What is a flight bag?
A flight bag is a collection of routine essentials that a pilot brings with them for flight operations. Pilots, whether students, instructors, or career ATPs, all have items they need to have with them for any flight. Most of us have a flight bag where all of these things live so we always have what we need.
The contents of my flight bag have changed very little since I started flying in 2021. I made a few adjustments as I moved up from student to flight instructor and my day-to-day needs changed slightly. The basics, however, are more or less the same.
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What’s in Carly’s flight bag?
If you’re curious to know what I pack in my flight bag, this list is about 90% complete with all of the things I actually carry, down to the exact products I use. The only things I’ve left off of this list are the standard personal documents and identification, and some random odds and ends that are less significant.
1. The bag
We have to start with the bag itself, because it’s one of my favorite items on this list.
I originally got this Peak Design bag years ago to be my photography bag. It has convenient storage compartments that are removable and customizable. I love that it opens into the main compartment from both the top and the sides for easy access to different parts of the interior.
Structurally, it keeps its shape well and is very comfortable to carry. It’s also insanely durable. I’ve had mine for at least five years at this point and it looks almost like new; and that’s not because I’ve taken pristine care of it!
This bag quickly evolved from photo bag to everything bag, and it has accompanied me around the world. I’ve had it on my back for all kinds of adventures including hiking, flying, commuting on public transit, riding an ATV through sandy Aruba, walking the rainy streets of Edinburgh, client photoshoots, and much more.
It’s still my go-to for both flying and photography, and I swap out the contents as needed. While the price point is higher than your average backpack, I can confidently say it’s worth it. I would buy this to use as a flight bag again and again with no regrets.
2. Headset
One of the main things you’ll use your flight bag for is your headset. The headset I use now is the Bose A20, and while it’s on the higher end of the headset price range, it’s a very popular option for good reason. It features noise cancellation, Bluetooth capabilities, and an overall comfortable fit.
The headset I started with from David Clark is much more approachable price-wise and great for those on a tighter budget. My flight school provided those, so it made sense to use for a while. This headset isn’t noise cancelling which was a deciding factor in my switch to Bose. While it’s not 100% necessary to have noise cancellation, it makes for a much more comfortable flying experience. I also noticed I had a much easier time understanding what was being said on the radios once I had that feature.
The Bose I currently used is pictured, and I’ve linked both options above.
3. Foggles
Finally, an item on the list with a low double-digit price point. If you haven’t been through any flight training yet, you may not have seen these before.
This stunning piece of eyewear is a pair of plastic glasses known as foggles (fog + goggles; get it?) Foggles are used for instrument training and are designed to simulate poor visibility outside of the airplane. You’ll notice in the photo, the top part of the lens is fogged over while a small window at the bottom of the lens remains clear. Students wear these under instructor supervision to block their view of everything around them aside from the instrument panel inside the airplane.
This limited view forces you to rely entirely on the information coming from your flight instruments rather than looking at visual reference points outside to navigate the airplane. It’s not always efficient or safe to wait for instrument meteorological conditions (also known as IMC, clouds, or fog) to conduct training in. We use foggles to simulate those conditions and practice for the real thing.
If you’re a student pilot, your school or instructor may provide a view-limiting device for the few times you’ll need to use one. It’s always great to have your own on hand, whether or not that’s the case. Having your own means you don’t have to wear something on your face that other students have been sweating on. 🤢 For instrument students and beyond, I’d definitely recommend having your own pair. You’ll need them more frequently for training and possibly logging time for currency down the road.
4. iPad (with ForeFlight)
This is a two-for-one because while the iPad is a valuable tool to have in the flight deck, much credit is due to ForeFlight for increasing that value exponentially.
ForeFlight is an EFB (electronic flight bag) that contains tons of useful resources and information including weather, sectional charts, flight planning tools, checklists, FAA documents, and more. It is currently only available for Apple devices, which is why I recommend the iPad specifically. And as far as iPad varieties go, I like the Mini because it’s lightweight and compact. It takes up less space in my bag and in the airplane.
Before every flight, I use ForeFlight to plan my route, review weather briefings, calculate weight & balance, and file a flight plan if necessary. It houses all of my checklists I use in flight, and allows me to view traffic around me in real time (with the addition of an ADS-B receiver, which we’ll get to later; that’s item 9 on this list if you want to skip ahead).
As an instructor, I also use my iPad for organizing documents, training materials, and endorsements.
For more of my favorite apps for training and instructing, check out this blog post.
5. Logbook
Every pilot needs a logbook! At least, those in training and time building do.
This isn’t the exact logbook I use, but it is the one I recommend the most often. I like this one because it’s a low price point and has a decent amount of pages. It also has all of the normal flight time categories you’d need to log as a student pilot.
