(January 2012) You’re most likely carrying fewer and fewer or perhaps even no charts around after the introduction of aviation chart applications for electronic flight bags such as the iPad, and there’s no longer a need to carry a separate flight computer since there are apps for that too. With less and less stuff required to bring to the airport, the flight bag you carry may not be as heavy as it used to be. But it’s unlikely that you’re walking to the airplane empty-handed, and you may prefer the convenience of carrying your flight bag on your back.
Sporty’s Pilot Shop recently introduced the Cessna flight gear bag — a compact flight bag that can be either slung swiftly over the shoulder as a portfolio bag with what Sporty’s calls an “extra-strong shoulder strap” or used as a backpack by extracting two concealed padded shoulder straps.
The Cessna-branded bag is made of Cordura material, measures 15 inches high, 15 inches wide and 8 inches deep, and contains several pockets specifically designed for pilot must-haves, such as an iPad, a flashlight, a fuel tester and a transceiver that can be placed in the Sporty’s patented split-flap pocket. There are also a sleeve designed for a laptop as large as 17 inches and a pocket for a portable GPS, both of which are padded. An internal compartment contains an organizer for your Foggles, pens and E6B, if you’re still carrying one. Another nifty detail is an internal key clip, which will help you keep track of airplane keys, car keys or house keys.
The price for the convertible flight bag is $99.95 at sportys.com.
