Three Things to Look For in a Flight Bag

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Key Takeaways:

  • Pilots require dedicated flight bags to safely carry essential gear, with a wide variety of choices available to suit different needs and preferences.
  • Options like the Flight Outfitters Bush Pilot Bag are designed for pilots carrying multiple headsets and extensive gear, featuring organizational elements like an orange interior for visibility.
  • For those prioritizing style and durability, the Lightspeed Gann Leather Flight Bag offers a premium, classic leather design that ages gracefully, ideal for carrying electronics and documents.
  • Affordable, airline pilot-style bags such as the Alpine Swiss rolling case provide practical features for laptops and general flight/business travel, often being TSA-approved carry-ons.
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From the first flight lesson, every pilot needs a flight bag dedicated to carrying the gear necessary to make a safe and successful flight. The choices are wide and the feature sets are varied. When your logbook starts filling up and you need something to bring it all with you in the cockpit, here are a few options for your next flight bag.

Two Headsets and Everything Else

If you’re the pilot who carries around two of your favorite headsets, you need a bag that not only protects that important cargo, but also organizes everything else, such as charts, devices, chargers, your logbook, and Pilot Operating Handbooks. The Bush Pilot Bag from Flight Outfitters was designed specifically for pilots with features like the orange interior to making it easier to find gear in a dark cockpit. The canvas bag has leather accents and a “pass-through” strap to slide over roll-a-board luggage handles.

Bold Leather Styling With Plenty of Storage

Lightspeed Aviation Leather Flight Bag
Lightspeed’s Gann Leather Flight Bag only gets better with age. Amazon

For the airplane owner who leaves their headsets in the airplane but needs to carry everything else with style, the Gann Leather Flight Bag from Lightspeed delivers classic appearance in a functional design. Made from full-grain, oiled South American espresso brown cowhide with contrasting black leather pocket flaps, the maker leaves this bag uncoated for authentic look and wear so it becomes more supple with age, taking on a rich patina. Features like an internal, zippered iPad pocket and large transceiver pocket make this bag worth the premium price.

Airline Pilot Style With Plenty of Features

Alpine Swiss Rolling Briefcase
Sturdy airline pilot design in a functional flight and travel bag. Amazon

You’ve seen airline pilots dragging similar bags like Alpine Swiss’ Legal Size Lawyer’s case through airports, most filled with paper charts. Today, many pilots fly with electronic flight bags, but the styling of this type of airline pilot flight bag is unmistakable. The internal sleeve holds up to a 17-inch laptop inside a main compartment with dividers to hold everything for your next flight or business trip. At a very affordable price, pilots will appreciate the hard-sided frame and riveted attachments. A plus is that it’s also TSA-approved as a carry-on bag, for those times when your airplane won’t make it home. As you walk up the airliner’s aisle, people will think you’re part of the crew with this bag.

FLYING Staff

FLYING Magazine is a one-stop resource for everything aviation, including news, training, aircraft, gear, careers, photos, videos, and more.

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