Thanks from an NJA Rookie

[jrav8tor]

Yosemite and all others,

I am also joining NJA...start indoc 7/10 in the XL. I am comming from a regional and can't wait to get started!

Just wanted to say thank you along with Gwadwerc! This is some valuable information for a newhire. I also have the 22" Luggage Works bag, and also have the round attachment bag. Since I am an Oompa Loompa (lol) do you think this should suffice for 7 days? I am used to 4 days and I can get more in there, but I worry about the dirty clothes. What are some of your techniques with keeping the dirties away from the cleans?

Also, glad to shed my Jepp bag! It weighed 38lbs at my airline!

Thanks for all the great info! Can't wait to join this team!

 

[fly26]

Welcome aboard!

Surprisingly, you will get used to packing for 7 days in that bag. I remember when 4-5 day trips seemed like an eternity. Now, 7 days is the norm, and it all fits in the 22' Costco roller bag. The bag still fits in the airline's overheads. You'll learn to get creative.

Enjoy the time before ground school....the class moves quickly. It's not that it is difficult, but it is fast paced. If you know the memory items and limitations ahead of time you'll be ahead of the game...sop's and callouts too if you have time.

Good luck!

 

[jrav8tor]

Thanks for the info fly26! Just received the cd with all the airplane stuff the other day. I am starting to review that stuff already...hope to stay ahead of the game to make training as simple as possible.

 

[gordon24]

The costco bag is the best deal out there. I don't see the big deal in packing. I hardly ever have more than 12-13 hrs off, so, I don't need a whole lot. What I pack (this time of year):

Pair of Jeans
Pair of Shorts
2 short sleeve shirts
One very light weight sweater 'cause ya just never know
2-3 uniform shirts
Uniform pant
2-3 white undershirts
Socks, underwear
Gym shoes
Workout shorts and shirt

I put the dirty clothes in one of the hotel plastic laundry bags. I let my workout stuff air out overnight and then I have a separate area in my bag to store them.

I fit all this in my 22" bag. Winter time is a little tighter but, like someone said above, you have to be a little creative. I'm not a slam-clicker by any means, and what I carry gets me through the overnights. Whether it's dinner with the crew or just checking out the town and grabbing a brew. You hear a lot about the 26" bag, but, I very rarely see someone carrying it.

Enjoy and good luck.

 

[yosemite]

Hey guys, you're welcome.

PM me with your e-mail addy and I'll send you some Excel stuff.

I pack the 22" as follows:

8-underwear
6-white undershirts
2-3 t shirts or 2 and 1 collared shirt during winter
1-shorts
1-jeans
6-uniform shirts folded in quarters so they fit side by side in bag
1-uniform trouser
tennis shoes
bathroom kit bag
6 pair of work socks and 2 shorty socks for tenny's in the two side pockets.

I ALWAYS wear a uniform to/from work because it minimizes the need to carry extra clothes, and I am proud of the work I do.

I don't work out that often so I don't have the issue of sweaty clothes to deal with (oompa loompa's do that you know. Biggest weight I lift is repeat 12 oz curls. I even switch arms! :beer: )

I use the hotel plastic bags to pack the used clothes in. I fold everything nice and flat, to size, before putting it in the plastic bag and I try to use one bag for two days old clothes. Also, toward the end of the tour I move the clean clothes to one side of the bag and keep them on top of or seperate from the plastic bags. Finally, I try to roll out the air of each bag before I put it up, and squish them down each day as well.

Sometimes my bag is pretty plump by the end of tour... in the summer it's not so bad. You just have to pay attention to it and take a little effort to minimize the size of things.

Hope this helps...

 

[On Your Six]

Hey guys, you're welcome.

PM me with your e-mail addy and I'll send you some Excel stuff.

I pack the 22" as follows:

8-underwear
6-white undershirts
2-3 t shirts or 2 and 1 collared shirt during winter
1-shorts
1-jeans
6-uniform shirts folded in quarters so they fit side by side in bag
1-uniform trouser
tennis shoes
bathroom kit bag
6 pair of work socks and 2 shorty socks for tenny's in the two side pockets.

I ALWAYS wear a uniform to/from work because it minimizes the need to carry extra clothes, and I am proud of the work I do.

