VNAV LEATHER FLIGHT BAGS

Finding the right flight bag has always been a tricky undertaking and has deterred my wife from trying to buy me one.

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GADGET OF THE MONTH

ONE OF THE REASONS IT IS TRICKY is that over time the requirement for my flight bag has changed - and the bag went from being a fat briefcase to a squashable tog bag and finally shrank to a small across-the-body sling bag just large enough to take my headset, iPad and fuel tester and - oh yes - my license. In the end the bag I used was a cheap canvas satchel - that may have been effective - but was seriously uncool.

It is therefore great news that a proper pilot, who had time on his hands during the Covid lockdown, sat down and applied his mind and flying experience to what a modern flight bag should be. And yes, he has come up with what I consider the perfect flight bag. But not everyone shares my minimalist tastes and so there is still a selection of much larger bags for those who don't travel light.

The pilot who re-invented flight bags - and himself is Hein de Waal. He explains, "When lockdown started in March 2020, I suspected that this was not going to pass quickly. My busy mind helped prevent me from falling into a deep hole. For a friend's birthday, we contributed to a leather duffel bag. When I saw the bag I was intrigued by the work of a seemingly unknown local craftsman, Patrick Sibanda.