Top Five Items That Every Aircrew Member Should Have

This is an article that first appeared on the CAPvine forum boards.


1. NON-POLARIZED Sunglasses.

There are a few reasons that they MUST be NON-POLARIZED.

Much of the stuff that aircrews do with respect to search and rescue missions could be described as 'looking for a needle in a haystack.' Because of the way that the human eye works, we often do not see the color differences between our objective and its surroundings--we see CONTRAST. That contrast often comes in the form of a glint of light off of something shiny. That glint of light is called glare, and glare is exactly what polarizing blocks--very effectively. So by choosing to wear polarized sunglasses, an aircrew member is in effect throwing away the best chance they have of spotting the objective. By the same token, experienced aviators know that a little flicker of light is often the only clue they get that another aircraft is nearby. Finding non-polarized lenses is extremely important.

Now if this goes against what you previously knew about polarizing, you are a wise person. There are very few situations where polarized lenses are not a great advantage. They help fishermen see below the water's surface and make driving with a dirty windshield much easier, however they do not help find needles in haystacks from airplanes at all.

Finding non-polarized sunglasses can be a bit tricky, because as we said, they are usually very desirable. Most of your mall-kiosk types will look at you funny if you say you don't want polarizing--but they usually sell junk anyways. We personally love Serengetis. They are glass lenses, so the optical quality is great, and their coatings are excellent--very scratch resistant. Ask a pro photographer about the importance of quality coatings... As usual, I have to recommend Amazon because of their pricing and service. Here's a nice pair of Serengetis fit for a cap aircrew member. Serengetis are made by Bushnell who also make Mead telescopes and rifle scopes.

2. Sunscreen and Lip Balm.

The windows in airplanes are made of Lexan and other plastics that do not block much UV radiation. UV's the stuff that gives you a suntan, a sunburn, and makes you look eighty when your really forty. You're also a bit closer to the sun too--not literally, but you are above some of the dust and moisture in the atmosphere that helps cut down UV intensity for the ground pounders. So aircrew members get more powerful sun exposure. Also, depending on how your sorties are tasked, you may not get any shade for a loooong time.

Put sunscreen on before getting in the airplane. You don't need sunscreen on your ears cause the headset will cover 'em. And don't touch the windows--not just to prevent fingerprints, but some of the ingredients in sunscreen will cloud and craze the plastic. If you're doing the flying, please be sure your hands aren't greasy lest you put on an unintentional airshow.

Don't forget the lip balm. Get some that has an SPF of at least four, more is better here.

3. Bottled WATER

Not anything carbonated. No matter how many warnings you get, you will forget to open it slowly and there will be a mess. You will be scolded for not completely cleaning it up for years to come. For the same reasons listed above, aircrew members are very prone to dehydration. Dehydration is one of those things that needs to be prevented because treatment is slow. STAY HYDRATED!

Guys: bring an extra bottle with or chug-a-lug if you need to recycle some of that bottled water you already drank.

Ladies, there are all sorts of devices on the market. These come highly recommended. That said, modesty prevents a lot of gals from even considering such needs--whatever. Interestingly though, women are actually physiologically designed to "hold-it" for much longer than are men. Nonetheless, there are options, and asking the pilot to land so you can go is one of them. Most will relish the opportunity to land and stretch anyways.

4. Flashlight

Bring em along even if you don't think you'll need it. It's surprising how often flight ops run behind schedule. Opt for more than one-of a smaller model rather than one-bajillion candlepower, "man portable tactical search light." AA Maglights are time tested, reasonably priced, and perfect Civil Air Patrol aircrew needs.

Don't ever turn it on in an airplane without warning your fellow crew members first; if you ruin their night vision during a critical phase of flight with your brand new SureFire Sun-in-a-Can LED 9000, needless to say they won't be buying you dinner--and you could endanger your own life. It would be worthwhile to learn how to cup the light in your fist so that only a tiny bit of light leaks out on what you need to see without flooding the cockpit with pupil shrinking-blinding white light.

Be sure you have fresh batteries. There's an old joke about the designated aviation use of flashlights being "a storage device for dead batteries". It's sadly very true.

5. Kneeboard, PENCIL, Paper

You will need to write stuff down. Get a kneeboard at the local airport, from another aircrew member, or here. You don't need one with gadgets and pockets everywhere, space is at a premium in the CAP bugsmashers. Get one that holds a pad of paper and holds a mechanical pencil in some fashion--usually just a loop in the elastic. This will do nicely.

Pencils are preferred over pens because they don't leak ink--ever. Pens do, especially in airplanes at inopportune times. We like the mechanical ones with 7mm or 9mm lead. The thicker lead is less prone to breaking when your arm is flailing around on a hot summer day. Mechanical pencils are super reliable; be sure there is at least an extra piece or two of lead in it and you'll be fine. The biggest danger with writing instruments in airplanes is dropping them. They usually roll off into some inaccessible cranny that you never knew existed. Bring two, three if your paranoid. If you drop all three, look into a rubber band leash of some sort. If you borrow them to the pilot, shame on you!

Just about any pad of paper will do as long as it's not Kleenex. Although you do get what you pay for. It won't break the bank if you splurge a little. The "junior legal" pads fit perfectly on 90% of the kneeboards out there.

Clearly there are other things that you will need to bring along, but these are the ones that are most often left behind and cause the most pain and suffering when left behind. Feel free to add your recommendations to the list by using the "comment" button below.

For more great articles and discussions relevant to Civil Air Patrol visit: CAPvine's forum boards.