Flightbag guestion

[spraypilot]

I was thinking about buying one of those flt.bags from Sportys Pilot Shop. Will a SPH-5 helment fit in any of them?

I have a military surplus helment bag, but would like something to carry my helment and all my crap all in one bag.

I was looking at the original model they have. Any info?

[EC120AV8R]

I was thinking about buying one of those flt.bags from Sportys Pilot Shop. Will a SPH-5 helment fit in any of them?

I have a military surplus helment bag, but would like something to carry my helment and all my crap all in one bag.

I was looking at the original model they have. Any info?

 

My Gallet fit into one of the Sporty's original bags, your SPH5 should fit fine. I quit using that bag to force myself to carry less stuff. I had two knee boards, and a whole bunch of other stuff I rarely used. I cut it back to the essentials.

[Autorotator]

I have never personally seen the need for a flight bag. But then again I only fly one aircraft and am always flying in the same five states. I keep my charts in front of the seat, the AF/D under the seat, and my headset hanging on the headset holder. Whenever I leave the helicopter, I lock it up.

[helonorth]

Ditched the flight bag years ago. Everything I need I keep in the helicopter, except my flashlight.

I see guys walking out to their helicopters with bags full of stuff. What's in there?

[Gomer Pylot]

In mine, there are batteries for my flashlights, water, some jerky and sometimes a pack of peanut butter crackers, antacid tablets, aspirin, a couple of LED flashlights, an LED headlight, my kneeboard, earplugs, a lightweight headset, a packable sun hat, a can of Starbucks doubleshot, caffeine tablets, and other miscellaneous stuff. I used to carry 2 approach plate binders, charts, ops manual, and lots of other stuff, but I don't need that now. I can't leave stuff in the helicopter, because the other pilot will complain and probably toss it.

 

I could get by with less, but I've needed all that stuff at one time or another, and still do now and then. What is necessary depends on the job and the individual. I've been looking for the perfect flight bag for decades, and still haven't found it. I'm carrying a small shooting bag right now, and it works well enough. I've used fishing tackle bags, tool bags, and all sorts of things, but never a flight bag from Sporty's, because I refuse to pay that much money for a bag. If it's marketed for aviation, it's overpriced, and if it's from Sporty's, it's way overpriced.

[helonorth]

In the helicopter I have: extra batteries, a Garmin Geko GPS, water, some cans of disgusting

meat products that would probably taste pretty good if I got hungry enough, ops manual, GOM

chart, clipboard, assorted pens, coordinates book and my headset. I have a little backpack I

stuff everything into at the end of my hitch, except the canned meat, in case anybody cares.

Edited July 30, 2008 by helonorth

[spraypilot]

Ditched the flight bag years ago. Everything I need I keep in the helicopter, except my flashlight.

I see guys walking out to their helicopters with bags full of stuff. What's in there?

 

I sometime fly in remote areas that might take many hours to a day or so to walk out. Here is what I carry toylet paper,gps,extra batterys,crackers,peanuts,flashlight,sharpie,highliter,maps,flight guide,asprin,calculator,timer,more spare batteries,lighter,matches,antiacid,book for gps,cell phone,billfold,glasses,even more batteries,and a water jug. What woud you want if you went down and took 24 hours to walk to a road?

My heli does not lock

[Gomer Pylot]

Few of them lock. Whether you need a lock depends on where you park it. If you're the only pilot to fly the helicopter all week, and it's parked on a company base or offshore, then you can safely leave everything in the helicopter. If you park it on a public ramp, or if someone else flies it during your 12 hours off, then you need to consider removing everything when you get out.

 

Where you fly obviously makes a difference in what you carry. If you're flying in a remote area where you might have to walk out, you're going to carry more than if you're just flying around town or the airport. If you're going IFR, you have to carry a lot more pubs and charts than if you're VFR. That's why everyone has a different way of doing things, and carries different things. After 40 years of practice, I have a pretty good idea of what I might need, and what might be nice to have, but that changes from time to time, depending on what my job is that day.

[helonorth]

I sometime fly in remote areas that might take many hours to a day or so to walk out. Here is what I carry toylet paper,gps,extra batterys,crackers,peanuts,flashlight,sharpie,highliter,maps,flight guide,asprin,calculator,timer,more spare batteries,lighter,matches,antiacid,book for gps,cell phone,billfold,glasses,even more batteries,and a water jug. What woud you want if you went down and took 24 hours to walk to a road?

My heli does not lock

If I didn't have all those batteries, I'd want a compass. Since you do have all those batteries,

you would have to take them with you, or someone may steal them from your unlocked

helicopter while you're hiking out. 24 hour walk to help? With all those batteries you would

need the aspirin for your aching muscles! I'd probably stay with the bird and eat the crackers

and peanuts by the fire while awaiting rescue.

Edited July 31, 2008 by helonorth

[Autorotator]

I guess I do carry more stuff than listed, but I'm the only one to fly this helicopter and don't have to remove after each flight, otherwise I suppose I would have some sort of mobile bag. I have a tuna cup with crackers, some crackers from my favorite sandwich shop (Jason's Deli), some extra batteries in my headset case, and my Garmin Gecko (which I got for free when I ordered my headset). I fly mainly in Oklahoma which is pretty flat. Missouri, and Arkansas can get a little hairy, but in Kansas and Texas where I also fly to is pretty flat as well.

 

P.S. I'm ready for a change. Anybody know anybody that's hiring at 900 hrs TT (not including flight instruction)?

[spraypilot]

My Gallet fit into one of the Sporty's original bags, your SPH5 should fit fine. I quit using that bag to force myself to carry less stuff. I had two knee boards, and a whole bunch of other stuff I rarely used. I cut it back to the essentials.

 

Thanks, just what I wanted to know

[Witch]

I have a headset in mine. The thing is I hardly ever use it. I use the helmet instead. That bag has a kneeboard, E6b, sneakers, granola-yes I'm a hippie, and various stuff for various flights. Oh, can't forget the camera, that goes aroung my neck.

 

Later