Below are chats from working pilots or crew and our gear specialists. Each person explains their job and the real conditions they face - night LZs, spray on approach, brownout, long legs over water and then we build a simple, practical kit around that reality.
Use these conversations as a starting point for your own loadout. Every section links directly to the products in our Pilot Shop and includes on-body essentials, visibility tools, and a quick helmet note to keep the setup small and repeatable. - Harry at Aviation Survival
1) Law Enforcement Helicopter Pilot
Alex (LE pilot): Here is the deal. Nights are busy. We bounce from perimeter searches to quick LZs on county roads. Dust, fences, wires and we have crowds that keep drifting toward the boundary tape. I need ground teams to mark things the same way every time.
Gear Specialist: Put a six puck LED kit in the first-in patrol car. Corners on steady, hazards on flash. That pattern reads the same from 800 feet every time.
Alex: Some other issues that occur are we lose "last known" in tall grass. Also people keep kicking the cone down.
Gear Specialist: For day, drop a SEE RESCUE Streamer. It stays put in wind. At night, park a strobe right on it.
Alex: What about showing me who is in charge on the ground when it gets crowded.
Gear Specialist: Clip small strobes on the vests of the two supervisors. When I say meet the strobe on the north side, everyone knows.
Alex: We have had a couple panels get noisy. I want a backup that does not rely on ship power.
Gear Specialist: Keep a handheld with a headset adapter. Add a Bivy Stick for text to command if cell service is jammed. It is also handy for quick weather checks from the ramp.
Alex: How about a personal locator for me if I am down away from the aircraft.
Gear Specialist: Wear an ACR ResQLink 400 on your belt. It is simple and does not depend on a subscription.
Alex: How about any comfort or visibility tweaks for the helmet.
Gear Specialist: A comfort liner for long orbits and an amber visor for dust and haze. Keep a clear lens in the bag for dusk.
2) Offshore Oil Rig Helicopter Pilot
Brett (offshore pilot): I run rig shuttles most days—morning scud, spray on approach, and we’re always over water. Company handles the basic vests, but I want my own on-person setup for alerting and being found. What should I carry without making the vest bulky?
Gear Specialist: Keep it simple and vest-centric. Start with an on-body ACR ResQLink 400 PLB. Add an electronic flare for night like the ACR ResQFlare Pro, and a daytime pop like the Comet Day & Night flare if allowed. Clip a PFD light—ACR C-Light H2O—to the shoulder webbing so it auto-activates in water.
Brett: I’d like a vest that’s actually laid out for aviation—pockets that fit this stuff without snagging. What do pilots tend to pick?
Gear Specialist: If you’re upgrading, look at our aviation-focused options: the U.S. Navy MK-1 Inflatable Life Vest (pro-grade layout), Switlik professional vests like the EV-35 Aviator, or a compact over-water option such as the Revere Comfort Max inflatable (manual/auto models). All play well with PLBs, strobes, and small flares.
Brett: Sometimes cell coverage drops on the return leg. Is there a clean way to send a quick text without sat phone drama?
Gear Specialist: Yes—run a Bivy Stick for short off-grid texts and basic weather. Keep it in a vest pouch with a short cable to your phone. Preload a few canned messages so it’s two taps to send.
Brett: What if storage space is tight? I don’t want to feel like a Christmas tree.
Gear Specialist: Go “flat and front”: PLB on your belt (or vest MOLLE high center), PFD light on the shoulder, e-flare in a slim pocket, and the day/night flare in a bottom pouch. If you’re in a company-issued vest, use low-profile clips and keep everything in the same spots so it’s muscle memory.
Brett: Any quick helmet tips for fog and spray on approach?
Gear Specialist: Keep a clear visor within reach and a soft cloth in a small pocket. If you’re using a tinted lens inbound, swap to clear as you drop through scud so you don’t fight fog or color shift at the deck.
Shop PLB
Vest light
Electronic flare
Daytime/low-light
Off-grid texts
3) EMS Pilot
Cal (EMS pilot): Most nights I am landing on rural roads. Wires and spectators are the constant problem. I want a pattern the ground team can build fast without me talking them through every step.
Gear Specialist: Use the LED kit. Four pucks on steady for the box. Two on flash at the hazard, usually the pole line. It is quick to teach and hard to mess up.
Cal: We also need a way to show me who is the point person when I arrive.
Gear Specialist: Clip a strobe to the team lead and one to the safety officer. When you call for the north side contact, you will see the right person move.
Cal: On the personal side, I want something small that matters if I am away from the aircraft for any reason.
Gear Specialist: Wear the PLB 400 and keep a streamer in a vest pocket. Simple, durable, and easy to explain to new crew.
Cal: Ground crews change every shift. Any way to keep the gear from walking.
Gear Specialist: Number the pucks and case slots. Make one person responsible for the return count. Takes ten seconds and saves a kit.
Cal: Helmet comfort on long holds.
Gear Specialist: Add a comfort liner and keep an amber visor for dust and smoke. Swap to clear at dusk.
4) Flight Nurse
Dana (flight nurse): I am focused on the patient. I still want a few on body items in case I get separated in a dark rural pad or a moving crowd. It needs to be light and not get in the way.
Gear Specialist: Clip an electronic flare and whistle to your vest. Wear a PLB 400 on your belt. Fold a small streamer flat in a pocket for day scenes.
