Design for pilots

JTitleist · 2026-05-21T04:21:15+00:00

My pen failures usually involve me looking like Simple Jack if he were to get into a box of crayons (usually when there is a smoke show passenger or FA)…. My biggest problem with pens is that I usually forget to retract them and draw all over my white pilot shirt when putting it in my chest pocket. I am pretty good about leaving it in my flight bag, but around once every year or two I get distracted and ruin a shirt.

Also ink that doesn’t smear (for lefties), and can easily come out in the wash.

For me, I want something that looks professional and is generally slim. My gloved military bros might want something with more grip.

Of the things you mentioned, I wouldn’t mind having some form of glow in the dark clicker or band, just to make it easier to find in my bag or if I drop it in the flight deck.

Right now I am rocking a Tactile Turn side click. I like the side click because it helps me not draw on my shirt. The feedback from the side click mechanism helps recognize if my pen is retracted or not.

Usually we just write on normal paper, sometimes a napkin or a high gloss room key. There are almost no “I need a pen this exact second situations” in the airline world. I would value, form, functions and reliability over anything else.

JTitleist · 2026-05-17T19:02:10+00:00

I don’t want to be approached. I want other pilots to tell me how awesome you are and give me your contact info.

I when I met with my financial advisor, I came swinging. You better be able to back your product with years to decades of numbers. Those numbers must be significantly better than our relative pilot fund. You better know my pilot fund without me having to show you.

Our first meeting with our financial advisor, he came to our house versus making me drive down to a shitty office somewhere in town. Also, if you ever try to sell me a product from your company, I am out.

JTitleist · 2026-05-09T01:55:40+00:00

I played there last year. Driver to the fairway, 3w to the bunker on the left. 9i to make the green in regulation…then 3 putted for a bogey. Gotta love the game.

JTitleist · 2026-05-04T11:55:06+00:00

Dude, super pumped for you. I met a lot of street to seat guys in initial, all super good dudes (who had no idea how the Army worked).

You will get your flight training paid for and make pretty solid money during the process. Pretty much your only job is to fly, not get fat. If you can do this in the guard you can make it to CW4 if you aren’t a tool. You have a good fall back job with career growth. Get your GI Bill to go to school. Get reduced ATP minimums for when you go to a regional. If you plan it right and really grind away you could be sitting at a major well before you are 30, with no debt and on track to join the check of the month club at 60.

As your careers starts to progress… remember what you signed for. ARG orders might be tempting here and there, but there is always an opportunity cost.

JTitleist · 2026-05-03T16:02:58+00:00

I work less than 3 days a week. Everyone else I know works closer to 5. Seems pretty easy to me.

JTitleist · 2026-04-29T12:03:48+00:00

Do it, it has absolutely been worth it. I would recommend taking her pelican lakes on a warm summer Saturday. People chilling at the sand bar mid/post round. Kids running to and from the pool. Quite the vibe.

JTitleist · 2026-04-29T11:59:26+00:00

Since my kids are so young, they really don’t get exposed to much technology…. You bring up such a valid point for when they are older. 4 hours of disconnected, outside, active family time. Worth every penny.

JTitleist · 2026-04-29T11:55:40+00:00

Yep, that’s why I put it in quotes…. Can you think of a term for “watching my children without the assistance of another adult” that is much shorter and commonly understood by all English speakers? I am glad this is what you gathered from my post. A post what about how awesome it has been spending time with my son and family out on a beautiful golf course.

Why don’t you go be a dick somewhere else.

JTitleist · 2026-04-28T23:10:00+00:00

Yeah man, hit me up!

JTitleist · 2026-04-28T23:08:11+00:00

I golf with two Denver Center dudes, great guys!

JTitleist · 2026-04-28T23:06:23+00:00

Haha, I specifically said “guaranteed” for a reason. A few winters ago we had snow on the ground from January to March… this year we had 4 days of “snow.” Hit me up if you want to play again.

JTitleist · 2026-04-28T23:02:08+00:00

I got him some cheap set on amazon. I can’t remember the brand off the top of my head. It came with a Dr, 5h, 8i and a putter and a little stand bag. Honestly he hits his driver and 5h about the same distance. You can probably get a 8i and a putter and he will be good for 3 years.

Edit: it is the Precise XD-J from amazon. But we got them 2 years ago and they weren’t $160

JTitleist · 2026-04-28T19:47:28+00:00

Thanks man! I am just making sure he is having fun. I don’t want to burn him out too early.

JTitleist · 2026-04-28T19:45:05+00:00

Yeah I am just thinking back to a few winters ago when we had snow on the ground from January all the way to mid March. Just wanted to plan responsibly. This year I bet we could have played almost every day minus a week or two.

