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Date: Tue, 27 Oct 1998 07:12:13 -0600
From: Snowbird <snbird@ibm.net>
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Subject: Re: Tips for Organizing Cockpit for XC
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Eric W. Seelig wrote:

> Well, I've done a few unsupervised solos now, and my first dual XC is
> coming up (after a couple of hours of hood work).  I did some pre-XC
> ground work with my CFI this past weekend, and I have to know, how the
> heck do you keep track of all that stuff while flying the plane at the
> same time?  I know I'll be confused and overworked, but I'm wondering
> if anyone can offer some suggestions on how to keep things organized.

Everyone has his/her own strategies, also adapted to the plane they
fly (for example, my plane has no side pockets, and the space
between the seats is occupied by the trim wheel, flap switch etc).

A number of people have written good responses to this question
in the past, you might want to check dejanews at
      http://www.dejanews.com.  
Use power search, select rec.aviation.student as the newsgroup, and
search on something like "cockpit AND organization".  Wendy Farlee 
wrote a long article, John (Clarke) I think, think I did etc.  Wendy
probably wins the prize for "most sophisticated homemade system".

> Where do you keep chart/plotter/E6B/NavLog/Pencil so that they're all
> within reach when you fly?  I imagine that if I were alone, I could
> dump it all in the right seat, but with the CFI there, it kinda makes
> it tough.  Clipboards?  Kneeboards with pockets?  Kneeboards without
> pockets?  Tri-fold kneeboards?  Kneeboards with lights?  Chart > folders?

I'm a cheapskate, so my idea of good cockpit organization involves
"doesn't cost much".  My clipboard is a piece of 81/2 x 11 scrap
aluminum with the edges filed down and various binder clips holding
stuff onto it.  I stuck velcro on the back.  I drilled a "stationary
clip" (2 for $2 from officemax) to accept a shoelace and stuck velcro
on it, so I can tie it to my leg to hold maps (in the clip) and the
clipboard.  I like to keep a pen and my flashlights (at night) on a
lanyard around my neck (shirt pockets kinda awkward for a woman).
The pen or pencil sticks on with velcro so I can pull it off easily.

My flightbag is a gym bag from Sam's ($9.99, has held up to three
years of use), end pockets hold headsets, water bottle, and flashlights,
cardboard box in the main compartment holds enough charts and plates
to cross the country.  Placed behind the pax seat on the floor I can
reach it OK in flight.  I don't use it any more though.

The other stuff I do now is personalized to our plane (we made
custom bins out of scrap plexiglass for under the seats and
behind the seats, little pencil-holder tubes velcroed into place
etc etc

I don't like to just chuck stuff in back when I'm done, I figure
the day I do that'll be the day wx or mechanical forces me to turn
right around and need that chart then little short-arms here will
be SOL.  Though I did just that on my checkride, was getting flustered
when I couldn't slide the map back in the box easily.  The DE was
amused.

Hope this helps,
Snowbird

