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Thread: kneeboards: worth it or not?

  1. #21
    steveinindy's Avatar
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    one carried china markers and made notes on the windshield. In case of capture, you could kick out the windshield and destroy all those classified freqs and coords.
    Is it bad that I kind of want to start doing that once I get my own aircraft? I have completely forgotten about the old airborne forward observer practice of doing that.

    That is a noble, practical practice, Dudley. However, I would avoid doing it in sight of TV crews. Sarah Pallin did and was severely beat up by the media.
    One would expect that for a simple speech where you're not changing radios, etc you shouldn't have to resort to such measures. Speaking as someone who gets paid to speak publicly quite frequently (I still teach health care providers as well as forensic professionals to make extra cash to feed my addiction to flying), perception is reality and if you know you can't stay on point from your own memory, you either do it using a Powerpoint (guilty as charged here...) or you put an outline on a piece of paper. Writing something on the back of your hand in such a setting is a good way to make yourself look like you may not being honest or that you don't know what the hell you're talking about.

    Ah, they are SUCH simple people.
    I think that assessment cuts both ways in case of Mrs. Palin (and a lot of other politicians). She's not my first choice for a politician largely because she comes across as very ditzy and that perception by a large number of folks (including a good number of my fellow Republicans) probably cost McCain the election last time around. Probably a fun lady to hang around and she's honestly probably not as stupid as she comes across as being with but she gives the public an impression of not being the sharpest tool. As I said earlier, perception is reality in such affairs as politics.
    Unfortunately in science what you believe is irrelevant.

    "I'm an old-fashioned Southern Gentleman. Which means I can be a cast-iron son-of-a-***** when I want to be."- Robert A. Heinlein.



  2. #22

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    I apologize if, in my first post, I was guilty of creeping this thread. I really just wanted to include some anecdotal information in my discussion of when I do and don't use the kneeboard.

    As an addition, I have three flaps that hang off the front of the kneeboard which keep often used information. I flip those over the writing pad portion when necessary. This is very helpful for flying a single pilot helicopter with no effective trim. None of it has been necessary for me in the airplane.

    Brett

  3. #23
    Cary's Avatar
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    I made my first kneeboard, from a small clipboard and an elastic strap, plus a little bit of hanger wire. After some 36 years, that got so beat up that it finally started looking grossly unprofessional, so 3 years ago I spent $14 on a Sporty's aluminum version complete with all sorts of IFR information on it--looks better, but doesn't work better.

    A relatively smallish kneeboard with a pad of plain paper is very handy, for marking down frequencies, time that tanks were switched, and clearances. I have yet to fly in a SE GA airplane where it gets in the way, although with some tighter cockpits, I've pushed it over to the side of my leg just before landing, just so it won't be bumped. It certainly doesn't interfere with control movement, however.

    If I'm just flying around the pattern, I don't strap it on, but if I'm going anywhere, I do, whether I expect to use it or not. I can tuck charts under the paper pad or between the kneeboard and my leg, there's a pencil clip on it, and generally it's a pretty cheap and useful tool.

    So you pay your money and make your choice, or not.

    Cary
    "I have slipped the surly bonds of earth...,
    put out my hand and touched the face of God." J.G. Magee

  4. #24
    steve's Avatar
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    I bought the "Pilots Pal" kneeboard way back in '94. I'm an average size guy but the thing just got in the way in every plane I flew or owned except the 182s I flew as a CAP member. It was handy to have when copying clearances operating out of Salt Lake City Int'l. Bravo Airspace.
    Fly VFR cross country UT to WI to FL in my RV9A? Never even packed the kneeboard.

  5. #25

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    What I'm reading is that the right kneeboard is a helpful reference but the wrong kneeboard is useless!

    I actually tested to see if mine would get in the way by wearing it while driving my truck; it didn't, as it's pretty small and not much wider and shorter than my thigh. It's fine because I fly a Champ (no seat to the side, stick instead of yoke) and strictly VFR - I just need a slice of the sectional, a few frequencies (and oh, I don't fly into controlled airspace so there's only two freqs per airfield to keep track of), and the barest of airport info (runway orientation).

