Flight Bag Review: Sporty's VFR Flight Gear Bag

     When I began my training, I began to accumulate quite a few books and things I needed to fly. Without a flight bag, I had to heave in all of my books and gear in my hands, and it was a mess. So, it was finally time to invest in a flight bag. A live about 30 minutes from Sporty's which is in Batavia, OH, so I drove there to take a look at what they had. Immediately, the VFR Flight Gear Bag by Sporty's struck my attention. They claimed it was "Ideal for student pilots or weekend fliers" and was only $50. Did I mention there it comes with a 6 year warranty? I couldn't find any other bag with such great value or right amount of storage capacity I needed. As a student pilot, I only needed room for essentials and a few books I need to lug around just in case. 

The bag itself filled with my gear

     This bag makes it very easy to stay organized by having several compartments specially designed for pilots. Starting from the left on the picture above, there is a roomy, padded headset pocket that is big enough for just about any aviation headset. However, my David Clark H10-13.4 is a tight squeeze height wise. In the front there is a divided pocket able to fit long items such as charts, a logbook, E6B, or anything else you desire. On the far right, you can see an area for an ID, pens/pencils, and an over-sized pouch for a cell phone or hand-held radio. In the back(not visible in the picture), there are two, big velcro pockets capable of carrying other items that a pilot may want quick access to(Fuel tester, charts, checklists...). But, I do not use them. Finally, there is the center compartment with optional dividers where student pilots can cram in all of their books, kneeboards, an iPad, and other miscellaneous or large items.

Almost everything I fit in my bag

What's in my bag: 

• Jeppesen Private Pilot book
• FAR AIM 2013 (ASA)
• G-Shock Watch
• GoPro HD Hero 2
• Gerber Multi-tool
• 2 Pens and 1 Pencil
• Private Pilot Test Prep (ASA)
• A Basic Guide to Flying Tailwheel Airplanes
• Forever WAC Plotter by Sporty's
• Jeppesen Student CSG Flight Computer E6B
• David Clark H10-13.4
• Jeppesen Pilot Logbook
• Ray-Ban Aviator Sunglasses
• Sectional Chart
• iPhone 5
• Wallet
• Keys

     Overall, this is the bag that I was looking for. It easily fits everything that I need with room to spare without having to lug around a gigantic bag. It is very durable and Sporty's even stands behind their product by including a 6 year warranty. Also, it is priced at a competitive $50. I have not had any major issues with it. However, The padded headset pocket could be bigger. I often find myself struggling to get the pocket to zip with my David Clark H10-13.4 headset inside. I can only imagine the issues a hefty Sennheiser headset would run into. This product does what it was made to do. It can easily handle all of the gear an average student pilot or weekend flyer would need to carry. This bag is not made for professional pilots wishing to carry something like a change of clothes. If you think you may need more room, upgrade to the Original Flight Gear Bag or even Deluxe Flight Gear Bag.

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Rating Overall

     This bag has exceeded my expectations, and I would have no hesitation to recommend this to a friend. Even after flight training, I will continue to use it. I can carry everything I need to with almost no issues. I can only knock off a half star because of the small headset pocket. If the next edition of this bag included a larger and more padded pocket, it would easily earn a solid 5 star rating!

Headset Review: David Clark H10-13.4

     I'm really starting to fly more often now that I am close to my first solo flight. Because of this, I thought it was time for me to get my first headset. David Clark is known for their comfortable, quiet, and durable headsets. To go along with it, the buyer gets a great 5 year warranty. So, I decided upon a David Clark H10-13.4 Passive Aviation Headset.

     I ordered the headset from Amazon for $300 and received it through PilotMall. It came to my house in perfect condition, and it seemed to not have taken any damage during shipping.

