[DeltaRomeo]

…that would make nearly every non-pilot around you raise an eyebrow? Worded another way, what ‘airplane things’ do you keep with you, that you wouldn’t necessarily show anyone. Not the normal stuff (watch, CC, license.....the unique things).

I’ll start. In the zip up phone case I use as a wallet. Left front pocket. Wrapped in tissue and para-cord, in its own little baggie.

S.I. Howard MIL-M-18371E TYPE 1 Mirror, Emergency Signaling, Mark 3. American made.​

For years.

Have had friends text me they’ll fly near my house at some time, with me texting back “I’ll give you a quick flash so you can find me”. STUNNINGLY long distances and effectiveness. Even through trees. No batteries and is good for seeing food stuck in your teeth. “I’m over here” or “S.O.S.” can be sent 20 miles away on a good day (37,000 feet is 7 miles), and that info travels at the speed of light. Our RVs sometimes land off field out of cell range. Phones go dead.

The seven year-old kid two houses down will think you are cooler than you really are. Also good for making that squirrel stop digging in your yard.

Little button compass on that cord, also, as well as a Leatherman Micra.

v/r,dr

 

[Mel]

…that would make nearly ever ‘non-pilot’ around you raise an eyebrow? Worded another way, what ‘airplane things’ do you keep with you.

I’ll start.

In the zip up phone case I use as a wallet. Left front pocket. Wrapped in a little tissue and para-cord, in its own little baggie.

S.I. Howard MIL-M-18371E TYPE 1 Mirror, Emergency Signaling, Mark 3.​

For years.

Have had friends text me they’ll fly over my house on occasion, with me texting “I’ll give you quick flash”. STUNNINGLY long distances possible. Even through trees.

Good for seeing food stuck in your teeth, as well as making contact with an airliner at 37,000 when you’re off-airport in a field out of cell range. “S.O.S.” is easier than you think. Also good for making that squirrel stop digging in your yard.

v/r,dr

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Why don't you just signal them with a laser?

 

[Stoo]

…that would make nearly ever ‘non-pilot’ around you raise an eyebrow? Worded another way, what ‘airplane things’ do you keep with you.

I’ll start.

In the zip up phone case I use as a wallet. Left front pocket. Wrapped in a little tissue and para-cord, in its own little baggie.

S.I. Howard MIL-M-18371E TYPE 1 Mirror, Emergency Signaling, Mark 3.​

For years.

Have had friends text me they’ll fly over my house on occasion, with me texting “I’ll give you quick flash”. STUNNINGLY long distances possible. Even through trees.

Good for seeing food stuck in your teeth, as well as making contact with an airliner at 37,000 when you’re off-airport in a field out of cell range. “S.O.S.” is easier than you think. Also good for making that squirrel stop digging in your yard.

v/r,dr

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Well, the "bottle opener" on my key ring is for opening the gas caps on my RV.
Stewart Willoughby, 6

 

[Roadjunkie1]

…that would make nearly ever ‘non-pilot’ around you raise an eyebrow? Worded another way, what ‘airplane things’ do you keep with you.

I’ll start.

In the zip up phone case I use as a wallet. Left front pocket. Wrapped in a little tissue and para-cord, in its own little baggie.

S.I. Howard MIL-M-18371E TYPE 1 Mirror, Emergency Signaling, Mark 3.​

For years.

Have had friends text me they’ll fly over my house on occasion, with me texting “I’ll give you quick bip so you can find my house”. STUNNINGLY long distances possible. Even through trees.

Doesn’t require batteries and is good for seeing food stuck in your teeth, as well as making contact with an airliner at 37,000 when you’re off-airport in a field out of cell range. “S.O.S.” is easier than you think. Also good for making that squirrel stop digging in your yard.

v/r,dr

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Have one in the pocket of my flight suit! Amazing and amazingly simple little device!

