Capabilities (not tools) for the trip

So every now and again, there's a discussion about what tools to take along on a trip, but I'm not sure I've ever seen it focused on what tasks you might want to accomplish. Also, what spares to take.

My list, so far, is:
* Remove and reinstall the cowling; (screwdrivers and pliers)
* Remove and reinstall access panels; (screwdrivers)
* Put air in tires; (remove wheel pants, screwdrivers)
* Add oil; (funnel, paper towels)
* Clean windshield and leading edges; (windshield cleaner, squirt bottle, paper towels)
* Maybe clean spark plugs; (socket, anti-seize, cleaning tool - probably forego the torque wrench)

As for spares, I take an assortment of screws, nuts, and washers, in case something comes loose in flight or gets dropped, and a quart or two of oil.

By this standard, it's amazing how many extra tools I carry... I think I've only had to clean spark plugs once in the field, same for adding air. But I was able to comply with the wing spar SB -- it passed.

Somebody has to have better ideas than these...

I'd take a couple of clean spark plugs instead of the spark plug cleaning stuff. You might also take a little safety wire.

49clipper

socket or wrench to fit tailwheel axle nut. Needle nose pliers for odds and ends. magnet on a stick. mirror

Spares

O-rings for brake calipers.
Small assortment of hardware
Small assortment of ty-raps
Small assortment of ring terminals & butt splices
Mini multimeter
Tiedown rings if not installed
Duct tape
Electrical tape


Don Broussard

RV 9 Rebuild in Progress

I take a couple of feet of safety wire as well, and the pliers to be able to install it.

A spark plug, socket, and ratchet.

Also have an extra wing fuel sump drain and a medium adjustable crescent wrench.

Another good thing to have is a "shortie" Phillips screwdriver for the lowest screws on the wheel pant halves. Very easy to strip those crews with a longer screwdriver that comes in at a less than optimal angle.

Spare tube for nose wheel - these can be hard to find locally.

O-rings to repair leaking fuel tank drain

Rescue tape
Spark plug copper gasket
1-2 of each size fuse in the plane
Microfiber towel(s) (DON'T use paper towels on your canopy!)
Inner tube repair kit and small bicycle pump

I also carry an alternator belt that is made of individual links, so you don't need to pull the prop off in the event of an alternator belt failure. I'll try to find the name of it and post it.

Got it! Powertwist:



Don't recall the part number/size offhand, but there's a thread around here with that data.

Hmmmm....Ed asked for a list of CAPABILITES - not a list of tools. Interesting question.

In addition to the things you put in the first post, one that comes to mind is the ability to update software/databases for the equipment in your panel. I've been on too many trips when the updates came in the middle of the trip!

I'd add whatever I need to enable me to charge the battery (or do a jump start if you want a quick get-away). Assume you can find a charger - can you get to the battery?

What do you need to CHANGE a tire?

Paul

One of my fears is landing at a deserted strip in the middle of nowhere and getting a flat tire. In some cases, you're just stuck. If it's a simple puncture you can fix it if you have the tools and a patch kit. So...

• Tools to remove wheel pant and disassemble wheel
• Patch kit
• Tire pump

Of course now you just have to figure out how to get that wheel off the ground.

DaleB said:

Of course now you just have to figure out how to get that wheel off the ground.

Click to expand...

One or two guys doing a squat lift under the main spar. Remove wheel, and set the axle on a block of wood.

Add "iPhone" to the tools list to get your VAF buddies to help!

Spares?

I used to pack about 50 lbs of tools and spares, and had one flat tire and one failed mag while hundreds of miles from home. I needed help to fix both, despite the tools. Now I carry a small screwdriver, one of each tube size, and tie down kit, knowing that neighbourly airport folk will help when needed.

To be fair, I think my mag overheated, and my tires were too soft. I added magneto blast tubes, run harder tires, and made many minor adjustments over my plane's first two hundred hours. Now that I know the plane well, it only needs servicing at 50/100/annual intervals.

I was able to make a partial repayment a couple months ago when a travelling 9A flyer blew his nose tube at my home airport. At first he thought I was odd when I said "that looks like more fun than drinking coffee, I will be right back". He was back in the air in about an hour.