The box the headset came in(which was inside another, larger box)

   
  Before going any further, let's look at the features that this headset from David Clark has to offer:

Super Soft, Double Foam Head Pad New Comfort gel, undercut ear seals Certified Noise Reduction Rating - 23 dB Reduced headband force Universal Flex Boom for perfect microphone placement Exclusive M-7A, advanced noise-cancelling microphone Low-profile volume control knob with detent settings Molded cord assembly made to exceptional pull and flex standards 5-year Guarantee FAA TSO Approved C57 Cat. B and C58a Exceeds RTCA/DO-214 Standards Weight (without cords): 16.5 oz.

Super Soft, Double Foam Head Pad New Comfort gel, undercut ear seals Certified Noise Reduction Rating - 23 dB Reduced headband force Universal Flex Boom for perfect microphone placement Exclusive M-7A, advanced noise-cancelling microphone Low-profile volume control knob with detent settings Molded cord assembly made to exceptional pull and flex standards 5-year Guarantee FAA TSO Approved C57 Cat. B and C58a Exceeds RTCA/DO-214 Standards Weight (without cords): 16.5 oz.

• Super Soft, Double Foam Head Pad
• New Comfort gel, undercut ear seals
• Certified Noise Reduction Rating - 23 dB
• Reduced headband force
• Universal Flex Boom for perfect microphone placement
• Exclusive M-7A, advanced noise-cancelling microphone
• Low-profile volume control knob with detent settings
• Molded cord assembly made to exceptional pull and flex standards
• 5-year Guarantee
• FAA TSO Approved C57 Cat. B and C58a
• Exceeds RTCA/DO-214 Standards
• Weight (without cords): 16.5 oz.

     Obviously, this headset has a lot to offer. It's light, comfortable, quiet, and it definitely has a strong construction to it. When you take it out of the box, you know right away that it was built to last. The metal frame is sturdy, yet provides a very low clamping force on the sides of your head. It is a well known complaint from many pilots that with some headsets, the clamping force can cause a lot of discomfort during long flights. This headset is definitely an exception to that.

The David Clark H10-13.4 itself

     Along with the frame of the headset itself, the cords have a durable feel to them. They are flexible, yet they are thick and give me the feeling that they can take a lot of abuse. As seen in the image above, they are dual plugs that should be compatible with virtually any general aviation airplane out there.

Side of ear cup, featuring volume control knob

     This headset is the Mono version from David Clark. So, it features a single volume control knob on one ear cup. David Clark's Stereo version of this headset, the H10-13S, features a volume control knob on both ear cups. In flight, it is very simple to adjust the volume as needed without having to fiddle with any complicated controls or buttons. 

Top Down view of the headset 

     In the image above, you see the whole headset from a different angle. On top, you see the "Super Soft, Double Foam Head Pad." I can say, it really is comfortable and doesn't get too hot on your head. The gel ear seals can also be seen. I think these are David Clark's secret to creating such a tight seal to reduce noise. Both of these features create a very comfortable experience while flying for long durations. This stands true even if you are wearing glasses. No pilot wants to be distracted with an uncomfortable headset when they are trying to keep focus on the flying itself.

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     I guess now you want my personal opinion about this headset. Well, with this being my first headset that I have purchased, I cannot really compare it to anything else. But, I can promise you that David Clark does not lie to you about the quality of their products. They have such a well respected and famous name for a reason. 

Rating Overall

I can only take off a half of a star for one reason. It is not an Active Noise Reduction(ANR) headset. It does not have that quality of noise cancelling. You are definitely going to get a lot out of the money you are paying for this. But, it is only a passive headset.  The David Clark H10-13.4 really is a comfortable and well built headset for the money. But, please remember one thing. This is a passive headset that you are paying for. Do not expect the same noise reduction as a Bose A20 or Lightspeed Zulu.

Overall, I would not hesitate a second to recommend this headset to any General Aviation pilot out there with a budget. For $300, you are getting a lot of headset for a great price. If you are not on a budget or if you fly very often, go for an ANR headset from Bose or Lightspeed.