Keep a P-38 can opener (that belonged to my Dad who was an instructor during WWII) on my key ring. That has come in handy more than once. Kind of aviation-related.

 

[mburch]

A little folded-up piece of non-laminated paper I'm not allowed to lose, that says I am healthy enough to fly airplanes...!

 

[rmarshall234]

Nothing. The last thing in the world I want strangers to think about me is that I’m a pilot. And if it’s another pilot I”m encountering, the last thing in the world I want them to know about me is that I’m an A&P.

 

[Bsquared]

A lot of pilots I know have a “Remove before Flight” tag on their keychain. Mine is from Butler Parachutes and it says “Pull Before Impact”

 

[Desert Rat]

I carry a credit card in my wallet. That gets more use than any other pilot thing I own.

 

[wirejock]

Garmin D2 watch.
Just the required docs in my wallet. I'm a minimalist. Thin wallet, key ring and money clip.

 

[Kyle Boatright]

An empty wallet.

 

[MacCool]

I have the Foreflight app on my Apple Watch. It allows me to pull up surrounding area METARs as a complication right from the face.
.

 

[rv6builder]

I wear the Citizen Skyhawk watch my parents bought me when I graduated high school (2007) and a DeHavilland Beaver belt buckle, still my favorite airplane I've flown (shhh don't tell my my -6!).

 

[tom_AZ]

Several pilot/aviation-specific phone apps. EFB (backup), plus FlightAware, Flight Radar 24 and others.

 

[Richard Connell]

 

[ve0kog]

Just impulse ordered the survival mirror. I really need to close the VAF tab every once in a while

 

[WWhunter]

Have one in the pocket of my flight suit! Amazing and amazingly simple little device!

Keep a P-38 can opener (that belonged to my Dad who was an instructor during WWII) on my key ring. That has come in handy more than once. Kind of aviation-related.

Awesome! Here I thought I was the only person still carrying one! I don't think I have been without one since the days of opening 'C' rations! I have used it a time or two for the gas caps on the -8

 

[WWhunter]

Just impulse ordered the survival mirror. I really need to close the VAF tab every once in a while

Don't feel bad! The site owners should get kickbacks from products discussed and sold on thier sites! I'm on several different sites and own several different type of aircraft. Rv, Bushplane, and seaplane type. The You don't want to see my CC!

 

[Jim Frisbie]

DR
Your signal mirror is different from mine. The one I have is reflective on both sides.
The way I was taught to use it was
1: hold the mirror arms length
2: hold your other hand back where the shadow of the mirror is on the palm of your hand and you can see the shadow reflecting on the back side of the mirror
3:align the spot on the reflection with the hole in the mirror
4: sight through the hole at your target
This guarantees the flash with hit your target. With this system you can signal a search plane miles away
Simple geometry but effective!

 

[plehrke]

T-shirt
I have dozens with something aviation printed on them and always seem to be wearing one. I wish family members would stop buying them for me at Christmas. I get strangers asking me if I am a pilot. I don’t like that kind of attention as I am also an engineer, so I am pretty introverted.

 

[BLittleton]

I have 2 versions of the Citizen Navihawk about 10 years apart. I love that they have a whizwheel on the bezel. I never really use it, but having used whizwheels extensively as a C-130 Navigator, I enjoy that it is there.

 

[Dugaru]

…that would make nearly every non-pilot around you raise an eyebrow? Worded another way, what ‘airplane things’ do you keep with you, that you wouldn’t necessarily show anyone. Not the normal stuff (watch, CC, license.....the unique things).

I’ll start. In the zip up phone case I use as a wallet. Left front pocket. Wrapped in tissue and para-cord, in its own little baggie.

S.I. Howard MIL-M-18371E TYPE 1 Mirror, Emergency Signaling, Mark 3. American made.​

For years.

