend to
>> forget! Or reflect upon.
>
> A small pair of vice-grips. I was flying once when the knob on the
> throttle disintegrated. Quite by coincidence (from tightening a lock) I
> had some vice-grips in my flight bag and I gripped the throttle and they
> worked just fine. There are lots of items in an aircraft that can break or
> come loose and just need holding, and several controls that could break
> and then you need an instant handle.
> Also a flashlight or l.e.d. headlamp, and - a luxury but one that I am
> about to purchase - a handheld radio. If I ever did go down, I would
> really like to have a radio with me for if/when search & rescue flew
> overhead!


Tony, my carb heat knob came off the first time I flew our 172 E. Can I
borrow your vise grips?

[Dr. Anthony J. Lomenzo]

Al Gilson wrote:
>
> in article ,
> Tony Roberts at wrote on 8/15/03 10:07 PM:
>
> > In article >, "Dr. Anthony J. Lomenzo"
> > > wrote:
> >
> >> Perhaps some recall moons ago when the RAP newsgroup discussion was the
> >> old flight bag and what 'extras' one would carry 'other' then the usual
> >> and in fact almost expected items. Well, this came up again some weeks
> >> ago among the brethren and again I mentioned what some considered an odd
> >> item to have along but after some discussion it wasn't as odd as it
> >> first seemed!
> >>
> >> A HAMMER! Wait now! Don't be so quick to scoff! Two potentially deadly
> >> scenarios just for starters: smoke in the cabin [still grinning?] and a
> >> forced landing where mercifully you made it but even in cases of minor
> >> crumpling of the aluminum, door jamming is 'not' uncommon when your
> >> FIRST goal [and any folks with you] in such an event is to get out of
> >> there....FAST! Unfortunately, the human hand or fist or ad hoc shoe for
> >> that matter is not particularly effective against Plexiglas but a hammer
> >> can at least help matters. Plexiglas can be replaced, you and yours can
> >> not. Better you beat the thing with steel ... versus slippery flesh.
> >>
> >> But then, I know long term GA folks who 'sans' their corrective lens
> >> polarized specs would 'admittedly' be reduced to the German Shepherd and
> >> the red/white cane thing yet they do not carry a second back-up pair of
> >> eyeglasses. Recall that even if the corrective lens specs resemble the
> >> ends of coke bottles or could fry those proverbial ants in literal
> >> droves when tilted to the sun, the FAA concern is only that 'with' the
> >> specs you can pass the old Snellen requirements and so the dioptic(s) of
> >> the lens is not an issue...until you're suddenly found without them for
> >> some unforeseen reason. Or, more on the probability side of things, they
> >> simply break and you need a backup. Hey, get your friendly optician to
> >> 'also' give you a copy of the lens prescription and stick it in the
> >> bag....along with a back-up pair of corrective lens specs.
> >>
> >> As to others things in the flight bag, hey, as I recall there was quite
> >> a lively discussion about it and those odd items that folks tend to
> >> forget! Or reflect upon.
> >
> > A small pair of vice-grips. I was flying once when the knob on the
> > throttle disintegrated. Quite by coincidence (from tightening a lock) I
> > had some vice-grips in my flight bag and I gripped the throttle and they
> > worked just fine. There are lots of items in an aircraft that can break or
> > come loose and just need holding, and several controls that could break
> > and then you need an instant handle.
> > Also a flashlight or l.e.d. headlamp, and - a luxury but one that I am
> > about to purchase - a handheld radio. If I ever did go down, I would
> > really like to have a radio with me for if/when search & rescue flew
> > overhead!
>
> Tony, my carb heat knob came off the first time I flew our 172 E. Can I
> borrow your vise grips?


BIZZZ! That was the 'other' poster's bag, Al!

Doc Tony

However, I just might add his suggestion! ;-)


[meanwhile, from the other thread, and still as serious as ever...bit or
no bit...but that's Pete!]

Pete D. "And Werner, that's a 'focal plane' shutter! Let me know when
you have it!"

[but then....]

Roger: "Jim, what are you doing here?"
Jim Fisher: "Ohhh, I'm the forger!"

great flick, that!

[Ben Jackson]

In article >,
Al Gilson > wrote:
>
>Tony, my carb heat knob came off the first time I flew our 172 E. Can I
>borrow your vise grips?

