Cockpit organization

[jasong]

Hi all,

Coming from a 172 with quite a bit more cockpit space am struggling a bit with organization.  If I am flying with other people, someone always ends up being my "chart" holder, which gets a bit inconvienient, espeically when they are trying to relax and possibly watch a movie/listen to music, etc.

In the Cessna I had several built in pouches/pockets which I would use to store charts and other items in, no such luck on the Mooney.  Does anyone have any creative ideas for organization that work for you in your plane?  *Ideally* I'd love to have a pouch/pocket on the outside of the co-pilot seat (closest to the pilot side) for storage.

Any ideas with specific products and placement options are welcome.  Thanks!

Jason

[Hank]

Storage space is highly variable depending upon your model. I have a C, which is short-body, the least interior space.

I keep my kneeboard on my left leg, and lay the sectional/enroute on my right leg. That gives me a view of my route, a list of airports/VOR frequencies/weather for my route, and a space for notes. The AOPA kneeboard format for my destination is under the frequency list for the flight, as is my weather briefing. Easy to flip through for reference, and to pull out the airport.

For IFR trips, I like to keep a pdf printout of the approaches buried in my kneeboard, and put them on a yoke clip when needed. If I forget to bring them along, I have the book.

Between the seats all the way back is my Flight Guide. [i'm not looking forward to their new format . . .] In front of it is my water bottle. In front of that is where the sectionals/enroutes live, sorted in order of use. Current one is in my lap; next one up is closest to my seat; the one after that is closer to the right seat. All sectionals come first, followed by all enroutes.

The approach plate book for my destination lays sideways on the floor, covering the backup mechanical gear indicator. Enroute approach plate books are either between the seats [if only one], or in my flight bag on the right rear seat where I can reach it. I bought a nice flight bag from Spruce that can be used as a desk on the right seat, as the front zips down flat. Otherwise, the shoulder strap goes over the right rear passenger seat when possible. Lots of nice-to-haves live there.

Just in case, I took out the ashtray and put in Spruce's ash light. For $30, it's four red LEDs running on AAA batteries. Had it a year, used it in the winter for IFR training a lot, still on the original batteries. It helps to read approach plates after dark; having them on the yoke clip after dark is even better, it's shadowy down on my leg.

The only problem I have keeping my flight bag reachable is when travelling for longer than a weekend with my wife, as baggage space is limited. May have to take the dog's box apart and clip him to the back seat for extra space, but that introduces other problems. [He's only 8 lbs, but he can lick/chew/lay on things that I might need.] Just takes some creative loading, and lots of encouragement to my wife to leave the sink at home . . .

[FlyDave]

I have used this yoke mounted plate holder for a few years and really like it:

http://www.autelcorp.com/QCDS.html

It has 2 clips - one at the top and one on the left side. The one on the left side will hold an NOS approach plate book without tearing the page out. It's a little big in a Mooney cockpit but It's pretty handy - especially in IFR.

I'm still on the fence on ordering an IPad but if I do I'll yoke mount it in place of this chart holder and use Foreflight or SkyCharts. Having your charts illuminated at night makes night IFR MUCH MUCH MUCH easier.

[DaV8or]

Interesting thread. I have this problem too. I use a kneeboard, but for me it's the checklist that has no good home. The one Mooney pocket I have under the left side panel isn't too handy. I too am hoping an iPad, or device like it, will solve this problem in the future. I do have a yoke clip, so I guess I'll bust that out and try it for the checklist, then when I get instrument current again I'll put the approach plate on the clip and the checklist on the kneeboard.

[flight2000]

I velcroed my checklist to my side panel, right below the limitations sticker.  It's out of the way and easy to grab. You can see it just next to the yoke, but it's out of the way.  Only needs a tiny strip.

For the rest, I keep everything I need on my kneeboard with post-it tabs separating the important ones.  I have the 496 mounted on the yoke, so that takes care of all my airport information and weather.

Brian

[GXPD]

I only use my kneeboard for flight notes and comments.  Everything else is pretty well electronic.

Panel mount MVP-50 - Checklists (operating, emergency), Information (speeds, Frequencies, operating limitations, rules of thumb etc.)

AV80r Ace - Airport diagrams, approach plates, IFR charts, VNC charts, weather, basic flight guide info.  Mounted on flap handle, screen by right knee.

Viliv70 (touchscreen computer) - Voyager planning, Hi-Res Terrain (Mountainscope), All importand docs including AIM, M20e parts manual, M20e maintenance manual, avionics users guides etc. If required on flight (thru mountains) will mount on yoke.

As for organizing other flight stuff:

Back seat - Flight guide, CFS, Terminal charts, Backup paper checklists, Misc charts & Graphs, AFM, backup radio, BTGPS, Misc power adapters, batteries, O2 if req'd etc.  All snugged down using seatbelt.  Don't usually have a back seat passenger.

Seat back - relief bags, smoke hoods, passenger briefing cards.