I don't work out that often so I don't have the issue of sweaty clothes to deal with (oompa loompa's do that you know. Biggest weight I lift is repeat 12 oz curls. I even switch arms! :beer: )

I use the hotel plastic bags to pack the used clothes in. I fold everything nice and flat, to size, before putting it in the plastic bag and I try to use one bag for two days old clothes. Also, toward the end of the tour I move the clean clothes to one side of the bag and keep them on top of or seperate from the plastic bags. Finally, I try to roll out the air of each bag before I put it up, and squish them down each day as well.

Sometimes my bag is pretty plump by the end of tour... in the summer it's not so bad. You just have to pay attention to it and take a little effort to minimize the size of things.

Hope this helps...

Great suggestions! Very helpful and thorough...

 

[fly4funcrj]

those space bags work really well!! I've got the 22" purdy neat bag and I'm not an oompa.. I just use the space bags to condense everything with room to spare! Plus it keeps the stink from working out contained!

 

[jrav8tor]

Hey guys, you're welcome.

PM me with your e-mail addy and I'll send you some Excel stuff.

I pack the 22" as follows:

8-underwear
6-white undershirts
2-3 t shirts or 2 and 1 collared shirt during winter
1-shorts
1-jeans
6-uniform shirts folded in quarters so they fit side by side in bag
1-uniform trouser
tennis shoes
bathroom kit bag
6 pair of work socks and 2 shorty socks for tenny's in the two side pockets.

I ALWAYS wear a uniform to/from work because it minimizes the need to carry extra clothes, and I am proud of the work I do.

I don't work out that often so I don't have the issue of sweaty clothes to deal with (oompa loompa's do that you know. Biggest weight I lift is repeat 12 oz curls. I even switch arms! :beer: )

I use the hotel plastic bags to pack the used clothes in. I fold everything nice and flat, to size, before putting it in the plastic bag and I try to use one bag for two days old clothes. Also, toward the end of the tour I move the clean clothes to one side of the bag and keep them on top of or seperate from the plastic bags. Finally, I try to roll out the air of each bag before I put it up, and squish them down each day as well.

Sometimes my bag is pretty plump by the end of tour... in the summer it's not so bad. You just have to pay attention to it and take a little effort to minimize the size of things.

Hope this helps...

Great suggestions and detail to help a newbie. I figured I would make it work some how. Never thought of the hotel bags. Thanks for the info!

 

[netjetwife]

Congratulations on the new job, JR. Be sure to fill out survey forms for the union training committee; they are in the midst of making improvements to training and input/feedback from the pilot force is welcome and appreciated. There have been criticisms of Flight Safety's instruction. The UTC would like to see a greatly improved program for the pilots and documentation of the problems will help accomplish that goal.

Best Wishes!
Netjetwife

 

[AirBear8]

I struggled thru my 1st 6 months at NetJets using a 22" suitcase I paid around $150 for at a local luggage store. I'm amazed it never exploded. Then with the new contract I was looking at doing 7 day trips so I surrendered and bought one of those $300 26" Luggage Works suitcases. The thing weighs a freaking ton, probably because I pack way too much. But I don't have to sit on it to zip it shut and this time of year I even have some extra free space.

I also use the space saver bags you can get in the luggage department at Wal-Mart or Target. I divide my underwear and T-Shirts into a pair of small space savers (3 sets each). After exposure to the low pressure in the baggage compartment those space savers compress so much they're hard as bricks. I also use 2 of the larger bags to pack my civilian clothes and uniform shirts. I carry an empty 3rd large bag to hold dirty clothes. I lay an extra pair of uniform pants on top of all this and then fit my shaving kit and some emergency food rations in the leftover space. The Luggage Works bags have lots of outside pockets. The long side pocket holds my tennis shoes, the opposite side pocket holds all my socks. The back pocket can hold quite a bit. I've seen other pilots compress their London Fog trenchcoats in a space saver bag then fit that into the back pocket.

The space saver bags don't last all that long, I usually replace mine every 2 or 3 months. The get to where they won't stay compressed after a few months worth of trips. But they're not that expensive, somewhere around $12.95 for 2 large and 2 small.

AirBear