Photography by Chris Rose and David Tulis
AOPA Pilot Gear Special Ops fleece tactical jacket. $115
pilotgear.aopa.org
Dave’s pro tip: Use a Flyboys Defender helmet bag to carry your gear. It’s a light, rugged bag that seems bottomless. $39.95
aircraftspruce.com
- Oregon Aero SoftSeat portable cushion
This is a lot to pay for a cushion, but not being in pain while flying makes long trips a lot more enjoyable. I’m short, so I use the 2-inch thickness and find it fits well in most general aviation airplanes. It takes up a lot of luggage space, so I started carrying it on for airline trips instead of packing it. I felt kind of silly carrying it through airline terminals, but then I started using it in airline seats and liked it even more. $193 and up
oregonaero.com - Clarity Aloft in-ear headset
In-ear headsets aren’t as good as high-end active noise reduction units in loud GA cockpits, but I bring mine on just about every trip as a backup. If your ANR headset’s batteries die, or the power plug in the airplane doesn’t match, the backup headset works in a pinch. Clarity Aloft and CQ are my favorites. $525 and up
clarityaloft.com
Also consider: Bose ProFlight Series 2 (bose.com) and Quiet Technologies Halo (quiettechnologies.com) headsets - Personal locator beacon
ACR’s ResQLink 400 PLB is waterproof, and it floats. I cheaped out the first time I bought a PLB and got a non-waterproof unit. Then I ended up making a series of long trips over water with the PLB in a zip-lock baggie. Register your PLB or it won’t do any good. $500
aircraftspruce.com - Revere ComfortMax flotation device
Get one that’s U.S. Coast Guard approved, light, and comfortable to wear under a seatbelt harness. Fishing and boating stores carry a similar item; just be sure to get a color that’s visible. If aviation-specific PFDs are back ordered from the usual sources, Bass Pro Shops has an almost identical item in stock. $83.85 and up
aircraftspruce.com - Sentry ADS-B receiver
Sentry has incredible battery life and connects to your iOS device easily. Remember that it only works with ForeFlight—not with Garmin Pilot. $299 and up
sportys.com
Also consider: Garmin GDL 52 (garmin.com)
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Dave Hirschman
AOPA Pilot Editor at Large
AOPA Pilot Editor at Large Dave Hirschman joined AOPA in 2008. He has an airline transport pilot certificate and instrument and multiengine flight instructor certificates. Dave flies vintage, historical, and Experimental airplanes and specializes in tailwheel and aerobatic instruction.
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