Baggage - Luggage, Survival pack, tow bar, PVC chocks, oil and misc cleaning products.

Hat shelf - First aid.

[Immelman]

I have all my charts on the ipad - just some old paper WACs behind one of the seats for a backup. Ipad gets clipped in its case to my kneeboard. I stash my single-page laminated checklist under the ipad. That's about all I need. aside from moving the ipad if I want to write fuel info/clearance/etc on a piece of paper.

[DaV8or]

Quote: Immelman

 aside from moving the ipad if I want to write fuel info/clearance/etc on a piece of paper.

[Immelman]

Quote: DaV8or

Don't they have an ap where you can just freehand write on the iPad just like paper? I have it on my Droid phone. Seems like you would never need to move the iPad just to write a note. Does it not work that well in practice?

[Hank]

I typed all of my checklists into Word, including abbreviated power settings [2300, 2400, 2500 & 2600 RPM only for each altitude in the POH]. Word has the ability to format and print in booklet format [search Help for "booklet" for instructions]. It will print in landscape format, on both sides of the paper from my single-sided printer [see Help above]. Then I laminated the sheets, folded them together into a booklet [3 sheets, folded in half, printed on both sides = 12 sheets, or front cover & 11 pages]. It lets me move things around to make sense to me, and include whatever upgrades have been made since 1970.

This bookelt is the size of Sporty's el-cheapo VFR kneepad, and it lives there, more or less permanently open to the page for Pre-Startup, Startup and Run Up checklists. I often flip through the performance tables when climbing, to choose which power settings to use, or when making step-down descents.

Blank paper lives on top for note-taking. On long trips, I scribble down the VORs, Unicom & AWOS frequencies at airports I'll pass enroute, and put THAT on top. There's plenty of room to write in clearances, frequency changes, etc.

POH [such as it is] is in the right seat back pocket, along with the Garmin quick-reference and fat book, etc. Sick-sack too. Bungees for control wheels are in left seat back pocket; chocks, ropes and ground screws are on the hat rack, along with spare headset and airline blanket [my wife gets cold easily].

When you sit down and list it out, it's amazing how much junk travels around with you. Oh, yeah, the big Rubbermaid container in the baggage area with assorted tools, safety wire, spare screws, Leatherman tool, gloves, tow bar and a quart of oil. Hat rack has fuel dip stick and sampling cup just inside the baggage hatch, where I can grab them without looking.

Wow, what a load of junk we have to carry! Plus the flight bag with spare radio, flashlights, batteries, plotter, E6B, pens, highlighters, fat paperclips to hold approach plate books open,  post-its to mark pages in the plates, etc., etc., etc.

[jasong]

Quote: GXPD

>>Mounted on flap handle, screen by right knee.

 

Can you explain how you've mounted your GPS on the flap handle?

[GXPD]

Quote: jasong

[jasong]

Quote: GXPD

[eaglebkh]

Steve (GXPD),

You are suffering from TMDS (Too Many Displays Syndrome).  I know a good way to help you with this...

[DaV8or]

Steve,

Did you keep your original tach and MP for redundancy, or is it still required with the MVP-50? Also, how are you liking it? Did you have an engine monitor before and how does it compare in terms of usability? Do you fing the display hard to read where it is and do you think it would still readable if it were all the way over to the right?

Sorry for all the questions, but I really want to get one of these for my plane but am struggling about where to put it. Your panel picture inspired me to jump in and disrupt this perfectly good thread.

Thanks for any insights you can give me.

[GXPD]

Jason/Brandon - The 296 is mounted to the bottom of the ADF with a RAM suction mount.  It is redundant to the AV80r but I like the "Nearest, HSI and timer functions of the 296. Flying to MAPA 2010 this last weekend it was good to have the nearest ARTCC, FSS, and airport frequencies at hand all the time.  The Garmin also has the flightlog feature that I use.

It seems like a lot of displays but the 430 does the Comm/NAV/Autopilot, the MVP does the A/C functions and the AV80r has the moving map, VNC, Airway, approach charts, airport diagrams, terrain and weather.  All pretty useful.  Also cuts down on the amount of paper that has to be at hand in the cockpit.

Dave - I still have the original tach, MP, Fuel pressure guages but the 6pack engine guages are gone.  Love the MVP and it is much nicer than the US and UBG analysers that I had in previous airplanes.  The display is easy to read where it is and I think since it is sunlight readable it should also be OK over to the right.

[danb35]

...and to answer Dave's other question, the MVP-50 can replace the tach, MP, and fuel pressure.

[Cruiser]

All the charts and approaches are on my tablet which mounts on the pilot yoke. A printed set of charts for the route and destination approach plates are in a manila folder between the seats. All the checklists and emergency procedures are printed on 5½x8 (8x10 folded) and laminated. These are held by a medium sized plastic clip and tucked behind the side window curtain rod. An IFR knee board is strapped to my right leg for in flight notes.

My flight bag fits on the floor behind the co-pilot seat.