When I had a carb heat knob in a 172 come off I got the knob, the
shaft and the control cable. In the process it did turn the carb
heat on to a degree I had never seen in that 172!

--
Ben Jackson
>
http://www.ben.com/

[Steve House]

Seen the super aviator's watch from Breitling (starting at a mere 6+ grand)
that has an ELT built into it?


"Tony Roberts" > wrote in message
...
>>....snip....
> Also a flashlight or l.e.d. headlamp, and - a luxury but one that I am
> about to purchase - a handheld radio. If I ever did go down, I would
> really like to have a radio with me for if/when search & rescue flew
> overhead!
>

[Steve House]

Are you ever tempted to unscrew that pop-off crown over the antenna, just
to see if it's REALLY there? That's got to be as tempting to fiddle with as
the big red button on the wall with the sign that says "Don't ever push this
button."

Not trying to pry into your personal situation, all the more power to you!,
but for years I've been trying to figure out what the heck real people do in
the world in order to earn that much "mad money" discretionary income, that
many kilobucks in the spare change fund, to be able to spend that much on a
watch?!?!?!?! Sure seems like there's a lot of you out there. LOL


"GKgloc" > wrote in message
...
> In article >, "Steve House"
> > writes:
>
> >Seen the super aviator's watch from Breitling (starting at a mere 6+
grand)
> >that has an ELT built into it?
>
> Actually, I bought mine at OSH 02, for a mere 3.5 grand.

[GKgloc]

Hi Group,

I most humbly state that, I'm not putting anyone "on". I actually purchased my
Brietling Emergency chronograph at OSH 02, after lusting after one for several
years. I don't have the urge to unscrew the antenna cover to see if it works,
they give you a test box for that, actually, there are two antenna's to unscrew
and extend (for longer range).

FWIW, when you purchase a Brietling Emergency, you;
1. Have to show your Pilot Certificate to prove you're a pilot.
2. Sign a contract with Brietling that you won't use the Emergency function
except in a real emergency, thus preventing "stupid bar trick's".
3. The contract you sign also requests you have your watch serviced annually
at an authorized Brietling dealer, which is free! Free batteries for life!

Each year, Brietling sends me a Christmas card, and they send my wife a small
box of chocolates. As a small watch "collector", I think that's a nice touch,
hey Sector, Seiko, Rolex, are ya listening? I know that you can buy a lot of
cards and chocolates, or a shiney new avionics box for your airplane, for what
you pay for a Brietling. But having the piece of mind that my family can be
rescued when aviating, boating, hiking, etc., in my mind, is worth the expense.

I think of myself a real person, and I'm sure everyone in this group works very
hard for their income. During the week, I work for a company that builds
flight simulators and human centrifuges, on the weekends, I'm a skydiving
instructor. So I use my skydiving income to pay for my aviation addiction. So
essentially, except for rainy weekends, I work 7 days a week.

To put some of this "discretionary income" in perspective, I once witnessed a
Lear 35 land at Marathon, FL, not to disembark passengers, or refuel, or for
what I would consider a "normal" reason for landing, but, as they taxied to the
FBO, they radioed that they would like to borrow the courtesy car to fetch
limes from the local store. Apparently they had no limes for their
margaritas!! And there I was, counting change out of my pocket to pay for my
fuel, geezh!!

Sorry for the long post, slow day at work!

Blue skies.......
>
>Are you ever tempted to unscrew that pop-off crown over the antenna, just
>to see if it's REALLY there? That's got to be as tempting to fiddle with as
>the big red button on the wall with the sign that says "Don't ever push this
>button."
>
>Not trying to pry into your personal situation, all the more power to you!,
>but for years I've been trying to figure out what the heck real people do in
>the world in order to earn that much "mad money" discretionary income, that
>many kilobucks in the spare change fund, to be able to spend that much on a
>watch?!?!?!?! Sure seems like there's a lot of you out there. LOL
>

[Jeff Cook]

"GKgloc" > wrote in message
> FWIW, when you purchase a Brietling Emergency, you;
> 1. Have to show your Pilot Certificate to prove you're a pilot.
> 2. Sign a contract with Brietling that you won't use the Emergency
function
> except in a real emergency, thus preventing "stupid bar trick's".


Can you use the standard test procedures for emergency beacons listed in
the FAR/AIM? A beacon whose function can't be confirmed isn't too
useful. Who is a party to this funky contract, and is it a legal
document or a corporate responsibility campaign?

