The 6 Essentials for Hour Building (Plus One Bonus Item!)
- 10 hours ago
- 4 min read
There are two ways to build flying hours.
You can spend your time flying endless circuits around the same airfield, or you can tour Europe, visit new destinations, improve your confidence, and create memories that will stay with you long after you've reached your CPL minimums.
If you're planning an hour-building adventure, here are the six items we consider absolutely essential.
1. SkyDemon – The Best Investment a Pilot Can Make
If you're flying around Europe, SkyDemon is worth every penny.
The app makes flight planning, navigation, airspace awareness, NOTAMs, weather briefings, and route changes incredibly simple. It reduces workload in the cockpit and allows you to spend more time looking outside and enjoying the flight.
Whether you're flying from Granada to Gibraltar, Cannes to Corsica, or touring the French Atlantic coast, SkyDemon quickly becomes your electronic co-pilot.
Could you fly without it? Yes.
Would you want to? Probably not.
2. A Good Battery Power Bank
Modern flying relies on electronic devices.
Your tablet runs SkyDemon. Your phone provides weather updates, fuel information, hotel bookings, and emergency contacts. The last thing you want is for everything to go flat halfway through a day of flying.
A quality power bank is one of the most useful pieces of equipment you can carry.
Choose one with enough capacity to recharge your phone and tablet several times. You'll be surprised how often it saves the day during long touring flights.
Remember: no battery means no navigation app.
3. A Good Pair of Unpolarised Sunglasses
This is one many new pilots overlook.
Polarised sunglasses can make some cockpit displays difficult to read and can create strange visual effects on aircraft windscreens.
A quality pair of unpolarised sunglasses will reduce glare while still allowing you to clearly read instruments, tablets, and navigation screens.
When you're flying in the bright sunshine of Spain, Southern France, Italy, or Corsica, you'll quickly realise just how important they are.
Your eyes will thank you after a five-hour flying day.
4. Comfortable Shoes
This is one item many pilots don't think about until it's too late.
When you're hour building, you'll often put your shoes on first thing in the morning and still be wearing them 12 hours later. They need to be comfortable in the aircraft and comfortable once you've landed.
In the cockpit, you'll be spending hours operating the rudder pedals, making small, precise inputs during taxiing, take-offs, landings, and crosswind corrections. Bulky or uncomfortable footwear can quickly become annoying when you're flying several hours a day.
Once you've landed, the flying isn't over. You'll be walking around airfields, exploring towns, visiting restaurants, and sightseeing in places you've flown to. It's not unusual to spend several miles on your feet after a day in the air.
The ideal hour-building shoe is lightweight, comfortable, and gives you good feel on the rudder pedals while still being suitable for walking around all day.
Forget looking like an airline captain. When you're touring Europe for a week or two, comfort wins every time.
After several days of flying, your feet will thank you for making the right choice.
5. A Quality Headset
If there's one item that's worth spending money on, it's a good headset.
During an hour-building trip, you could easily spend 30, 50, or even 100 hours wearing it. A cheap headset that feels uncomfortable after an hour can become a real problem when you're flying several hours every day.
Comfort is important, but so is clarity.
Whether you're talking to busy controllers in Southern France, transiting controlled airspace in Spain, or listening to clearances while approaching unfamiliar airports, you need to hear every transmission clearly. Good communication reduces workload and helps make flying safer and less stressful.
A quality headset also reduces fatigue. Aircraft cockpits are noisy environments, and after several hours in the air, good noise attenuation can make a huge difference to how fresh you feel at the end of the day.
Many pilots spend hundreds on gadgets they rarely use but try to save money on the one piece of equipment they wear every minute they're flying.
Buy the best headset you can comfortably afford. You'll use it on every flight, and it's an investment you'll appreciate every time you put it on.
6. A Thermos Flask for Cold Water
Flying in good VFR weather is fantastic.
Flying in 35°C heat with warm water is not.
A quality insulated flask keeps your water cold all day, even when the aircraft has been sitting in the sun.
Staying hydrated improves concentration, reduces fatigue, and simply makes long flying days far more enjoyable.
Many pilots spend hundreds on gadgets but forget the simple things.
Cold water on a hot day can feel like a luxury.
Bonus Item: Shorts and a T-Shirt
One of the biggest reasons pilots come to Spain and Southern France for hour building is the weather.
While friends back in Northern Europe are checking cloud bases and wondering if the weather will improve, you're often flying under blue skies in sunshine.
So pack the shorts, t-shirts and the sunglasses.
Enjoy the weather that makes European touring so enjoyable.
After all, if you're spending your day flying along the Mediterranean coastline in perfect VFR conditions, you may as well look like you're on holiday too.
Final Thoughts
The truth is that successful hour building isn't about having the most expensive watch, the fanciest flight bag, or every gadget on the market.
It's about being comfortable, prepared, and ready to make the most of every flying day.
So before your next trip, make sure you've packed:
SkyDemon
Battery power bank
Unpolarised sunglasses
Comfortable shoes
Quality headset
Thermos flask
Shorts and t-shirt
The hours get you hired.
The stories stay with you.
Ready to Start Your Hour Building Adventure?
At Hour-Building.com, we provide G-reg and EASA aircraft in Spain and France for pilots looking to build hours through real touring flights across Europe.
From Gibraltar to Corsica, from the French Riviera to the mountains of Andalucía, you'll gain experience, confidence, and unforgettable memories while building the hours you need for your next aviation goal.
Because there are two ways to build hours.
One is very boring.
email: mrcliffordmarker@gmail.com
WhatsApp +447539833852
Clifford Marker Class Rating Instructor EASA & UKCAA
Comments