What do you bring on long flights?

[wombat]

For myself, I bring several small bottles (12 Oz) of water and one smallish Gatorade for the large mouth.    If my personal reserves of 'good self-control' are low I'll bring junk food.   Chips, candy, etc.

For the plane, I typically bring one quart of oil.  I don't get why people bring all this other plane stuff in the plane with them.   Magnetos, alternators, tires, cylinders, I've heard it all.  If anything else happens to the plane that requires more than just adding a bit of oil the whole trip is done and I'm finding a way back home then working on the problem from there.  Even a long Uber ride and a last minute airplane ticket is likely cheaper than simply continuing the flight in the Mooney even if everything was working properly. 

[Coachella Bravo]

  On 10/17/2024 at 7:31 PM, Hank said:

But my biggest need was to stand up, stretch and walk around.

Expand  

I'll second that... I also have to force feed H2o otherwise I'll feel dehydrated post flight. I also bring along backup O2.

[Pinecone]

I JUST (literally have not been home an hour) flew 7.0 Hobbs Fort Worth to NE MD, non-stop.

I snack.  I do carry a sandwich, typically may eat half. I am finding a peanut butter or PB&J works well.  Peanut M&Ms, cookies.

I carry water but do not drink, I take a mouthful every so often and hold it in my mouth for a bit.

Travel John works great, but is a bit harder with a passenger.

 

[Jetpilot86]

Water, snacks, I start with a Yeti of iced tea to sip on. My average leg is 5.0, so the absolute last thing I do before the Before Start checklist is the bio-break. A big mouth bottle takes care of the rate inflight need. 
For the plane, a quart of oil, and a small tool kit. I need to figure out a base load so I can cut that mass of metal to a minimum. I also carry a survival bivy since the weight is non-existent. Sometimes I’ll carry my Griner Tug, but not if I want the full 118 gallons of gas. 
I have a plastic car caddie to hold my goodies. 

[GeeBee]

  On 12/11/2024 at 7:14 AM, Jetpilot86 said:

Water, snacks, I start with a Yeti of iced tea to sip on. My average leg is 5.0, so the absolute last thing I do before the Before Start checklist is the bio-break. A big mouth bottle takes care of the rate inflight need. 
For the plane, a quart of oil, and a small tool kit. I need to figure out a base load so I can cut that mass of metal to a minimum. I also carry a survival bivy since the weight is non-existent. Sometimes I’ll carry my Griner Tug, but not if I want the full 118 gallons of gas. 
I have a plastic car caddie to hold my goodies. 

Expand  

Wow. You can hold out 5 hours drinking iced tea? That is some bladder!

[Jetpilot86]

  On 12/11/2024 at 12:42 PM, GeeBee said:

Wow. You can hold out 5 hours drinking iced tea? That is some bladder!

Expand  

I usually start when I get in the plane, not before and not a lot at once. Now the second I shut down there is an immediate priority. 

[PeteMc]

  On 12/11/2024 at 12:42 PM, GeeBee said:

Wow. You can hold out 5 hours drinking iced tea? That is some bladder!

Expand  

I don't typically go 5 hrs, more like 3.5 to 4+.   I might take a few sips early in the flight, but once I get about to about an hour out from my destination I'll start hydrating. 

Also, it helps to really hydrate the day BEFORE your flight.  Same is true if you're taking a commercial flight. 

 

[201Steve]

Chapstick

[GeeBee]

  On 12/11/2024 at 3:33 PM, Jetpilot86 said:

I usually start when I get in the plane, not before and not a lot at once. Now the second I shut down there is an immediate priority. 

Expand  

Well as transoceanic guy,  my limit on pure water is 4 hours and I had the nickname "the camel" from my fellow crew members. Tea is a diuretic, a good diuretic and I used to "de-caffeinate" 24 hours before a mission. The fact you go 5 hours with any caffeine has my admiration and envy because I love iced tea.

[Jetpilot86]

  On 12/11/2024 at 5:53 PM, GeeBee said:

Well as transoceanic guy,  my limit on pure water is 4 hours and I had the nickname "the camel" from my fellow crew members. Tea is a diuretic, a good diuretic and I used to "de-caffeinate" 24 hours before a mission. The fact you go 5 hours with any caffeine has my admiration and envy because I love iced tea.

Expand  

I do transoceanic as well, but that plane has a lav and a bed. 
 

and an oven for that matter

[Hank]

I generally take some light snacks. In the morning, I'll take the rest of my coffee and a water bottle. Later, I'll take iced tea instead--20 Oz will last longer than the flight. Only small sips to wet my mouth.

And if I'm going towards complex airspace, I'll take some small candy for quick energy a little before I get there, it helps me concentrate. 