Dana: I wear gloves a lot and swap between tasks. I need dexterity.
Gear Specialist: Use Nomex flight gloves sized snug in the fingers. Keep a spare pair in a mesh pocket so they dry between calls.
Dana: Hydration without dragging a bottle.
Gear Specialist: Your mission pack has a hydration sleeve. Route the bite valve where it does not interfere with straps. Small sips beat big chugs during hot turns.
Dana: Anything else that helps at night around crowds.
Gear Specialist: A clip strobe on your shoulder helps the pilot and ground see you move. It also makes patient handoffs easier to track in the dark.
Helmet note: Comfort liner reduces hot spots on long holds. Keep the clear lens handy for hospital pads with bright floodlights.
5) Helicopter Pilot (General)
Marco (tour pilot): I do mountain sightseeing. Winds shift and clouds slide over ridges fast. I carry light. I want a pocket kit that earns its space on every flight.
Gear Specialist: Wear a PLB 400. Pair it with a rescue laser for long range cue and a streamer for day. If trees are common around landing spots, add AirMarker.
Marco: I do not want to brief a lot of new items.
Gear Specialist: Keep it simple. One shelf for the three items in your bag. Same side pocket in your jacket. Practice pulling them out in order with gloves on.
Marco: Glare can be rough near snowfields.
Gear Specialist: Carry an amber visor for contrast and swap to clear as light fades. Keep a soft cloth in a small zip pocket to wipe grit.
Marco: If I had to add one more thing.
Gear Specialist: A compact electronic flare. It helps at dusk when the laser is less effective and the streamer is harder to see.
6) Agricultural Pilot
Riley (ag pilot): Early starts. Wires everywhere. Dust and long passes over canals. I keep the vest simple. What is worth carrying that will not snag or add bulk.
Gear Specialist: On body PLB 400. A rescue laser for distance. A Day and Night flare if local rules allow. A small streamer in the leg pocket.
Riley: Our support truck works near canals and ditches.
Gear Specialist: Add a throw bag to the truck kit. It is fast to deploy from shore. Follow your SOP for what rides in the aircraft.
Riley: I want the kit to be muscle memory.
Gear Specialist: Stage items in the same pockets year round. Do a quick pocket check before first start. Replace anything you used the day before.
Riley: Helmet comfort when it is hot and bumpy.
Gear Specialist: A comfort liner and an amber visor help with vibration and dust. Rotate a skull cap at mid shift if sweat builds up.
7) Line Pilot
Sam (line pilot): I fly commuter legs and end up in remote overnights. On days off I still fly GA. I want a compact personal kit that moves between bags and actually gets used.
Gear Specialist: A Bivy Stick for off grid text and weather. A PLB 400 for hiking or GA. A slim kneeboard for your GA flights.
Sam: I do not want to chase chargers.
Gear Specialist: Keep one USB cable in the Bivy pouch and one at home. Charge after each use and set a monthly calendar reminder for a radio or messenger check.
Sam: Where should the PLB live when I am not hiking.
Gear Specialist: Clip it to the same belt loop on travel days so it is always in the same place. For GA flights put it on your vest or belt, not in a bag.
Sam: Any other small tools worth it.
Gear Specialist: A mini light that clips to your cap and a whistle on your jacket pull. Both weigh almost nothing and are handy more often than you think.
8) Firefighting Pilot
Jordan (fire pilot): Smoke, brownout, short bucket turns and temporary LZs. I need a dust friendly visor and a way for ground to build a clean pattern without a long talk on the radio.
Gear Specialist: Run an amber inner visor. For the scene, LED pucks on steady for the box and flashing on the hazards. Clip strobes on key vehicles and crew.
Jordan: If I end up down in timber I want something that gets me seen from the air fast.
Gear Specialist: Wear a PLB 400 and carry AirMarker. The PLB gets teams moving. The balloon gives them eyes on through canopy.
Jordan: People and gear move all day. How do we keep kits together.
Gear Specialist: Color code pucks and cases by aircraft tail number. End of shift, charge and count six back to six. Make it part of the hotwash.
Jordan: Any helmet comfort tip for long heat days.
Gear Specialist: Comfort liner and a spare skull cap. Swap the cap at lunch and wipe seals. Small things make long afternoons easier.
9) Helicopter Charter Pilot
Taylor (charter pilot): VIP shuttles to private pads I have not seen before. I want a compact kit that covers unknowns without cluttering the cabin or slowing the load.
Gear Specialist: Wear a PLB 400. Clip a ResQFlare Pro inside the vest. Carry a slim kneeboard for alternates and notes.
Taylor: Sometimes the venue has staff but no idea how to build an LZ.
Gear Specialist: If you have a chase vehicle, keep an LED kit in it. One minute of setup and you have a clean box no matter the surface.
Taylor: I do city pads with glass and glare.
Gear Specialist: Amber visor for haze and reflection. Swap to clear as light fades. Keep a cloth in the side pocket and a tiny spray bottle in the bag.
Taylor: I want this to be quick to check before each run.
Gear Specialist: Build a small checklist card. PLB on belt. Flare clipped. Kneeboard loaded. If you run the LED kit, call out the pattern to ground as you taxi out so they remember it for next time.
Add-ons many crews keep nearby
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Great for boats, bridges and support trucks near water. Follow local SOP for aircraft carriage.
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