Essential Supplies for Flying The Line
 

What are your most precious items that you carry with you while flying a trip? Just trying to get an idea of what to carry, maybe some things are essential, some are just nice to have along. List 'em here. Pilot Gear, Luggage, Coolers, Electronics/Chargers. Geek stuff. How about Phone Apps?

Dollar bills for the strip clubs

My newest gadget that I am obsessed with is the Stratux ADS-B receiver paired to foreflight.

Luggageworks Stealth Air
Strongbags bag for efb headsets and cooler
Small travel iron, because hotel irons have damaged my shirts in the past
Wall plug with multiple usb plugs to charge everything simultaneously
Bose wireless earbuds for commute
Anker battery to charge phone on the go

Thanks PDT - good tips. I have a few of those checked off my list. Good tips on the others.


JayBee - don't tell my wife and kids. ;)


How about Apps - do you guys use anything regularly - Uber/Lyft, etc?

I have three bags plus a headset case. Standard 22” roller, a luggageworks flight case and a cooler.

Cooler has two ice packs and mostly frozen burritos, grilled chicken, sausage, and other prepared food. Try to avoid hard Tupperware and pack everything in ziploc bags, they’ll pack better. Collapsible bowl and titanium spork in there as well. It has a large top compartment I’ll occasionally throw a battery or other useful things in.

Flight case has a gaming laptop, iPad, mouse, chargers (get the anker 5 port usb charger, it’s a lifesaver.) current book I’m reading, vitamins/supplements, melatonin, Pepto bismol, wet wipes, contact solution/dopp kit, noise cancelling headphones for deadheading, two large battery packs and other odds and ends.

Headset case has backup glasses, a notebook, headset, and pilot docs (I keep them all in a passport wallet, makes it dead simple to know you have all your stuff).

Roller has 6 days worth of undershirts/underwear, running shoes, one pair of workout shorts, a pair of shorts, two graphic t’s, Uniform shirts, Uniform pants, swim trunks and flip flops. I try to keep it light so it fits in the CRJ overhead without much swearing.

After every month or two I clean everything out and trim items out that I didn’t need or use and add items that I do. Overall I’ve pared down quite a bit.

I don’t bother with an iron, I just wet a rag and set the hot iron on top of it before I clean my own clothes.

Don't get caught using that in an airliner cockpit unless your FOM/SOP says you can.

Way overkill. If the iron in room has leaks or melted polyester just call the front desk and have them bring a new one.

Let the iron warm up completely and then test it on the bottom part of the shirt first (the part that's tucked in).


If you must carry a battery (most devices now have enough battery capacity to easily last an entire FDP), use a good quality one (Anker works) and if it gets damaged get rid of it. A Li battery fire in the cockpit could ruin your whole day.

I’m lucky if my iPad mini makes it through 80% of my day without needing to plug in. And that’s with brightness at zero and only company approved apps. Agreed though the battery is not the place to skimp.

To each their own. Thanks for YOUR input. How about instead of giving your opinion on how what I carry isn’t right you give a list of your **** and he can decide what he would like to carry.

don't forget your kneeboard and foggles for practice approaches. Oh and you will need a fuel sample cup for your first day of IOE.

Many of the brand new FOs I fly with show up with it.