First stop after landing is the same as last stop before departure, to drain the main vein.

[A64Pilot]

I carry an RON bag, because well I may have to remain overnight for Wx and who knows, just underwear and toothbrush, cell phone charger etc. and my wallet.

You should hydrate, air at altitude apparently is dry and that causes dehydration. Gatoraid bottles work well but I also have a travel John. Wife refuses such a thing so we make more stops when she is along than when I’m by myself.

I’ve been told that Gatoraid isn’t good for rehydrating, can’t speak to that myself.

[Pinecone]

The thing I don't like about bottles is, you can spill them putting the cap back on.

Travel John, and similar, use a material in that that converts the liquid to a gel, so no spilling.  And it also reduces the odor.

And it also VERY unlikely that you will pick up the wrong bottle and take a mouthful.

[Pinecone]

  On 12/12/2024 at 7:58 PM, A64Pilot said:

I’ve been told that Gatoraid isn’t good for rehydrating, can’t speak to that myself.

Expand  

Gatoraid is high in sugar and too high in electrolytes.  When you drink it, the body may try to dilute it in your stomach.  And that pulls water from the body.

I did some training for the SCCA flaggers at a local track.  the prior year, they had dropped 9 people with heat stress issues.  Interestingly, 8 out of the 9 occurred within 45 minutes of drinking a Gatoraid.

If you drink Gatoraid or other sports drink, drink some and drink a equal amount of water at the same time.  Then drink about 3 - 4 times that water before more sports drink.

You really only need electrolyte replacement when you are sweater.  You do not lose electrolytes through respiration (altitude/dry ait).

[MikeOH]

Wife?

[IvanP]

  On 12/11/2024 at 7:14 AM, Jetpilot86 said:

Water, snacks, I start with a Yeti of iced tea to sip on. My average leg is 5.0, so the absolute last thing I do before the Before Start checklist is the bio-break. A big mouth bottle takes care of the rate inflight need. 
For the plane, a quart of oil, and a small tool kit. I need to figure out a base load so I can cut that mass of metal to a minimum. I also carry a survival bivy since the weight is non-existent. Sometimes I’ll carry my Griner Tug, but not if I want the full 118 gallons of gas. 
I have a plastic car caddie to hold my goodies. 

Expand  

The days when I could do 5+ hours are long gone. My bladder is not what it used to be and there are certain things that I refuse to do in my plane, e..g, using Travel John or similar contraptions, unless I am over water or hostile terrain w/o airports. 

[FlyingDude]

Protein bars, bananas. 

I've heard some people build a hose with a funnel in the cabin and run it to the plane's belly. Don't ask me what approved data they use for the 337 (piercing the skin) but I bet it helps keep the belly clean of oil and lead...

[Will.iam]

  On 12/13/2024 at 12:23 AM, FlyingDude said:

Protein bars, bananas. 

I've heard some people build a hose with a funnel in the cabin and run it to the plane's belly. Don't ask me what approved data they use for the 337 (piercing the skin) but I bet it helps keep the belly clean of oil and lead...

Expand  

Pee is more corrosive than oil or lead. 

[exM20K]

TKS fluid if I expect to need it outbound and am not bouncing back and forth between FL and IL, both places where I have at least 5 gallons stashed. I’ll carry up to four 1 gallon jugs in a box with dividers.

@Pinecone that is interesting stuff about Gatorade.  I don’t drink much since I’m supposed to limit my sodium.  I’m a water guy and have at least 32oz w/in reach.
 

The Costco Extra Fancy Mixed Nuts, unsalted, are my go-to snack. And if I get bored, I can contemplate just how they avoid the smaller nuts filtering to the bottom of the container.

-dan

[Ed de C.]

Great seeing what others are doing and why.  My travel kit still evolving. 

I've had near disastrous experiences with passengers in turbulence, averted with a good barf bag.  So, those are stashed at every seat along with wipe up microfiber towels and water at each seat.  Dramamine is also in my bag and works well for my sensitive passengers (I don't need it).  I now interview each passenger to check for sensitive stomachs. 

I experimented with a travel john recently on a Michigan to Florida (panhandle) non-stop flight and found the travel john midway down to be great (relief).  It does not convert to a gel, it's still definitely liquid and the bag filled completely.  Good seal.  The flight back (5 hours both ways) I made with no travel john usage due to very light fluids before the flight.  The travel john is a great range extender (inverse of a refueling tanker, I suppose), as this plane will make it from Detroit to Miami in one shot.  I found the 5 hours in the seat to Florida to be very comfortable (more comfortable than a 5-hour drive somewhere), so a long trip is attractive (if it weren't for the bladder).  I would not try this with my wife on board or passengers; I'll plan on no longer than 3-hour legs with them.  A Mooney-experienced A/P commented once that drinks in the back seat spill and wind up in belly areas, leading to corrosion.  He singled out sodas as particularly problematic and suggested only allowing water back there. 