Have had friends text me they’ll fly near my house at some time, with me texting back “I’ll give you a quick flash so you can find me”. STUNNINGLY long distances and effectiveness. Even through trees. No batteries and is good for seeing food stuck in your teeth. “I’m over here” or “S.O.S.” can be sent 20 miles away on a good day (37,000 feet is 7 miles), and that info travels at the speed of light. Our RVs sometimes land off field out of cell range. Phones go dead.

The seven year-old kid two houses down will think you are cooler than you really are. Also good for making that squirrel stop digging in your yard.

Little button compass on that cord, also, as well as a Leatherman Micra.

v/r,dr

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I carry one of these when flying and diving. The odds of being seen in the water without a signaling device are… sobering.

 

[Scott Hersha]

A cat and a duck (for instrument flying).

 

[Ironflight]

The proper response from any REAL pilot would be - of course - “Attitude”……..

Me? I carry the aches and pains from climbing in and out of so many cockpits for over fifty years…I carry the crows-feet by my eyes from squinting into the sun, the aching back from all those horribly designed seats….and I carry the fabulous memories from hundreds of airplanes, pristine views from above the earth, and the deep satisfaction of enjoying the grandeur of the sky and freedom of flight!

(Oh….and all those T-shirts…..)

 

[[email protected]]

Awesome! Here I thought I was the only person still carrying one! I don't think I have been without one since the days of opening 'C' rations! I have used it a time or two for the gas caps on the -8

Ya I had a P-38 on my key chain for years till one bad day when it was open and i rammed my leg into something on the job and the blade JAMMED itself into my leg.
OUCH for sure. You guessed it, I no longer have it on my key chain.
My luck varies FIXIT

 

[rolivi]

We don't wear them daily, but we have Vans tennis shoes that match color scheme of my plane. That's gotta count.

 

[CTCole]

Business card of the mechanic who works on my plane -- (well that was before I went E/AB)

 

[Notso]

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Love it!!

 

[Notso]

I work in a secure vault and we have to wear access badges visible at all times - so rather than the usual company or sports team dreck - I got this to wear at work.

 

[Thermos]

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Slightly off-thread...I still have that same signal mirror the AF survival school instructors gave me in '93...it's amazing what you can get when you tell them you want to put together your own survival kit.

Now if I could only get some gyrojets...

ds

 

[Daddyman58]

The proper response from any REAL pilot would be - of course - “Attitude”……..

Me? I carry the aches and pains from climbing in and out of so many cockpits for over fifty years…I carry the crows-feet by my eyes from squinting into the sun, the aching back from all those horribly designed seats….and I carry the fabulous memories from hundreds of airplanes, pristine views from above the earth, and the deep satisfaction of enjoying the grandeur of the sky and freedom of flight!

(Oh….and all those T-shirts…..)

Ironflight,
My wings never come off. They are tattooed on.
The keys to my hanger and my canopy lock.
Flight credentials in my wallet.
Memories, oh my the memories.

Daddyman58

 

[Scott Hersha]

A cat and a duck (for instrument flying).

Cat and duck method, for those uninformed:

- Today's flight age is an era highlighted with increasing emphasis on safety. Instrumentation in the cockpit and in the traffic control tower has reached new peaks of electronic perfection to assist the pilot during take-offs , flight , and landings. For whimsical contrast to these and other marvels of scientific flight engineering , it is perhaps opportune to remind pilots of the basic rules concerning the so-called Cat-and-Duck Method of Flight , just in case something goes wrong with any of these new-fangled flying instruments you find in today's aircraft.

Place a live cat on the cockpit floor. Because a cat always remains upright , he or she can be used in lieu of a needle and ball. Merely watch to see which way the cat leans to determine if a wing is low and , if so , which one.

The duck is used for the instrument approach and landing. Because any sensible duck will refuse to fly under instrument conditions, it is only necessary to hurl your duck out of the plane and follow her to the ground.

There are some limitations to the Cat-and-Duck Method, but by rigidly adhering to the following check list , a degree of success will be achieved.