I personally keep both a paper copy and a digital copy of my logbook because my instructors preferred I use paper. I maintain both now because I can check them against each other for errors. If I were starting over today, though, I would go digital logbook only. Paper logbooks can get lost or damaged, but a digital book is always accessible in the cloud.
If you go with my ForeFlight recommendation, there is a logbook feature in there that is excellent. I highly recommend using it if you have that subscription already. I personally use LogTen Pro because it’s a robust program that makes easy to pull all kinds of highly detailed reports on your hours. For those who want to pursue a flying career, LogTen integrates well with airline apps. And it’s free for students up to a certain number of hours (I think 200? But I could be wrong) so it’ll get you through a lot of your training before you’d have to start paying!
6. Audio recording cable
This is by far the least important and most optional item for your flight bag, but it’s one that I get asked about constantly. It’s a fun one to have, but definitely not required.
If you’ve ever wondered how I record flight deck audio and ATC comms for the videos I make, this is it. My headset plugs directly into one end of this cable, which plugs into the audio port in the airplane. The other end is an aux cord, which I plug into a lightning adapter to connect my iPhone. From there, I can just hit record on my phone. All audio coming through my headphones is also recorded on the phone.
I’m linking both the cable and the aux to lightning adapter, since they’re both necessary to make this work with an iPhone.
7. Battery pack
While this is technically optional, carrying a small backup battery to charge your devices is a good idea. Being prepared to handle unplanned scenarios is part of being a good pilot. I like knowing I always have this on hand if I need it.
Getting stuck at a remote airstrip with a dead phone is not part of anyone’s flight plan, but it can happen. Unexpected obstacles can pop up like maintenance issues or unforecasted weather, forcing you to divert or grounding you wherever you last landed.
I’ve been through this scenario myself. A maintenance issue grounded my airplane while I was in private pilot training. My instructor and I got stuck at a tiny airport in the Arizona desert for 4 hours because of a maintenance issue, and had I not been carrying a phone charger we probably would’ve been stuck even longer.
Additionally, some ADS-B receivers require an external power source like this to operate. Add it to your checklist of items to prep before a flight and charge it alongside your other devices every time so you’re never stuck with a dead battery.
8. Pens
Every pilot needs a good pen, and I consider myself an amateur pen afficianado.
I’ve been a long time stan of TUL pens, but recently came across these awesome 0.5mm pens and now I’m torn. The 0.7mm TUL in black is probably still my overall favorite writing device. The fine, smooth lines this JetStream creates are perfect for filling out logbook entries and are a close second favorite.
I’ve linked both because they both hold a special place in my heart, but if you’re looking for a pen that will help you maximize space in the tiny spaces of your logbook, the JetStream is for you.
9. ADS-B receiver
I’ve teased this ADS-B receiver a few times throughout this post, and here she is in all her glory. This may not be something you have to carry in your own flight bag if you’re a student; your school or instructor will likely provide it.
As someone who did all of their training with a G1000 glass panel, I never really considered the importance of having an ADS-B receiver until I was at my first instructing job flying a 6 pack with no traffic information.
The Sentry Mini is awesome because it’s very small, lightweight, and compact. It’s about the size of a thin wallet and weighs next to nothing. It doesn’t come with its own power source, so you’ll need to connect it to your airplane or use an external battery pack like the one listed above. Other than that, it’s a great little device that pairs easily with ForeFlight. It shows real-time traffic information on your in-app sectional. There’s virtually no setup process, so you can just plug it in, select it from your device’s WiFi menu, and go.
This particular ADS-B has gone in and out of stock a lot recently, so I’ve linked another fan favorite at the same price point if you need one right now and can’t wait for the Mini to reappear. It’s popular for good reason though, so if you can wait or find one used, I recommend it.
10. Water & snacks
One thing about me is I will always have a water bottle and a snack in my flight bag. It’s up to you as the PIC to make sure your personal needs are met so there are fewer distractions in the air.
Even if you think you don’t need to bring water with you because you’re just going up for an hour or so, the airplane can get hot and/or stressful at times. Having cool water on hand is always a good idea, even if you go the whole flight without drinking any. Better to have it and not need it than not have it and wish that you did.
I carry the Stanley Aerolight bottle because it’s well-insulated and keeps my water ice cold, but it’s also lightweight, durable, and leakproof.
As for my snack of choice, I love keeping some beef sticks in my bag. They’re shelf-stable and more satisfying than other carb- or sugar-heavy snacks like granola bars. Also an all around healthier pick if you get a good brand like Paleo Valley.
Want more flying tips?
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