Menu Sign In Contact FAQ
Banner
Welcome to our forums

Your flight bag, and what is in it?

Grab bag or BOB

I have a first aid box but do not have a grab bag in the ’plane, or bug out bag as it may be called Stateside.

As in Western Europe we are 99% of the time within one day’s walk to civilisation/help, I am guessing such a bag does not need to match the survivalist standards of some of our North American brethren.

Pulling a Euro version together might entail: three litres water, matches/kindle, dry food/snacks/chocolate, lightweight saucepan/mug, lightweight tarp/groundsheet, poncho/fleece, plastic garbage bags, duct tape, leatherman multi tool, spark plug socket, emergency VHF, cash, torch, compass, some first aid/toiletries including toilet paper!

Hopefully this weighs in at less than ten pounds including a lightweight rucksack to carry it in.

Oxford (EGTK), United Kingdom

I’m often flying in the Alps, where one is a bit further away from “civilization” than in the flatlands of Western Europe. But I only see a need for so many items if you want to do a MacGyver and get your aircraft flying again on your own

The most important thing are shoes – wear shoes in which you are comfortable walking over rough terrain for a few hours.

Have outerwear with you that reflects the season and temperature not only at the destination, but also in the areas your are crossing – eg. a pair of gloves also in spring or autumn.

A bottle of water is always a good idea, but three litres are way too much. When I’m doing a whole-day-climb I don’t have more than two litres with me, and most of my friends prefer to carry even less …

A first aid kit comes without saying. But that’s all, IMHO.

Last Edited by blueline at 30 Mar 09:44
LOAN Wiener Neustadt Ost, Austria

Quote But I only see a need for so many items if you want to do a MacGyver and get your aircraft flying again on your own …

Ah, but Mac Gyver wouldn’t being any tool. He’d use whatever he could find around him!

I only ever bother with a grab bag when flying over water. And even then, it’s pretty basic.

An old coat (Old because it says in the bag permanently) Carried because I’ll probably not have time to grab various bits and pieces as I exit the aircraft on a ditching, so this way I’ve only to grab the one bag.

A hat. Carried because you lose most of your heat through your head (I believe anyway).

Gloves to keep warm

Chocolate and small bottle of water. I think having something small to provide energy will help to keep the spirits up while waiting on S&R.

My transceiver. It’s waterproof to 3 meters, so should survive the ditching. It will allow me to call for help if I haven’t already done so, and allow me to be updated on the rescue mission which will also help keep the spirits up.

A PLB. For obvious reasons.

Nothing complicated, but it’s all in the one bag so no complications when trying to exit.

EIWT Weston, Ireland

what sort of flight bag do you use or dont you use any?
How do you carry your documents to the and inside the plane?
What else do you have in it?

fly2000

I was silly enough to buy a Transair one (online) that is slightly shorter than my flight-planning ruler.

I use an old Tenba camera bag which holds everything, though, ironically, not the camera! Everything meaning: headset, iPad, kneeboard, handheld radio, glasses, charts, various bits and pieces as well as license and logbook.

Brightline B17. It contains headset, ipad, charts, glasses, camera, spare batteries, power bank, gloves, hivis jacket, cap, travel john, torches, gps, bluetooth gps, spare aircraft keys, pens, protractor and the kitchen sink.

EHLE / Lelystad, Netherlands, Netherlands

Actually, I recently bought a new Lightspeed leather bag from Peter_Mundy at his pilotshop. It is made of leather and can easily slide on top of my aluminum Rimowa Pilot Trolley or can be used by itself.

What do I have in it: too much!

Here are some of the items in my flightbag: headset, 2 tourches, glasses (+ spare), 1 paper chart of The Netherlands, iPad, throwup-bags/traveljohn for same purpose for passengers, high visibility vest, spare batteries, a handradio (on the side), camera lenses (from Moment) and ND filter, A5 size kneepad with some spare blanc paper and some pens, ADL130 plus in some cases the Thuraya Satsleeve. I don’t have the lightspeed headset, but the Bose A20 instead, but this lightspeed bag is great.

Last Edited by AeroPlus at 31 Dec 08:46
EDLE, Netherlands

I carry my stuff in a box, about 25cm long

The content is just a few bits which change according to the flight e.g. chart printouts, silica gel bags, fuel receipts…

The stuff which can stay in the plane stays in the plane – one of the benefits of not renting.

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

I do take the flightbag with me to the hotel as it also carries my pasport, license, medical and other stuff and it is handy to have everything there to prepare for a next leg or flight, write down some stuff already on the kneepad or charge batteries.

EDLE, Netherlands
85 Posts
Sign in to add your message

Back to Top