[GKgloc]

In article >, "Jeff Cook" >
writes:

>
>"GKgloc" > wrote in message
>> FWIW, when you purchase a Brietling Emergency, you;
>> 1. Have to show your Pilot Certificate to prove you're a pilot.
>> 2. Sign a contract with Brietling that you won't use the Emergency
>function
>> except in a real emergency, thus preventing "stupid bar trick's".
>
>
>Can you use the standard test procedures for emergency beacons listed in
>the FAR/AIM? A beacon whose function can't be confirmed isn't too
>useful. Who is a party to this funky contract, and is it a legal
>document or a corporate responsibility campaign?
>

Hi Jeff,

You're not able to activate the watch on 121.5/243.0 as a check using the
standard test procedure for ELT's. Extending the antennas, which then
activates the beacon, is a one shot deal. Brietling provides each owner with a
test box, onto which you mount the watch, and listen to the beacon.

Also, I'm not sure about the legalities of the contract you sign. I believe it
to be both a corporate and personal statement of responsibility to prevent
those stupid "Hey Bubba, watch this" scenairos. I, like most others, have a
deep respect for SAR personnel, and don't want to send any on a wild goose
chase.

So the next question in my mind is...what assurances do you have that the watch
will work in an emergency situation? Well, other than the test box, and the
reputation of the company, I have several testimonials from pilots who have
used theirs, and they worked. That's enough proof for me.

Blue skies......

Glenn

[EDR]

> Can you use the standard test procedures for emergency beacons listed in
> the FAR/AIM?

I have a feeling that Brietling is the only place that can put the
antennas back in the case.
Also, the low power output of the transmitter means that SAR is going
to have to be very close to pick up the transmission and or affect a
rescue before the batteries go TU.

[Steve House]

"GKgloc" > wrote in message
...
....snip

> I think of myself a real person, and I'm sure everyone in this group works
very
> hard for their income. During the week, I work for a company that builds
> flight simulators and human centrifuges, on the weekends, I'm a skydiving
> instructor. So I use my skydiving income to pay for my aviation
addiction. So
> essentially, except for rainy weekends, I work 7 days a week.

Of course, and I really do hope you don't think I meant to imply otherwise
or take any offense at my post. My work has recently hit a late summer
doldrum that has really forced us to severely economize, including putting
my flight training on hiatus for a couple or three months. Relative incomes
are a frequent topic of discussions my wife and I have been having,
comparing our current income with the things we want to do and I'm perplexed
by the apparent income indicated by the lifstyles of many of our
contempories. There sure seem to be an awful lot of people out there that
can afford $250,000 homes and $65,000 SUV's and summer cottages by the lake
and etc etc etc and to my perception such assets are so common as to pretty
much define "normal," the middle of the middle class, the "average" suburban
dweller. Driving through the suburbs outside of a city like Toronto they go
on for miles and miles and there are far more people there than can be
accounted for by the number of surgeons and big business senior managers -
most of these people have got to be are just ordinary college-educated
white-collar working people like me. Drive past the developments and you
see the signs that read "Semi-detached 3 bedroom town homes starting at ONLY
$329,000" outside a subdivision with hundreds of units under construction.
But the census bureau tells us that middle class households gross somewhere
on the order of 35 kilobucks per year. Uhhhh, you don't by a quarter
million dollar plus house on a 35 k income and I don't believe those
numbers. So something doesn't jive and I've come to the conclusion that I
really don't have a clue what people really do or earn and how to go about
negotiating similar situations for myself. I'm not jealous that you can
afford a 3.5 kilobuck watch (well, maybe a little <g>) -if anything I don't
consider it to be all THAT unusual, they must sell enough of them to be able
to tool up the production line - but it's certainly a stratospheric expense
according to my chequebook, as are the house and the SUV and the cottage
that most of the people I think as my peers seem easily to afford, and I'm
trying to figure out what h**l I've been doing wrong the last 30 years
<grin>.

[GKgloc]

In article >, "Steve House"
> writes:

>Of course, and I really do hope you don't think I meant to imply otherwise
>or take any offense at my post.

Hi Steve,

No offense taken. Good luck with your flight training. I hope you'll be back
in the air very soon.

Blue skies........

Glenn