Get a wide-awake cat. Most cats do not want to stand up at all, at any time. It may be necessary to get a large fierce dog in the cockpit to keep the cat at attention.
Make sure your cat is clean. Dirty cats will spend all their time washing. Trying to follow a cat licking itself usually results in a tight snap roll, followed by an inverted (or flat) spin. You can see this is very unsanitary.
Old cats are best. Young cats have nine lives, but an old used-up cat with only one life left has just as much to lose an you do and will therefore be more dependable.
Beware of cowardly ducks. If the duck discovers that you are using the cat to stay upright - or straight and level- she will refuse to leave without the cat. Ducks are no better on instruments than you are.
Be sure the duck has good eyesight. Nearsighted ducks sometimes will go flogging off into the nearest hill. Very short-sighted ducks will not realize they have been thrown out and will descend to the ground in a sitting position. This maneuver is quite difficult to follow in an airplane.
Use land-loving ducks. It is very discouraging to break out and find yourself on final approach for some farm pound in Iowa. Also, the farmers there suffer from temporary insanity when chasing crows off their corn fields and will shoot anything that flies.
Choose your duck carefully. It is easy to confuse ducks with geese because many water birds look alike. While they are very competent instrument flyers , geese seldom want to go in the same direction you do. If your duck heads off for the Okefenokee Swamp, you may be sure you have been given the goose.

 

[rmarshall234]

If we expand the conversation to include the aforementioned t-shirts which we carry on our shoulders, I guess I need to amend my earlier response.

The preponderance of my t-shirt collection speaks to my involvement in aviation. The skydiving shirts are all staff shirts provided by employer(s) and they often draw out interesting comments and questions from strangers. The airplane shirts are almost never commented on (peeps just assume I’m rich and arrogant) and they have become part of my wardrobe as “payment” from cheap-ass pilots who have extracted A&P services from me. lol

Love the response “an empty wallet” give that man a t-shirt!

 

[Ralph Inkster]

I don’t carry a lot of credit cards so my wallet could be small & thin.
I don’t carry much cash in my wallet because I am a pilot (broke) & generally use those few credit cards in Lue of cash.
I do have all those alphabet aviation organization membership cards & who knows why I carry them.
Unlike our neighbors to the south, our license is not a convenient credit card sized document, our license (Canadian) is a Passport sized book with 26 pages! It’s not even called a licence, it is an ‘Aviation Document’.
Reason for carrying it with me? I know I would be guaranteed to forget it one day climbing into the plane & that would be a flight missed.
To carry it I need a Big wallet, it’s thick & is part reason why my back & butt get sore after a couple hours flying…
Oh the sacrifices…

 

[Steve Crewdog]

T-shirt
I have dozens with something aviation printed on them and always seem to be wearing one. I wish family members would stop buying them for me at Christmas. I get strangers asking me if I am a pilot. I don’t like that kind of attention as I am also an engineer, so I am pretty introverted.

+1. I have a collection of SnF t-shirts from years of volunteering but hardly wear them anymore, as I need shirts I've reverted to discreet black, gray, and dark blue Carhart t-shirts.

Once a long time ago I had to show ID to write a check, the clerk got REAL excited to see my Temp certificate and congratulated me, he had a Private and happily told me about local FBOs and great places I needed to fly to. I let him talk for a few minutes, enjoying his enthusiasm, then gently interrupted him, pulled the temp out and let him look at the certificate with the new 787 type rating. He turned all kinds of red, we had a good laugh. I also keep a tattered photo of me on the bunny hill at Dillion Beach in 1987 flying my old Wills Wing Duck 160, the start of my aviation journey.

Even though I retired in February I've still kept using the 777 keychain I got when I passed my checkride 20 years ago, almost 10 years to the day of passing my ATR checkride. I worked hard for that rating and it means a lot to me, the checkride was probably the best one of my career. Also have a cockpit key, and the key to my hangar on it.