Jay

More stuff to carry.

I'm doing a 1000 nm trip soon. A couple of things I'm taking, based on past problems, are a unibit to stop drill canopy cracks (the drill you can borrow) and an Allen wrench to tighten the screw that holds the nose wheel fairing in place.

I also carry a little bag of talc and one of those tire pumps that you can clip onto a bicycle frame for changing tubes. I probably go overboard. I think my tools and parts must weigh about 10lbs, but seems like whenever I leave something behind I end up needing it.

I really like the RV12 tow bar for trips in my 6A because it weighs almost nothing and is surprisingly strong.

John

Ironflight said:

Assume you can find a charger - can you get to the battery?



Paul

Click to expand...

This is one of my airplane enhancement projects I'll get to down the line. I want a means to hook up the charger without having to remove the access panel or (once I change to the Odyssey battery) the entire aft baggage bulkhead.

As a follow-up to Paul Dye's post, and based on several other posts on this forum, I will be travelling with 4 USB memory sticks in the airplane. Two are plugged into the EFIS boxes constantly (GRT HX and Mini-X), while the other two are spares. Each stick contains the operational software for its respective EFIS; that means I have 2 sticks with HX software, 2 sticks with Mini-X software. Each stick also contains, in a separate directory, the software for the OTHER EFIS type. This gives me good redundancy in the event of a memory stick failure or a corruption event.

In addition to the EFIS software, each memory stick contains several directories of information including scans of the complete aircraft wiring diagram (this is done on a system-based basis, so one .pdf page per aircraft system), configuration summary for all the software-configurable equipment on board, and Operator's Manuals or Guides for each piece of equipment. I also keep a current copy of the aircraft weight and balance spreadsheet as well as scanned copies of the aircraft legal documentation on each stick. Oh, and copies of our passports.

These are 8GB memory sticks, and even with all this backup information on them there's still about 7.5GB free space!

The items that I've always found indispensable are duct tape (don't take the roll, but rather wrap it around the shaft of a pencil or pen to save space), safety wire (enough that you can Frankenstein stitch a badly cracked canopy), JB Weld or similar quick-set epoxy for field repairs of, well, just about anything. I also carry a bunch of zip ties and a few feet of lacing cord. It's amazing what you can McGyver together when you have a decent supply of raw materials.

As for tools, I'm going to suggest something here that has become my 'go to' tool - it's pretty amazing what can be done with it.
http://chadstoolbox.com/86-plier-wrench/ (Chad's is the cheapest place to buy them.)
The 86 03 180 (7") size is best suited for working on our airplanes. The jaws on this tool are smooth and parallel, while the handles apply 10x mechanical advantage. They adjust from large enough to grip the largest bolts on our aircraft to small enough to work on 4-40 hardware. I don't know what I did before I got these plier wrenches - they are just the handiest tool in the box. Keeping a set in the airplane will allow several other tools to be left at home.

The other thing I fly with all the time is a handheld comm radio and all the cables necessary to hook it to an external antenna and my headset as well as aircraft power. When just about everything else fails I'll still have a means of communication. Oh yeah, don't forget the spare batteries for your other critical equipment like your hand-held GPS!

From a capabilities perspective my philosophy is to carry enough tools and parts to either try and figure out what's broke, fix a minor issue or allow the flight to continue on to a destination where a problem can be properly addressed:
1. Perform basic diagnostics (ie remove a part, check for operation, etc)
2. Perform simple maintenance (ie replace a lost fastener, secure a non-critical broken item, etc)

Anything beyond that is going to most likely require help and result in an AOG situation.

So I carry only basic tools to cover down on the majority of fasteners on my plane: sockets and wrenches (in the common sizes: 3/8, 7/16, etc)), dykes, needle nose pliers, a multi-bit screwdriver, 2 hex wrenches (1 for my nose gear and one for my PFD/MFD panels) multi-meter, duct tape, coil of.032 safety wire, rescue tape (self fusing silicone tape), zip ties, a few spare AN3 bolts, washers and nuts, #6 and #8 screws, and a spare 6.00 tire tube. All of this fits in a tool bag slightly larger than a shaving kit.