flensr

I've looked through some of the forums, haven't seen this question answered.

What gear does a new guy need? So far I've gotten recommendations from friends on a carryon (recommended 22" to facilitate regional commuting) and an EFB/lunch bag, but I'm sure there's other advice out there.

I also was told that I wouldn't need to buy a headset...

What does a new guy need before training? During training? After training? I'll be in an A320...

Thanks in advance!

HuggyU2

As your question isn't military specific, this thread belongs elsewhere.

Additionally, there are other threads that go into detail on what gear everyone recommends. Bags, headsets, sunglasses, etc. UTSF.
http://www.airlinepilotforums.com/ca...board-bag.html

http://www.airlinepilotforums.com/ma...llaboards.html

http://www.airlinepilotforums.com/ma...ight-deck.html

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=APC+pilot+rollerboard+review

Finally, why would you not buy your own headset?

andrewtac

I got the metal frames luggage works 22" with the suiter and a efb/lunch bag combo. I'll try to help make the thread fit here a little better for you. I was a mil fighter in my prior life. This gave me a couple challenges with comms. The company has cheap telex headsets, they are similar to the headsets we wore with Walkman in the 80s. I have some hearing loss, so I needed to turn them up a bit. This results in a little distortion, so I can hear it but it is a little garbled. Also, the language is slightly different than I was used to at a mil field or on a boat. Normally if I missed half the comm I could fill in the blanks as I knew what they were saying, not so much on the 121 side. After a few flights this got better and now isn't much of an issue. Also used to a helmet and cutting out a bit of background noise. I bought the DC prox headset, a bit cheaper than the Bose. The comms are crystal clear now. Also, when I Jumpseat in the back I Bluetooth to the iPad for music, and the ANR also cuts down on noise in the back as well as it does up front. It is difficult to see out the windows with polarized sunglasses, I got different lenses.

HTBH

I had the 22 inch suitor luggage works with the metal frame for two years. Finally gave up and bought a Briggs and Riley. Here's my issues with the Luggage Works.

The good:

It does carry a lot and the side pockets are nice. That's it...

The bad:

1. The suitor pockets does nothing but get your shirts and suits more mangled. Because there isn't any solid frame around, any bag you hang from the hook just rubs up against whatever you have in there and mangles it.

2. The thing is heavy. Doesn't seem too heavy when you first get it. When you drag it all over the place, it gets heavier. When you keep putting it in the overhead, it gets heavier, etc...etc..etc..

3. Had one of the rollers got mangled. Tried to send it in. That wasn't as easy as it sounds. I tried both in MSP and ATL. They NEVER have spare bags for you to use. I finally gave up and just took it into a place in SLC (International Luggage in North Salt Lake...they are awesome) and they fixed it and showed me how cheaply it was made. Was actually cheaper than mailing it in.

4. Int'l Luggage also put a handle on the bottom that tilted the bag slightly. Cost me 25 bucks but kept the bag from falling over every time I connected a bag to hang on it.

5. I actually did end up sending it in to LW when the handle wouldn't stay out any more. (I never got a loaner, just used a crappy extra bag I have). Took about 2-3 weeks and some cash to send it in to get fixed.

6. The metal frame is now bent inwards. The sides bow in. I asked about that (can't remember who I spoke to about it) and they basically said, "yeah, that's a known issue". Will they fix it? No.

7. I've gone through 3 of the velcro thing that holds the metal handle in place. They actually sent these for free to me. But I was deadheading the other day and the 3rd of them gave way when I was getting the bag out of the overhead. Metal handle goes flying out and missed a lady's face by about an inch. That was the final straw and I knew I wanted to get rid of the thing. Last thing I need is to be in uniform and knock some lady in the teeth with the metal handle of my bag....

I expressed my frustration with all the issues I've had with the bag and they really, really, really didn't seem to care about my frustrations or the fact they sell what I consider to be a terrible product. I had an old TravelPro that I had in the Air Force that I drug all over the world for much longer than I owned the LW. It is in better condition than the LW.

I have since purchased a Briggs and Riley. Lifetime warranty, no questions asked for anything and everything is what they assured me. It wasn't cheap, but compared to what I spent on the LW, it would have been easier to just buy it the first time. The one I bought has the compression system, which works extremely well. I know they do the hard push on the LW stuff when you go through indoc, but I'd pass on much of what they are selling.

My 2 cents. YMMV.

HTBH

Adlerdriver

He's going to an A320. Just about any company operating modern, non-RJ airliners probably equips their aircraft with something reasonably functional. Once the jet's above FL180 just about everyone takes them off and uses the speakers at cruise anyway. So, why waste the $?

Mink

And how many people have breathed on it, sweated into it, sneezed all over it, and done who-knows-what-else...

andrewtac

Best $650 I spent in sometime, being able to hear the radios is great. Hopefully being able to keep the volume down now I will retain what hearing I have left. Also, watching movies in the back I put them over ear buds (AA seat back movies) and I use the lowest possible volume setting as the ANR works well.

Adlerdriver

You either have an active imagination or work for an "interesting" airline....

Seems like a quick wipe down with a company provided sani-wipe and you're good. But, I'm from the generation that drank from the garden hose as a kid when we were thirsty and invented the 5-second rule. I'm a firm believer in giving your immune system a little work-out every now and then to keep it sharp.

Adlerdriver

If that works for you, great. I use them in first class on AA all the time and they're great for watching a movie for a couple of hours - then I can't wait to take a break and get them off my head.

I can't remember ambient noise being a big problem in the A320, 757/767 or even the 737, but it's been a while. The last 10 years I've flown the MD-11 and 777 and neither one of those require shelling out $650 just to be able to hear the radios. Maybe the price has come down, I heard guys talking about spending a grand on theirs yikes. I've seen guys wearing those things when I was on the 727. Having two ear-muffs clamped over my melon for hours would drive me bat-sh!t.

I've worked for a legacy, jumpseated on all the rest plus a couple that don't exist anymore as well as SWA, Spirit, JB and Alaska. None of those airlines seem to use the mic for inter-cockpit communication as a general practice. So, clamping ANR headmuffs over your ears makes it difficult to communicate with the other occupants of the flight deck. Therefore, when I do see someone wearing them (or when I use the noise cancelling Telex my a/c is equipped with), the inboard earpiece is always off to the side. That kind of seems like it defeats the whole purpose/design of them in the first place.

Either way, 95% of the guys I see take their headset off at cruise and use the speakers anyway. When I do keep it on (usually as PM anywhere between about Moscow and the end of Chinese airspace), the last thing I would want is one of those things stuck on my head for 4-6 hours at a pop. I guess that's why I don't use them - to each his own.

To the OP - before you drop some serious coin on a headset, maybe focus on indoc, training and IOE. Get out on the line, see what you think and then make an educated decision on what you think might work best for you. The rest of the gouge on luggage, etc. is spot on. I've had several of the LW bags and still use one. They've all been sent in for resurrection and I've gotten many years of use from them. However, they are heavy and have some known weak areas. I wish I had found something with a lifetime warranty like the B&R bag someone else mentioned. I'm currently looking to go that direction, too. If I was just starting out, that's the way I would go.

HuggyU2

Adler,
I've never used them, but plenty of pilots I know in "quieter" cockpits like the Clarity Aloft sets. And they don't clamp over your ears.