Flight Bag

[SDF_Specialist]

So what is in your flight bag? What is good to put in the flight bag?

[SJFedor]

food.

[Tubacap]

Me too... and my nalgene bottle.

[Short Field]

Handheld Garmin GPS
Handheld VHF Radio
non-polarized lens sun glasses
spare set of reading glasses (optional for some - required for others  )
Kneeboard/clipboard
#2 lead pencils and a "grease" pencil
Leatherman
Cell Phone adapter for headsets (not that I would ever call mission base unless I was on the ground)
2 x LED Mag lights (small ones) - one with a blue light filter (note:  use blue not red unless you have a red light readable map)
Non-current Gridded and a current sectional chart
Road Map
Flight Plotter
Flight Computer (circular slide rule or electronic)
lots of extra batteries
Couple of water bottles

[Slim]

Barf bags......cause sick happens 

[ammotrucker]

Plus a disposable camera unless your aircraft is SDIS equipped.

[SDF_Specialist]

Plus a disposable camera unless your aircraft is SDIS equipped.

....as I keep dreaming. Where would be a good place to get an affordable headset? I'm not looking for something that can pick up satellite television. Just something so I can hear the pilot, and so I can talk back to the rest of the crew.

[_]

Plus a disposable camera unless your aircraft is SDIS equipped.

....as I keep dreaming. Where would be a good place to get an affordable headset? I'm not looking for something that can pick up satellite television. Just something so I can hear the pilot, and so I can talk back to the rest of the crew.

I got the basic one avcomm sells.  It think it's the AC 200.  I got it for $80-90 from the flying club I was in but you can find it on the web for around $100.  Nothing fancy but works well.  I did splurge for a set of David Clark gel ear pads ($20ish) for them to replace the stock foam ones.

[Pylon]

....as I keep dreaming. Where would be a good place to get an affordable headset? I'm not looking for something that can pick up satellite television. Just something so I can hear the pilot, and so I can talk back to the rest of the crew.

Look on eBay for deals.  You can get one for under $100, or buy a very decent starter headset from Sporty's from $120-160.  You can also use Sporty's "Headset Wizard" to find ones in your price range, then compare and get the one you can afford with the most features.

[Al Sayre]

If you want a good "Cheap headset" for occasional use or as a spare or loaner, of for your passengers, I've found these:  http://www.warrengregoire.com/aviation-headsets.htm   to be a pretty good deal.  They are reasonably comfortable, reasonably priced and work fine.  I have 2 of them and use them when giving O'rides, or for loaning out instead of my "good" set...

[Trung Si Ma]

[Where would be a good place to get an affordable headset?

Talk to some of the pilots, especially when they're talking about their NEW headset.  I've cycled my headset to the back seat as I've upgraded.  Personally, I don't look at getting rid of the #2 headset until it becomes the #3 headset because I might go back like I did when I moved the Bose to #2 and re-promoted the DC back to primary.

Don

[SDF_Specialist]

Thanks for all of the suggestions. I am looking for something $100 or lower, and have found a lot of these suggestions to be very helpful. I will post again when I've made a decision!

[Frenchie]

Thanks for all of the suggestions. I am looking for something $100 or lower, and have found a lot of these suggestions to be very helpful. I will post again when I've made a decision!

As someone else said, ebay is a good place to start.  I bought a genuine David Clark in great shape for $100 not long ago.  Most of the David Clark knockoffs are good (AvComm, Softcomm, ect.) and there are dozens of manufacturers who make them.  They are easy to spot because they look very similar to DCs.

[Pylon]

Also, for recommendations on the Flight Bag itself, see this thread.

[IceNine]

Back to the headsets


So the question is of the multiple variations of head pads and ear seals what is the ultimate combination of comfort, I'm looking at used models on our friendly Ebay and I'll be replacing anything that will come in contact with my head

[genejackson]

IceNine,

Gotta jump in here real quick on the headset issue.   As both a pilot of 33 years experience and as a practicing ENT Specialist, please do not go cheap on your headset if you plan to spend any length of time in our airplanes.   Your ears are especially sensitive organs and they remember damage - it's cumulative and permanent.   Get the best headset you can reasonably afford.   If at all possible, get a set of ANR's.  I don't happen to think that everyone needs the $1000 Bose, I use a set of Flightcom ANR's and love them.   I average about 350-400 hrs a year and would never fly again without ANR's if I have the option.

Our practice sees a lot of pilots and our audiologist is fairly busy fitting hearing aids these days.   Don't let you be one of the pilots later in life needing hearing aids because you went cheap on your headset.  The noise levels in these airplanes are fairly significant dB wise and cheap headsets may not protect you enough.

Gene Jackson
Group I CC
Danville VA

(Danville ENT Associates/Danville, VA)