bar10dah

I'm a student pilot with 2.1 hours flying time so far.

I've bought quite a few things from my FBO over the past week that I'd need while flying. So far, I have a headset and a few books. My question is, for a PPL flying single engine planes, what other items will I eventually need? What did you use, or wish you had, while doing your initial training?

My long term goals is to go to a commercial flight school and join an airline. But for now, I'm just getting my PPL and maybe instrument. I've still got 5 months left in the military. So the items I would like to buy now are only the things necessary for PPL flying. But if there's something I can buy that will not only help with PPL flying but also later for commerical flying, let me know.

I see a lot of things being recommended at my flight school and in the aviation catalogs. But, what do I really need? Should I buy that $280 handheld nav/com transeiver as a backup? Would I benefit from using an electronic flight computer? Opinions on handheld GPS?

rickair7777

An E6B mechanical (whiz-wheel type) flight computer is needed for general aviation flying. You can get a more expensive electronic version, but I would go with the cheap and reliable whiz-wheel.

The portable NAV/COMM will be of no use to an airline pilot, but it in general aviation it can be worth it's weight in gold when (not if) your radios and/or electrical systems fail, especially at night or in IMC. Also you can use it to listen to various frequencies to learn the aviation radio lingo. I would say get that one.

The GPS might also be useful, but if money's tight, I'd skip it.

Did you get a flight bag? In GA you normally use a soft bag, but you might consider a hard case like the pros use...it will work in GA, and you will need one when you fly airlines or corporate.

Also get a large pro logbook, not the little private pilot one.

Bri85

Things you need, and that i used when i did my PPL training at the local FBO.

*not in order
1. flight bag
2. headseat
3. E6B flight computer- manual or powered ( i learned with a manual; but the powered is 3x quicker)
4. A/C POH
5. A/C Checklist
6. VFR Sectionals of the area you will be flying
7. Flashlight
8. Practical Test Standard Book
9. FAA knowledge test book PPL (gleim)
10. Knee board- helped me alot in keeping papers within reach
11. A Plotter
12.FAR/AIM
13. Logbook
14.Sunglasses
15.A 1st class/2nd class medical

As for that $280 handheld nav/com as a backup save your money! and memorize ATC light signals and these squawk code:

75 ive been taken alive 76 i need a fix 77 im going to heaven
7500 (hijack) 7600 (lost comm) 7700 (emergency)

rickair7777

Good Private Pilot advice, bad commercial advice...

Squawk codes help ATC, they don't help you to resolve you problem.

Light signals only work is you:
a) Know where you are.
b) Can find an airport with an operating tower.
c) Are not in IMC.

You don't need the handheld for Day VFR, but since he wants to be a commercial pilot he will need to get some night and IMC time...

Let me put it this way...if you are single you don't absolutely need it. If you are married and/or have kids you ABSOLUTELY want one. My personal GA risk-management philosophy is based on having a family...

Bri85

true, true but hes at a early stage! has alot to learn by the time he'll be working on instrument/commercial so not alot of Night, IMC condition he will encounter and by that time he will have more equipment to play with such as the portable nav/com.

Slice

Just don't waste your $ buying most of the useless crap that Sporty's sells! The list above is all you really need. Maybe a fuel tester if your rental doesn't have one on board already and a Leatherman is always handy if your not riding the airlines.

bar10dah

Thanks for all the replies. This list will help me get started. I'd rather have what I need so that it's ready to go when I need it versus finding out I need something the moment it's needed.

The $280 transceiver is the one Sporty's sells. Sounds like it's a good investment.

I have the mechanical flight computer. I was just wondering if paying $60 or so bucks for the electrical one was worth it. I think I'll get one, but I'll be using the mechanical one to start just so I'll know how to use it.

I don't have an acutal flight bag. I've been using a small duffel bag. I'll begin to look at the different bags out there and see if I can find a hard one that I like.

I've been using the logbook that came with my Cessna Pilot Kit. What's the benefit of the large pro logbook? The next time I'm at my school, I'll see if they have one not shrinkwrapped and look at it.

Again, thanks for the information. If there are further items that I'd benefit from, please let me know.

Pilotpip

Mechanical vs Electronic E6B:

One day in ground school, I decided to challenge my students to a little E6B faceoff. My whiz wheel vs their electronic ones. We went through some problems in our text book (that I had never seen) and I was faster every time. Also only needed one hand to do work the wheel. Yeah, they were more accurate but a manual was faster and easier to handle in the plane.

The duffel is fine, I would suggest spending $20 or so on a small, padded headset bag. Those have a nasty habit of getting beat up and it happens to be your largest investment.

bar10dah

Thanks for the info on the headset bag! I was debating whether to buy one. My headset actually fits (tightly) into the end pocket of my duffel. I suppose it'll help the headset to have it's own bag.

Cubdriver

Radio Shack has an airband receiver unit for only a hundred bucks that lets you hear/scan airwaves which is useful for learning the way the airbands are used. You can also get scan ability in transceivers, but many of them do not have it and I would really recommend you get that feature so you hear lots of radio. You can get by with the RS and save $200 over a full transceiver. I am most of the way to 400 hours in Cessnas and have never had a radio loss.

A big logbook is good. The small ones get cluttered.

Electronic E6B is useful, however I recommend you use the old style your first year or two. After 4 years got an electronic E6B from ASA. If you are going to teach you will need an electronic one eventually, but you can put that off.

Absolutely invest in a couple of good flashlights. Surefire makes a few very good inexpensive flashlights, I have the E2 and the E3 is almost the same thing. These are great flashlights bar none. The other thing you absolutely must get is an LED headlight because older cessnas have very unreliable cockpit lights.

Nobody mentioned kneeboards. They are useful for instrument flying and vfr flying. I got the ASA model, took it out of the cloth folder, added a couple of those wire pen grips at the top, and put a spandex band through it with a release clip. It's a great piece of equipment.

Good equipment is the equipment you use reflexively and enjoy using. I see pilots spend tons of money on stuff they hardly could get to even if they wanted to in a small cockpit. I never even had a flight bag. I use a motorcycle tankbag with the flaps pinned back. It's small enough to stay up front.

GPS is great if you really fly junk, but otherwise you should have plenty of instruments up there to help find where you are. Not having gps will ensure that you are serious about learning to use VORs.

Get yourself a good pair of Lightspeed XL15's or similar ANRs. They are well worth the money even if the aircraft you are flying have non-ANR David Clarks. The XL15's need to be disassembled the first time you use them to bend them to your head. I have a pair of XL15's that I have enjoyed for years without trouble. They are so quiet it's amazing.

Flying is expensive so save money as a philosophy. Buy only those things you are truly hurting for.