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.

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.