    I think my Car Test is a good way of testing a kneeboard. If it is irritating while driving to the grocery store (or the airport) it will probably be a huge PITA in the cockpit.
    The opinions and statements of this poster are largely based on facts and portray a possible version of the actual events.

  6. #26

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    My observation is that many commercial knee boards sold to new pilots are indeed too large to be functional in a real cockpit. They sell them based on the idea that you have to have these large forms and books in your lap as you fly. Guys fly for a few hours trying to use them and then they go in the closet and never see the light of day again.

    I will suggest that small and simple is good. I just need my knee board to position a small spiral notebook within easy reach so as to write ATIS, clearance, and fuel management info down, and keep one chart where I can see it. If I need more stuff in flight, I organize it within easy reach before starting the engine. In some airplanes I resort to wearing a hunting vest with a lot of pockets to hold extra stuff. I think that I mentioned in an earlier post that a Pitts has no floor and no cockpit storage. I will note that neither does any of the early 1940's military airplanes (P-40, Stearman, etc).

    I will also note that I wear mine out at my knee, not pulled up on my thigh. In that location it does not get in the way of a yoke, my elbow is not hard up against the seat back as I try to write, and my eyes focus at about the same distance as the instrument panel is. I can write large since the spiral notebook has more than one page to write on. No style points for writing small and then squinting. But the flip side is that organizing your notes into orderly columns, rather than writing stuff at random locations on the page makes it easier to read back info.

    Its funny how very few people learn to be organized voluntarily. I knee board is a tool to make your flight go more smoothly. A tool is only as good as the user.

    Best of luck,

    Wes

    PS. If you have any sheet metal skills, making a custom knee board is easy. Rockler Woodworking will sell you clips to rivet on and your local fabric store will sell you webbing and velcro. Some spray can paint and done. Did that four my pilot wife.
    Last edited by WLIU; 03-03-2012 at 06:29 AM.

  7. #27
    Chris In Marshfield's Avatar
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    I have a Sporty's tri-fold soft kneeboard that I've used since I started flying. It's nice to keep my notepad handy for jotting down freqs and weather, in addition to keeping those nice AOPA kneeboard airport diagrams handy. And I can keep charts at the ready in one of the folds.

    http://www.sportys.com/PilotShop/product/9199

    I'm kind of a tall guy, and I fly an Archer. The yoke is a lot closer to your lap than in a Cessna, so if I have to use a lot of right aileron, the yoke will hit the kneeboard. But I usually only throw that much in during flight control checks before take off.

    But as someone else mentioned earlier, it can be a concern if you fly in conditions that require a lot of control movement.

    ~Chris
    Christopher Owens (EAA #808438, VAA #723276)
    Germantown, WI
    Bearhawk Plans #991, Bearhawk Patrol Plans #P313

  8. #28

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    Quote Originally Posted by WLIU View Post
    Some spray can paint and done.
    paint? i never thought of that.

  9. #29

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    Quote Originally Posted by cdrmuetzel@juno.com View Post
    paint? i never thought of that.
    The bonus is that nobody will steal your pastel pink kneeboard. Decorative touches with unicorn and heart stickers are a real bonus.

    The opinions and statements of this poster are largely based on facts and portray a possible version of the actual events.

  10. #30
    steveinindy's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Frank Giger View Post
    The bonus is that nobody will steal your pastel pink kneeboard. Decorative touches with unicorn and heart stickers are a real bonus.

    This would be a good time to point out that I am easily recognizable as the guy with the Paddington Bear wallet. LOL
    Unfortunately in science what you believe is irrelevant.

    "I'm an old-fashioned Southern Gentleman. Which means I can be a cast-iron son-of-a-***** when I want to be."- Robert A. Heinlein.



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