Saturday, June 13, 2009

What's in that big black leather case?

All pilots have this big, fat briefcase looking thing hanging off the back of their suitcases. (Usually black in color and leather, but not always) Many of the traveling public think to themselves, "What could possibly be in there?" I've overheard lots of answers given by other pilots ranging from "My lunch" to "Keys to all the planes I fly!"

Honestly, there really isn't anything exciting to report here. The item in question is called a "Flightcase" and contains various items that are required to be in possession of the pilot when he or she is flying. It can also serve as a personal "billboard" of sorts for the pilot to show off hobbies, aircraft flown, or simply how much they have been shat on by company management. The contents of each pilots flightcase vary slightly, but the bulk of the contents are all the same.

1.) A company operations manual
2.) A pilot's operating manual for the aircraft the pilot flies
3.) Jeppesen charts
4.) Other stuff

The company operations manual is usually a 2" binder full of all kinds of stuff relating to company regulations, procedures, phone numbers, etc. This is usually kept simply as a reference for abnormal scenarios that pop up from time to time.

The pilot's operating manual is a similar 2" binder, but this one contains all the necessary info on the aircraft the pilot flies. Everything from flows and checklists, aircraft limitations, various procedures and system schematics and information is all in this binder for reference.

Jeppesen charts (called "Jepps" or "Jepp Charts") are very nearly a uniform standard across the industry, however there is at least one regional airline in the US that doesn't use them. Pinnacle. Take what you want from that. Anyways, most pilots will have 2 binders, each 2" in size. Inside will be airport diagrams, airport navigation and communication information, published arrival and departure routing, as well as approach plates for various runways and each airport. The pilot might also have a stack of "enroute charts" which are huge foldout map things for various prescribed routings (airways and jetways) all over the US and anywhere else that pilot flies. At some companies these maps are kept in the aircraft and are not required to be carried by every single pilot.

None of these items are static. They are constantly being changed and updated. Sometimes, the company decides to change a checklist or a procedure. Sometimes errors in previous editions are corrected or the company might change what airports your aircraft flies into and out of. So, you might be adding or taking out certain pages. Also, there are numerous and constant revisions to the information on Jepp Charts. And yes, all these updates are to be sorted through and completed, page by page, on your own time.

As for the "other stuff," all pilots are slightly different here. My flightcase has sunglasses, pens, pencils, a highlighter, snacks, a couple small pads of paper, napkins, and a calculator.

The cost of these cases usually ranges from $200 to $450 and is not paid for by the company.

There you have it!

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