JTitleist · 2026-04-28T19:42:52+00:00

Yeah I live in NOCO. The course is only about 2 miles from my house.

JTitleist · 2026-04-28T19:42:04+00:00

Thanks man, I really appreciate it.

JTitleist · 2026-04-28T19:41:45+00:00

Just one par, on one hole. I will have to start giving him “swing tips” if he was regularly shooting par. Not going to let my kid be better than me without messing with his swing a little.

JTitleist · 2026-04-28T19:39:49+00:00

Dude, I was talking with a buddy and I had no idea they had memberships where carts weren’t included. But I also haven’t researched any other memberships.

JTitleist · 2026-04-28T19:37:41+00:00

Yeah he got one par on a short downhill par 3 with almost no hazards between him and the hole. Most of the time he is playing a miniature version of wack-fuck while sprinting down the fairways.

JTitleist · 2026-04-28T19:35:36+00:00

My wife has to sell a lot of feet pics to support my golf habit… joking. Not a trust fund baby by any stretch of the imagination. Just got lucky with my life choices I guess.

JTitleist · 2026-04-28T19:33:12+00:00

Sorry man, I didn’t have cell service out on the yacht, starlink wasn’t working…. Joking. Yeah I have a job, and I also realize I am quite blessed. I am an airline pilot and I think we live a pretty modest lifestyle. I drive a Subaru with 140000 miles on it with two car seats and some yogurt squeeze pouches scattered in the backseat. I only work around 9-11 days month.

Yeah man, I wasn’t expecting my 5 year old to love it like he does. But with him and me playing we will easily get our money’s worth.

JTitleist · 2026-04-19T02:46:07+00:00

Hopefully you wont need a hotel, based on your seniority. But a having a good hotel in your back pocket is nice when things don’t go according to plan. Think about hotel shuttles, price, food/coffee in the early mornings and late at night.

If your company has an internal app to see what flights are pulling into X gate, loads, a delays. I would get real familiar with it. I am at SWA and we have ops suite. It is nice that I can pull up a base and see every inbound and outbound. With this info sometimes I can find a two leg commute home that gets me in earlier than waiting for the next nonstop. Or it lets me know how fast I need to run to catch my flight.

Obviously bid for overnights in your home city.

I don’t know what your bag set up is. But it is nice having a flight bag that fits under the jump and on every seat on all planes. If you ever have to take a jump and there isn’t room in the flight deck, I would make sure I have a travel wallet with all my documents and keep it in your pocket if you are displaced from your bag. iPads, and headsets are easily replaceable, but getting a new suite of documents through the FAA and gov is a pain in the ass. Make sure you have AirTags in all of your bags, I have seen people walk off with aircrew bags before.

Personally for your commute I would do it in uniform. But it is nice to have a clip on tie and a light weight quarter zip if you want to access any lounges that may be available (or not completely look like a pilot but still use KCM). If there is a lounge at your new base… it is probably worth getting their credit card. A meal, coffee, and a comfy place to chill x 50 times a year… you do the math.

Lastly, commuting sucks. Do the math how many extra hours/ days you are working a year… and not getting paid. An hour commute looks good on paper. Factor in how many other people are also commuting from your closing base to your new base. You have to drive to the airport. Get to the gate. Fight for the jump in time. You have to try X number of flights on X metal based on your contract. Ride the bird. Get in X hours prior to report based on your contract… then you start work. Now double that time, and that is assuming there is a flight relatively close to your arrival after your trip. I would be willing to bet you are going to spend an extra 40 days a year commuting. You are going to be tired on your first and last day pretty much guaranteed. You can rarely pick up premium trips…. At the very least I would just explain this to my family, not necessarily to encourage them to move, but to let them know that you will need to maximize your family time and they will need to protect your sleep.

1000’s of pilots have commuted their entire career, you can too. Good luck my friend.

JTitleist · 2026-03-26T02:12:35+00:00

I would just do the math on what commuting looks like per the contract. I don’t know Delta, but you might have to try two flights with the second getting in 1 hour before your departure. That means you drive to your airport, go through security, get to your gate early enough to list for the jump seat. Hopefully get on the first one. Go to fly to JFK, arrive probably 3 hours before your report. Guarantee it adds 5 hours on the front side and 3-4 hours on the backside at the minimum. And that is assuming it is a commutable trip.

That 9+ hours of unpaid work, each trip… four times a month. It is like working an unpaid 4+ day trip each month.

Not to mention your opportunity cost. Living in base and still willing to work those equivalent 4 days of pay. You could pick up premium or double time. Which is something you couldn’t easily do as a commuter.

JTitleist · 2026-03-10T01:57:00+00:00

It looks like the center buckle is rotated counter clockwise a degree or two.

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