Luggage question for you Frac Pilots...

[Diesel]

Yes I do have duct tape all over my bag. The reason is because the company has called me more than once while I was sitting on the plane to get off the plane they have a new plan for me. It makes it a lot easier for the rampers to pick out my bag because i check it.

I think when this 50 dollar bag finally bites it I might get a purdy neat bag. The only problem is I don't need all those outside pockets that they have.

My wife and I have had travelpro's and their service is great. They also have a nice qualtiy to them.

It's all in what you want. Bring what you want unless your on the 800xp you will have the room for it.

 

[ukipilot]

Stop being Cheap and go get yourself a new PURDY NEAT BAG, so that you can use it as a carry on, what a waste of time it is to check your bag to find out that you have to get off to catch another flight, if you had your bag with you, it would be no problem at all, plus, I doubt that a few extra pockets will kill you, I use all of them on my bag, I put reading materials in the back pocket, and put my SKYGUIDE in the small front pocket, and so on, plus if you can't put everything that you need in that bag for 7 or 8 days, then you got problems, When I fly international for a few weeks at a time, I still make it on that 1 bag with plenty of room to spare, I can say that with over 1000 hours around the world, I have been able to survive with 1 roll bag, never taking more than I need, I bet that you guys never wear half the stuff you take, When I was in the Navy, I packed 6 months in 1 sea bag, so it can be done!!!

 

[Diesel]

UKpilot- I'm not being cheap i just want to use this bag up before i get another one. Checking my bag is great. I don't lug it around the terminal. Criminals working security don't go through it every time. If they lose the bag it's not my fault and the company shuts me down till i get it.

Since I'm in the ultra I take 1 shirt for every day plus one incase I extend. I take an extra pair of pants incase i damage the ones i have on. Underware for tour +2, shirts for tour +2. Long overcoat, jeans, shorts, sneakers, sweater, polo shirt. a book, and some other stuff that I found is necessary for being stuck in craphole places.

I like to make sure that i'm comfortable on the road. So if the company changes plans on me i have to get my bag it's no big deal. I hate fighting for spots in the overhead or wishing i had this or that.

When this bag dies i'll be getting a travelpro 26 or 28". Big and comfortable that's my motto. Of course I'm in the smallest most uncomfortable plane.

 

[ukipilot]

ITS CALLED ROUGHING IT!!!!!, I fly in the Beechjet and carry 2 shirts for an 8 day rotation I wash them while on the road, 9 pairs of underware, 4 t-shirts, socks, no jeans, no sneakers, 1 polo shirt that goes with my work pants, and some flying magazines that I need to read and that is it, plus I carry a pilot jepp bag that carries my manuals and POCKET PC, and other paper stuff, plus I never trust those idiots that throw the bags in the cargo, they damaged my bag once and it was not worth the time it took to get a claim from the airline for the damage, plus I don't have to wait at the baggage claim either and I am picky, plus being a premer frequent flier, I never get serched anymore anyway

 

[Diesel]

why would i rough it? I'm not living in a third world country and i'm not washing my clothes in the sink.

What do you wear going out to dinner? The same work pants you've been wearing all day. No thanks. I'll be comfortable and bring my sneakers and all the shirts I want.

That's the great part about checking it. I never get searched from the airlines, but i do get searched from the moron's that work the scanners.

Some days i just go home and leave my bag going round and round at the baggage claim. I send signature over there with the ticket to go pick it up in a day or two.

Whatever works best for you.

 

[NJA Capt]

Diesel,

While I see your point about checking, here are some other considerations. For a little history perspective, I was one of those baggage handlers for several years. I don't check a bag unless I ABSOLUTELY have to.

On more than one occasion, the company has called or paged me while I waited in the gate area and told me not to board the plane. To either change destination, or go back to the FBO. That creates major hassles (for you and the airline) to retrieve that bag. It also wastes a lot of your time that you may be needing to get YOUR plane ready. I personally don't like getting to our destination and having to wait for my FOs bag to come around the carousel. I would rather use that :10 minutes on OUR plane.

Yes, I pack for 7 days on the road.
Yes, I carry 3 sets of "go out to dinner clothes," and
Yes, it fits in a 22" Travel Pro.
(2 extra dress pants, 2 extra pilot shirts, 1 extra tie, daily underwear/socks, sneakers, etc.)

No offense intended, just my observation.

 

[tdvalve]

NJA Capt:

Are you saying your FO will be on your sh**-list if he/she checks a bag? Do FO's accept this level of control without calling the PM?

 

[NJA Capt]

NJA Capt:

Are you saying your FO will be on your sh**-list if he/she checks a bag? Do FO's accept this level of control without calling the PM?

No, I think you misunderstood.

You are NOT going to be on anyone's "list" if you check a bag. Many of our guys check a bag. (There have been several guys loose their bags lately too.)

I'm not sure where you got the idea that we could control what an FO does with his bag. No-one has any "control" over whether or not you choose to check a bag. If we have to wait on a bag, we wait. It's no big deal.

 

[tdvalve]

NJA Capt:

Sorry, I misunderstood. I thought your statement that you didn't like waiting on an FO's bag to show up implied that the FO shouldn't have checked it.

 

[JPB]

saving money

here's the trick
a pair of underwear goes front/back and inside/out: that's 4 days. let s be safe: take 2; going 2 days without underwear is an alternative
Socks 2x inside/out, you need 2 pairs
no T-shirt of course; 1 shirt
If you shave your hair, don t brush your teeth all you need is a rasor.
If your pilot bag is big enough to bring back soap and shampoo from hotels, that should do