In my career, the most-prominent label used when referring to the piece of airline-pilot luggage that, at one time, kept chiropractors in business was either “brain bag” or “kit bag.” Distinguished by stickers and decals, the outside of the bag reflected a pilot’s personality and told a story. The good-quality bags were leather, and real pilots schlepped them by hand; wheels were for sissies. We stuffed them with Jepp binders, high and low en route charts, company manuals, airplane manuals, minimum equipment lists, emergency checklists, E6Bs, plotters, pens, highlighters, headsets, and cannon-size flashlights. Any first officer worth their salt would carry both a bottle of Caribbeanquality hot sauce for the in-flight omelet and reading material for the wait at the gate. My Dad asked that I carry a small laminated…
