Stocking up your flight bag

I think at this point it's safe to make The List of things you (the prospective future pilot) will need in your flight bag. If you want to be a stocked and ready pilot, consider purchasing the following. In parentheses are the actual brands I purchased, and the price I'm using is based on that brand.

Flight bag (e.g., ASA AirClassics): $70
Fuel sampler (e.g., GATS jar): $18
Two Dramamine tubes (for you or your passengers as needs 'em): $11
Barf bags: Free if you steal 'em from commercial flights
Two sectional charts and a terminal area chart (1 year subscription): $18
ANR headset (e.g., LightSPEED QFR XC/c): $320
Flight planning sheets: Free if you print 'em out yourself
Kneeboard (e.g., ASA Trifold): $29
Kneeboard quick-note sheets: Also free if you print 'em out yourself
Cheap Sunglasses: $10
Airport/facility guide (e.g., Pilot's Guide to California): $35
First Aid Kit: $11
Logbook: $8
Flight computer (e.g., aluminum E6-B): $26
Recent copy of the FAR/AIM: $11
Pair of working gloves: $7

Add, say, $30 for tax and shipping...

Total: $614

Just a heads-up on what you might spend to fill up your flight bag. I purchased a few extras here and there, but they aren't necessary. For instance, I purchased a clip-on desk for the yoke, so I could get some writing space that wasn't on my knee. (See, due to my height, when I pile up my knees with charts and papers, I can no longer steer the airplane without bumping the yoke into my legs. This is an annoyance and has caused some problems in past landings when I was steering vigorously.)

I also eschewed the cheap sunglasses for more expensive and sexy ones, but of course that's personal choice. Finally, as part of my learning kit, I received a PIM for a 2000 Cessna 172. (This PIM is near useless to me, unless we happen to pick up such a lovely new Cessna down at the club; plus, all the older Cessnas the club does rent have their POH's right there in the glove compartment, so ... I guess I don't see the point.) Basically, if you pick up a student pilot learning kit, it will probably include some subset of the materials listed above.

If you will be carrying passengers, you should consider purchasing additional (cheaper) headsets for them if the club doesn't loan out spares. At a minimum, carry a few packs of disposable earplugs, just as common courtesy. Don't force them to suffer the loud noises.

Aside from the things you'll purchase, you should also carry an "overnight bag" in your flight bag. This small pouch should contain toothbrush, toothpaste, any medications you regularly take (or inhalers or what-have-you), and basically anything you need to last 2-3 days out in some strange hotel. It doesn't take long before you will experience your first "unplanned landing due to weather," and you will have to wait out the storm at a hotel God-knows-where. Be prepared.

Some pilots go all out and bring basically camping gear: Whatever they'd need to live for a week out in the woods if they have to put down in the middle of nowhere. Some travel pots and pans, signaling mirror, flares ... you get the idea. While I appreciate the possibility that such a thing might happen to me, I'm not exactly made of money, and this kind of insurance is too costly for me. I'll just try really hard to have my in-flight emergencies near reasonably populated areas.

Although, if you do find a compass in your next box of cracker jacks, consider throwing that in your emergency kit. I imagine that plus a flashlight would be a very cheap investment that could potentially go a very long ways if the worst should happen. I'll probably pick those up sometime when I get a bigger bag. If you're extra-paranoid, get a hand-crank flashlight.

If you purchase the headset model I listed (as well as any of many similar models) you'll have the ability to plug in your portable music player. So, bring an iPod along and smooth over the longer journeys with music.

Aviation watches. Fuckin' $300 for a watch that basically a) tells time, and b) does the functions of the E6-B. Just buy the E-6B for less than $30; there's no reason to downsize that sucker to your watch's face. For $300 my watch better have a grappling hook and a tear gas dispenser, I'm sorry.

Maybe you're going to accuse me of being a hypocrite, seeing as I just justified spending more for designer aviation sunglasses. Well, there's a crucial difference: Designer aviation sunglasses look goddamn sexy, whereas aviation watches look like alphabet soup and a minute hand.

When's the last time you heard a chick mention that Tom Cruise looked sexy in Top Gun because of his watch? That's right, never.