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Useful gifts for flight school students?

MIDNJAC

is clara ship
pilot
I'd recommend the F-18 horizontal bag or the other aviator chart bag from Wings Aviation in Pensacola.

http://flywings.com/cat_page9.htm

Ironically, I don't think there has ever been an F-18 pilot who has used such a bag in history.......at least when flying the Hornet. I got one of these too when I was in meridian, and it has been in the closet since I left flight school.

As for gloves, those are the other things that got thrown in the closet when I got my wings. Have not dabbled with fingerless. Okay I admit that I did keep the gloves in the helmet bag to wear to and from the jet on the flight deck on cruise (lest some boat donkey get angry), but I have not worn them in the cockpit in years. I have yet to hear the argument that will compel me to deal with the annoyance.
 

Gatordev

Well-Known Member
pilot
Site Admin
Contributor
This fingerless glove thing interests me.
Such a cultural difference between Naval and AF aviation. We just don't see people do the fingerless gloves in the USAF.
I tried it a few years ago when I saw my Navy friends doing it... I really didn't like it. Was glad to get a new set of gloves with 5 fingers on each hand.

I didn't really find them to be all that useful until I started to use a track ball to control the hook. Completely necessary? No, but I find it does help with control greatly.

Okay I admit that I did keep the gloves in the helmet bag to wear to and from the jet on the flight deck on cruise (lest some boat donkey get angry), but I have not worn them in the cockpit in years. I have yet to hear the argument that will compel me to deal with the annoyance.

I've never understood the obsession about walking to the aircraft with gloves on. None of the linemen are wearing gloves, or if they are, they're work gloves like Mechanix and are the opposite of fire retardant. Why would I try and fiddle with restraints, data cards, bag hooks, etc with less dexterity when I'm not even flying yet? Just always seemed weird to me.
 

sevenhelmet

Low calorie attack from the Heartland
pilot
Also the Super Hornet's touch screen UFCD doesn't work with gloves, thus fingerless for us.

IIRC, the Rhino UFCD works just fine with gloves. It uses an IR laser grid in front of the screen (not a capacitive screen like an iPhone) , so gloved fingers should work fine, even though most guys opt for fingerless due to comfort and finding HOTAS quickly.
 

pourts

former Marine F/A-18 pilot & FAC, current MBA stud
pilot
Ironically, I don't think there has ever been an F-18 pilot who has used such a bag in history.......at least when flying the Hornet. I got one of these too when I was in meridian, and it has been in the closet since I left flight school.

As for gloves, those are the other things that got thrown in the closet when I got my wings. Have not dabbled with fingerless. Okay I admit that I did keep the gloves in the helmet bag to wear to and from the jet on the flight deck on cruise (lest some boat donkey get angry), but I have not worn them in the cockpit in years. I have yet to hear the argument that will compel me to deal with the annoyance.

Gloves are useful when you are flying out of Lemoore or El Centro in the summer so you don't burn yourself. Or when its cold. I use them more as a comfort item that keep my hands warm or cool as the situation dictates.
 

MIDNJAC

is clara ship
pilot
Gloves are useful when you are flying out of Lemoore or El Centro in the summer so you don't burn yourself. Or when its cold. I use them more as a comfort item that keep my hands warm or cool as the situation dictates.

I'll buy the cold. I burned my hands like a man while manning up in the AG/GOO during the summertime and it still didn't convince me. I had already lost about 5 lbs in body water by the time I got strapped in, so I would have walked naked if it were an option,.
 

BigJeffray

Sans Remorse
pilot
I didn't wear gloves in the FRS but at my current squadron we can get the Wiley X fingerless gloves through the supply system, so I started wearing them and I really like them. The UFCD may work with regular gloves, but I hate using it with them. The Wiley Xs will last less than a year, though.

As far as the gifts go, if you're looking for something significantly less expensive than the iPad Mini (or to compliment it), I have the App Strap for mine and I really like it:
http://www.theappstrap.com/store/as-mini-ipad/
 

MGoBrew11

Well-Known Member
pilot
Can anyone recommend good fingerless gloves that are not Wiley X?

I loved the Wiley X gloves that I got for free before primary. Like BigJeffray mentioned though, they completely fell apart about halfway through advanced. I want to buy another pair but if there are good gloves that are more durable I'd like to know.

I tried the standard gloves once and hated them. 10x harder to turn the pages of the PCL checklist.

EDIT: Saw Gatordev's post on Massif…..any others?
 

AllYourBass

I'm okay with the events unfolding currently
pilot
Can anyone recommend good fingerless gloves that are not Wiley X?

I loved the Wiley X gloves that I got for free before primary. Like BigJeffray mentioned though, they completely fell apart about halfway through advanced. I want to buy another pair but if there are good gloves that are more durable I'd like to know.

I tried the standard gloves once and hated them. 10x harder to turn the pages of the PCL checklist.

EDIT: Saw Gatordev's post on Massif…..any others?

Just throwing in more support for those Fingerless Overlord Gloves that Gatordev mentioned. I love mine. My entire class put in an order for them when we were under the impression there was a group discount, but I think you can just get a military discount by signing up at www.outdoorresearch.com/vip (and as of now, it looks like those gloves are on sale anyway, so I don't know if they'll discount further). Their customer service is apparently pretty great, too. My friend's started falling apart fairly quickly and they sent him two free replacement pairs that week. It's a lifetime guarantee if I recall correctly.
 

Gatordev

Well-Known Member
pilot
Site Admin
Contributor
I've had my Overlord's for a year now, and though I don't fly as much as a fleet LT <cue Debbie Downer music>, they've structurally held up great. They are "wearing," in that they're getting that discoloration from all the random greases/fluids that manage to make it into the cockpit, but otherwise the stitching and fit have been consistent. I grabbed a couple more a few months ago when they were insanely cheap and on sale (something like $60 shipped) and found the newer ones weren't quite as tight a fit as my originals, which was a good thing. But even my first pair I'm still wearing have broken in and are comfy.

gloves.JPG
 

Uncle Fester

Robot Pimp
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
I got in the habit of cutting the pointer-finger tips off my flight gloves because they'd keep getting caught in the Koch fittings (E-2 FOs leave the upper fittings undone except for TO/landing and the RO can be in and out of his seat a lot during a flight). Usually didn't wear them in-flight much personally so that I could feel the bullnose keys and trackball. Had a set of Mechanix gloves for preflight.

Might think about a gift card for Sporty's or some other pilot-gear shop, rather than buying the items. There's a lot of room for community standard/personal preference and it'd be a shame to drop a lot of money on something that'll just sit in the closet. You'll probably figure out what you want/need somewhere between advanced and the end of the FRS.

The Fleshlight is probably a good present before departing on first cruise...:D
 

HuggyU2

Well-Known Member
None
Also the Super Hornet's touch screen UFCD doesn't work with gloves, thus fingerless for us.
Seriously? Ha! I had no idea.
I got a front seat Super Hornet hop in January and don't even remember that!
Of course, it was the day the polar vortex came through and I about froze to death getting strapped in when it was 12 degrees on the ramp. I was very happy to have a glove on!
 
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