What's in your on-board toolkit?

[jpace1]

I just read a post where someone mentioned they flew with a toolkit that had a specific size wrench and some gun oil to clean injectors with.  It got me to thinking that there are probably a lot of people with good ideas about what to carry on board.

So my questions are:

1. 
   
2. What tools and items do you fly with?
   
3. If any of them are aircraft or Mooney specific, where did you purchase them?
   
4. What types of repairs/maintenance are you anticipating you might perform with these tools
   

When this thread exhausts itself, I'll compile a full list and re-post it for everyone.

Regards,

JP

[co2bruce]

Most comprehensive "Leatherman" tool I can find.

Flashlight.

Electrical tape

[201er]

Let's just say there's no way in hell they'd let me bring it on an airliner

[M016576]

I've got a big leatherman, an extra set of needle nose pliers and a universal socket wrench with a screwdriver attachement.

[Shadrach]

safety-wire plyers

needle nose plyers

vice-grips in small and large

racheting screwdriver with multi-tip

awl

angled screw driver

small ohm meter

assorted open end wrenches

scissors

box cutter

mini LED work lights

electrical tape

Duct tape 

Safety-wire

Assorted fastners

assorted light bulbs (nav, interior and beacon)

blue Lock-tite

JB weld putty

1 ignition lead

1 spark plug

1 spair fuel tank sump drain

mechanics laquer/toque seal

Sharpie

zip-ties

adel clamps

RTV

telescopic magnet

That's off the top of my head, I'm sure that I missed a few items.

All of the above fits nicely into a 6"x5"X10" toiletry kit.

 

[Awful_Charlie]

Blimey Ross!  That's pretty comprehensive!

Mine is much shorter:

Fuel drainer/screwdriver
Leatherman (lives up front in a pocket)
Big maglight (and three smaller ones up front)
Plug spanner/spanners for HT lead
1 spare plug
Tape & lockwire

The whole lot lives in a plastic box in the baggage bay, along with a portable dot matrix printer, 2 quarts of oil with 1 spout, a high-vis vest, a pair of chocks, the Jepp card writers, the Mooney manual memory stick and some tie down straps

Ben

(There's probably scissors and more tape in the first aid kit if really desperate!)

[scottfromiowa]

Screw driver set, Pliers, crescent wrench, electrical and duct tape, quart of oil.

[lahso]

A multi-faceted gadget like a leatherman, tie-downs, a couple of quarts of oil, funnel, umbrellas and spare headset.

[M20F]

Normal tool box filled with a bunch of normal tools, wire, tape, etc. and a plastic case with assorted nuts, bolts, washers, etc.

[201er]

I got a $10 variety toolkit at home depot with its own case. It contains screw driver with various tips, pliers, box cutter, scissors, mini screw drivers, alan kets, etc. I probably gotta add a socket kit or at least an adjustable wrench to that. I also have an LED lantern, funnel, few quarts of oil, gats jar, dip stick, 50ft of rope, rags, plexus, cleaner wax, jumper cables, and plug and jump adapter to allow jump starting from a car or 12v battery! I bought a car trunk organizer in walmart that perfectly fits across my cargo area. This keeps all my permanent airplane stuff together in one place instead of bouncing all around. Also makes for easy removal of everything at once if I want to vac the back or shed 30 pounds.

I also keep a first aid kit on the hat rack, box of zip lock bags, and paper towels.

[Shadrach]

Mike, be wary of the $10 HD Guangdong "special"... I have learned that lesson the hard way.

[Jeff_S]

A Leatherman and a bobble-head Jesus, cause Lord help me if I ever have to fix anything on my own plane!

[201er]

Quote: Shadrach

Mike, be wary of the $10 HD Guangdong "special"... I have learned that lesson the hard way.

[bnicolette]

Quote: Jeff_S

A Leatherman and a bobble-head Jesus, cause Lord help me if I ever have to fix anything on my own plane!

[Shadrach]

Quote: 201er

What do you mean? It's a simple toolkit with all the basic things. Not counting on any kind of durability, just a sufficient variety of tools for a time of need. I have a good set of tools at home for predetermined use. Of the stuff I keep in my plane, I've found the paper towels and zip lock bags most useful. So many different uses for those.