I have on-board Oxygen which I use over 5,000 feet with the MH pulse controllers.  My family has been fine with canulas.  Spare AA batteries, blood oxygen tester, no food for me (I typically eat one meal a day).  I have a tool kit, can or two of oil with filler spout, and for winter, just added a pump sprayer of TKS, snow brush, plenty of TKS in the on-board tank, plus a 100-foot extension cord for plugging in the engine heater.  I've learned to cover the speedbrakes with 2-inch wide red plastic tape (have scissors) to keep the rainwater out of the units.  My previous speedbrake intermittent inop problems have disappeared.

Cowl covers, tow bar, wheel chock, Ipad, Sentry, spare battery to power ipad and phone, and device cables, headsets for all, flashlights, fuel sampler, handheld radio, tie down rings and rope, spare pen, reading glasses, gloves, are all checklist items either before I leave the house or at the hangar.  I've experimented with podcasts on the i-phone but find the ATC muting of the i-phone feed makes podcast listening not really worth it (the iphone does not pause the podcast). 

In the northern latitudes, especially in winter, the sun stays low on the horizon, and some sort of sunshade is necessary.  I use green patches from Sporty's that stick on the windows with static electricity.  They work well and are dirt cheap, and better for me than the suction cup plastic shades that articulate.  I almost never wear sunglasses, since I find the G1000 display is too dim with glasses (non-polarized).  

Most of these things were added as I realized I needed/wanted them on a flight.  You'll build your kit thru the same process, I expect.   

On my to-do list is investigating some sort of over-water precaution kit (life vests, etc.) or simply plan on crossing the Great Lakes at a high enough altitude to glide to shore (generally glideable at 15,000).  Also, some sort of survival kit for an off-field landing.  I'm still weighing the probabilities and what makes sense for my trip profile.  

Ed

[Ragsf15e]

One thing for everyone who uses travel johns… and this is coming from someone who used them a lot in the USAF during pond crossings, long desert missions, and even on local sorties (we had to stay very hydrated and were in a “greenhouse” cockpit) .  If one bag encapsulating a quart of fresh pee is good, then two is better, and three is best.  They don’t weigh anything, but there’s a nice selection of gallon freezer ziplocks (not the cheap ones) in my flight bag.  Use them.

[Justin Schmidt]

Has anyone had to deal with a code brown? Asking for a friend

[exM20K]

  On 12/14/2024 at 5:11 AM, Ragsf15e said:

One thing for everyone who uses travel johns… and this is coming from someone who used them a lot in the USAF during pond crossings, long desert missions, and even on local sorties (we had to stay very hydrated and were in a “greenhouse” cockpit) .  If one bag encapsulating a quart of fresh pee is good, then two is better, and three is best.  They don’t weigh anything, but there’s a nice selection of gallon freezer ziplocks (not the cheap ones) in my flight bag.  Use them.

Expand  

You wont see this on the YouTube videos of transatlantic flights, but….

when we had new Diamond twins flown over from Osterland, the ferry pilots had to wear Gumby suits.  Most fly with it around the waist, since they are bulky and hot.  Given the reclined posture in the DA42 seat, dealing with a full bladder with a half-on Gumby suit was, well, a rather dodgy exercise.  Solution?

adult diapers. And I’m told that the first time “letting go” into one is really, really difficult since it goes against all training since infancy.

Flying, and especially ferry flying, is sometimes not so glamorous.

-dan

[Ragsf15e]

  On 12/14/2024 at 5:39 AM, exM20K said:

You wont see this on the YouTube videos of transatlantic flights, but….

when we had new Diamond twins flown over from Osterland, the ferry pilots had to wear Gumby suits.  Most fly with it around the waist, since they are bulky and hot.  Given the reclined posture in the DA42 seat, dealing with a full bladder with a half-on Gumby suit was, well, a rather dodgy exercise.  Solution?

adult diapers. And I’m told that the first time “letting go” into one is really, really difficult since it goes against all training since infancy.

Flying, and especially ferry flying, is sometimes not so glamorous.

-dan

Expand  

I believe it!  I wore an exposure suit on a winter crossing once (fully on) and it was so bulky that it made using the travel john an exercise in flood control.  There’s a song by a fighter pilot band about wishing for an extra couple inches…

[Ragsf15e]

  On 12/14/2024 at 5:30 AM, Justin Schmidt said:

Has anyone had to deal with a code brown? Asking for a friend

Expand  

Immodium.  Or a cork.  Either way, not good.