UdoR wrote:
I don’t carry anything more, but am astouned about this thread.
If you fly around on German airfields that might kind of work as many will have some maintenance on site. But once you venture a bit further you can never have enough (light weight) tools, tape, zip ties, brake fluid, lock wire you name it. Try to find some maintenance at Croatian, Greek etc. airfields. Usually they have no based aircraft at all so no infrastructure.
A friend is just about to get a plane with a flat tire going in Africa and you can not imagine the drama. I think he wishes he had taken one of those with him in the first place:
This argument is exactly the same argument that goes on when a group of classic car enthusiasts go on a grand tour.
Some will take everything but the kitchen sink leaving no room for clothes and only just enough for a couple of toothbrushes. Forget the kids leave them with gran and grandad.
Others go as a family and deal with the consequences if they do have a problem. Like UdoR I am in the second category😁
Sebastian_G wrote:
But once you venture a bit further you can never have enough (light weight) tools, tape, zip ties, brake fluid, lock wire you name it.
I think that you’ve seen here that I am rather a “go-to-places” guy. Yes I was in need of items on several occations. But I refuel for 9.5 hours of flight time (enough for a non-stop to Spain and just back to France to refuel) and pack the family. There’s just no room or load capability left.
However I will add some items that are not available easily.
All this makes me think. Could anyone imagine to form a group where just in case that one was stuck anywhere that we organized help? Of course this is normally not possible in a day, but there are examples imaginable where you’re stuck without a specific part or where it would be just so much easier with a little help from someone with an airplane, or who is local.
I was once stuck in Austria with a broken throttle cable many years ago. This needed quite some organization to first identify the problem, then get the cable there and do the repair. Of course it was Sunday and all needed to be back to work on Monday, that meant instead of a less-than-two-hours flight finding a car to rent (on sunday) and a 10 hours drive through the night. And then managing the repair and so on.
UdoR wrote:
There’s just no room or load capability left.
That is true. But if you have a little capacity even 1 or 2kg of tools can go a long way. Even having a folding multitool can go a long way. Imagine your throttle cable is not broken but just the attachment came loose. A tiny tool can save the day. I would rather leave 2 liters of fuel behind and have a wide selection of small tools instead.
Just a few examples:
Landed and had air in the brake. Did bleed it on site in a few minutes and the trip could continue.
Did have a flat tire and firefighters came to lift the plane etc. I saved the day with a tiny tool to undo the gear door linkage in no time to avoid them breaking it.
Had a leaking fuel tank, a tiny drop of fast epoxy sealed it, trip saved.
Found loose screws on inspection cover, 30 second fix with small screwdriver
Had a static port blocked. Different sizes of small tools helped to get the dirt out.
Had a fuel drain jammed, fuel draining on the apron with no way to stop it until tank is empty. Ran to the long screw driver and did manage to unblock and seal it in a minute. A little mess but no drama. Imagine draining 250 liters of JetA1 on the apron, airport firefighters coming etc.
→ But all those cases show usually the small and light tools are the most valuable
One’s opinion on carrying tools changes dramatically when you get stuck in the middle of some 3rd World country, and there are plenty in Europe 
Sebastian_G wrote:
But all those cases show usually the small and light tools are the most valuable
I had a flat tire on a frozen lake in the middle of nowhere at minus 15 deg C No small and light tool would help me there. Luckily the hole was tiny, and luckily a woman living near by had a compressor. Filled up the tire, took off immediately. When landing back at ENVA it was flat again, and then airport patrol came and helped. At that time they could only drag the plane with a car. Today they have this fancy trailer they winch the plane onto.
IMO you need:
This kind of thing may have save you also:
https://fixmfg.com/product/eflator-digital-tire-pump/
Any idea if it would succeed to inflat a plane tyre? Specification doesn’t mention the air quantity it can inflate
LeSving wrote:
I had a flat tire
If the hole is too bad and you don’t have a compressor, you can stuff the tyre with grass to get you out of a fix. You still need to jack the plane up of course to do that. If it’s a tailwheel though, you can lift up the tail of most light tailwheel aircraft (mine has handles on the rear fuselage specifically so you can lift the tail if you need to).
Also don’t do what I saw someone do once — try to lift the plane by the strut (externally braced high wing). Those struts are only strong in tension. They fold like a noodle if you try to get under them and lift the plane up leaving you with two problems (a very expensive strut replacement and a now very immobile and a very definite AOG situation).
Sebastian_G wrote:
But all those cases show usually the small and light tools are the most valuable
Yes I get the picture. You made me think. Just like one spark plug (and just the tool to get it out). Can make a difference.
So maybe I was just lucky so far.
Sebastian_G wrote:
That is true. But if you have a little capacity even 1 or 2kg of tools can go a long way
Ok ok I have yet another motivation to make that trip to the States to get my auxiliary fuel tanks. They increase MTOW 
LeSving wrote:
IMO you need:
- Luck
- A woman with a compressor
OK that one is great
But then…how do you put that in the toolbox? I mean, the compressor is not really handy.
It helps to try to imagine what you’d hope to fix vs what is just tough luck.
I agree with Peter that you can often find yourself in a deserted place, where very easily with a few items you can save the day.
I carry a spark plug and appropriate socket, a lightweight torque wrench (I use it as the ratchet handle). Small assortment of sockets
Cable ties.
Multi tip screwdriver
Mini saw
Knife
2x adjustable spanners.
Self amalgamating tape.
High pressure silicone tape
Reinforced 2" wide tape
2x ratchet straps for tying down (they have saved my butt twice)
Allen key for radio stack removal.
For my 10 day tours I take more inc a multimeter.
