GearForPilots | Blog

When I started flying the back country, I felt it important that I equip myself with essential survival equipment and polled several experts in the field for their opinions on what should be kept in the airplane to save me from the unexpected. This is what they came up with.
A friend from Durango says, "A lighter, like a bic or two, blast match is an option. water purification (small container of betadyne, also can be used to clean wounds), emergency sleeping bag, jet boil or small pot w/ fuel, medical kit (major and minor trauma) medications, headlamp, tarps, cordage, touque, down vest, PLB, freeze dried food, leatherman, and hand-held radio".
Another friend from Idaho says leave the stove out. Unless you plan on camping in the back country you can always light a fire and cook that way. I tend to agree. Also add a few MREs and Cliff bars. He also recommends a couple of lengths 6" wide orange warning tape.
My friend Mike from Minnesota says you need a good knife. No junk - a big folder with a big blade and locking mechanism. 40-50' of parachute chord. PUR water purification tablets, some 1st aid items.
A good starting point for equiping your airplane is to purchase one of our aviation survival kits and add to it as you please.
Fly safe, and have fun!

I've been planning a cross country trip in my new airplane.  I just bought it a few months ago and it still isn't at home.   It is located in central British Columbia and I my home base is in eastern Manitoba just north of Minnesota.  Yes, out in the land of 10,000 lakes and yes it is a seaplane.

I am very excited about this trip.  This is the kind of aviation activity that I dream of daily.  Most days, I am busily working at my desk writing computer programs and such but much of this time I am wishing that I am out there with all of the other back country pilots flying from one remote lake to the next catching a few pickerel or trout along the way.   This trip will take me out of my comfort zone a bit because it just isn't something that I do every day.  While I am very excited, I am also a little bit anxious about all the things out there that can get the occasional pilot into trouble.

So what can get a pilot like myself into trouble out there.  Well, there's the fact that this trip is over 1000 mi long and along the way there are few places to land a seaplane and get fuel.  Before I go, I must research as many seaplane landing sites as possible and which ones have fuel and which ones just food and lodging.

One of the potential landing sites along the way is on the Missouri river.   Normally at this time of year landing on the Missouri would not be a problem, but another pilot told me yesterday that the water is running wickedly fast right now and there is lots of debris in the water which is a big hazard for us float pilots.

What if a mechanical problem occurs and I need to put the airplane down somewhere that is miles and miles from towns or busy roads.  Or worse yet what if that place is an alpine lake or even worse not on a lake, but in the bush.   In a case like this things to be concerned about could be injury, keeping warm, or being prepared to survive in the woods for more than just a short time.

What do you take with you on a long cross country flight across less than habitable terrain?  Must have items for me will be a tent, light sleeping bag, light stove, a few light pots, some basic survival gear, a few key tools, my Spot® device, aviation gps, cell phone.  An item I'd like to have and don't, but might purchase before going would be a satellite phone.  Where I fly, cell phones don't always work and the sat phone could definitely be a handy addition to my survival box.

Think about it.  If you have further ideas (or better ones) please don't hesitate to comment on my blog and let me know what I should carry for this and future cross country flights.    Stay safe and tailwinds!

Many of us who love to fly also love to camp. And there's nothing like camping under the wing of your aircraft whether it be in the back country or on your trip to Oshkosh.
When you're bringing along your camping gear you want to make sure that it is light and that it is good quality. Light because most of us don't fly Beavers, Caravans or Otters and good quality because, well, you don't want to be replacing this stuff year after year.
As promised, we have added a new category called "Under the Wing". In this category we will be selling all those items that you need for camping under the wing of your aircraft. Gear like tents, sleeping bags, cookware, chairs and more.
Check out our line of quality camping supplies and enjoy your next time under the wing.

Summer is approaching and there will be many $100 hamburger runs originating from our local field in the coming weeks.  For me I am still grounded because most of my flying is

My new Murphy Rebel

done on floats and up until now most of the lakes have been frozen and also the airplane I recently bought is still 1000 mi away waiting to be ferried to its home base.   The itch to fly is strong so perhaps I'll head out to the field this weekend and bum a ride to a local fly-in and satisfy that itch temporarily.

For those of you who have just discovered my website and don't know me, allow me to introduce myself.  My name is Andrew Hallonquist and I do this because I love to fly and everything to do with flying.  I also love computers and the internet and have earned my living with computers and software since 1985.   Up until now my work with computers and my love of flying have been quite separate and I felt it was time to marry the two.

Come visit my site often as I add more to it.  You can expect to see new products on a regular basis.  You can also expect to see regular posts from me on topics ranging from specific product discussions to more general topics such as aviation safety and survival techniques.

Thanks for visiting GearForPilots and I hope to see you soon.

Andrew Hallonquist