What's in your onboard toolbox?

[Sam Rutherford]

Trying to bring the whole workshop, but in a small, light box...

What do you carry when you leave home...?

Sam.

[a64pilot]

A credit card, simple hand tools and the priority is on survival gear that changes based on time of year, locale and whether extended overwater or not. Tie downs, chocks, oil of course, windshield cleaner. Tools get heavy, fast.

[MauleMedic]

Always, always carry a plier wrench...these are a must as they work much better than channel locks *horror* or vice grips *also horror* because the jaws are smooth and always stay parallel...besides, you get much more gripping force anyway. I'm terrified by mechanics who chew up axle nuts using a channel lock. These, on the other hand, work great.

Use the small one if you ever want to fly commercially with just a carryon...the others are much bigger. I use all three regularly.

(Case in point: 7 years ago when I flew to another airport back when I was taking my private checkride...oral went fine but then on runup for the flight part one spark plug died on one cylinder. What do you do? The inspector asked if I wanted to come back in a week for the flight part but I didn't want to. So...he wondered off to get some coffee. While another student flew up to the airport I was at with another spark plug and the log books...changed the plug with the help of the plier wrench, signed it off, and successfully completed the checkride with the examiner!)

I've bought several from this guy (used to be based out of Wasilla, AK if I remember right). You can also get them from Snap-On but at 2x the price for the same Knipex plier.

http://chadstoolbox.com/index.asp?PageA ... ProdID=198

Don't forget a straight and a phillips screwdriver, safety wire, and a small safety wire pliers.