[Gone]

This thread, and the one about equipment carried on the aircraft, got me to thinking about the two lists I keep for such things.  Being an old soldier, I tend to plan for contingencies in case of adverse circumstances.  Flying in Canadian winters at -40 deg C and loosing the big cooling fan up front is considered such a contingency.

I have taught pilot survival training at our local club, so my list for that not only meets the Canadian regs, but it allows me to be comfortable (relatively) in the event I end up on some snowdrift in Northern Saskatchewan in January.  That list is appended to my onboard checklist and it has items that are only needed in winter.

My tool kit resembles Shadrach's.  I am not really keen on being the person who fixes my Mooney, but I want to be prepared and I am now competent to do some things on my own, such as change the oil and filter.  But I never kept a list of the things I keep in the tool bag.

Finally, my flight bag (now significantly lighter from my purchase of an iPad) has a list for its things too.  All three lists are now on one - kept in the flight bag.  One page-two sides.  Because of this discussion, I have also downloaded my Mooney maintenance documentation etc to my iPad.

Thanks for getting me started on this little task.  Helps sort things out for me.

As for JP's question, here goes:

1. 
   
2. What tools and items do you fly with?  (see attached jpegs)
   
3. If any of them are aircraft or Mooney specific, where did you purchase them? (no where specific - just gathered over the years)
   
4. What types of repairs/maintenance are you anticipating you might perform with these tools.  (survival only - or changing bulbs and oil/filter)
   

[Jerry 5TJ]

[Steve65E-NC]

            Weight and space allowing I usually load on my general purpose mechanical tool box and electrical tool box.  I leave my gear load tools, torque wrenches, compression tester, grease guns, etc, home except at owner assisted annual.

 

            However, I always leave in the aircraft a soft Craftsman tool bag (8x12x8) with items that I might need in a casualty situation and that might not be easily available in the field.  These items include the following:

LUBRICANTS: spray cans: Wet with Teflon (control hinges), Silicon (step, door-hinges, control wheel shaft), Triflo (rod ends), and a spare spray extension tube.

PLUGGED INJECTOR: ½”deep socket, bottle hoppe’s #9.

LASAR HUB CAP: 10 extra pan head screws with lock washers (you have installed heli-coils??)

ELECTRICAL GENERAL: Bundle of 8”cable ties, spray can contact cleaner, selection of fuses and lamps, allen wrenches for instrument/knob removal, 6” x 1/16”dia. wire flattened one end (VOR adjust)

ENGINE GENERAL: Champion Sparkplug 3/8 socket, two Champion REM40E plugs, spare alternator belt.

SKY TECH STARTER: ½” Crow Foot wrench head. Spare shear pin. Spare lock washers.

FASTENERS GENERAL: Bag #8,#10, flat head, pan head screws, bag slide on sheet metal nut plates, bag nylon washers (for pan head screws), SS Safety Wire, simple wire twister (two hole on screwdriver handle).

OTHER GENERAL:  Baggy of 3M strip caulk (access ports in front of wind shield), home made hydraulic fluid funnel (metal flashing rolled up), spare fuel drain o-ring, short handle (3”) 3/8 open wrench for removing induction boot.

 

Additionally I have on board:  Cockpit Cover, Down Sleeping Bag (kept on hat shelf, it has to store somewhere and it sure will not help me from a closet at home), aircraft to auto jumper cables, tie down kit, vermin guard kit (see my photo album), light weight chocks (stuffed fabric), tow bar, flight bag with flashlight/spare batteries/spare mic/ multitool, comprehensive first aid/survival kit, IFR hood, 1 liter water bottle, 2 quarts of oil with filling nozzle, bottle of hydraulic fluid, hatchet, fire extinguisher, fuel tester, fuel measure stick.

 

If space or weight is a problem I leave off or remove everything from the aircraft except dedicated tool kit above, 4way screwdriver, small adjustable wrench, fuel test items, hatchet and fire extinguisher.