Review on Flight Outfitters Lift XL Flight Bag by Charlene Davis

I've had the little lift bag for a few years now and love it. It was too crowded as I added a lot of things I felt important so I was very excited when I heard about the new large Lift XL and XL Pro bags which are based on the Lift bag. I have had the opportunity to use the Lift XL Pro in a Cessna A185F that I fly for work and in my own Maule MX-7-180. Pros: I really like the Lift XL Pro bag. It does an excellent job of neatly organizing my headset, cables, iPad and mount, flight log, flashlight, fuel tester, portable transceiver, and a host of other aviation items. I like the fact that the middle compartment is longer and has a separate pocket. for my iPad Mini 4 in a rotating case. I can carry a Bluetooth wireless keyboard in a protective case to use with my iPad on the ground. A keyboard does not fit in the smaller lift flight bag. The stretch mesh pockets are larger and there are more of them in the XL Pro than the Lift Bag so I didn't have to stuff them as full as the Lift Bag. The headset compartment and divider fits my Lightspeed Zulu 2 headset well and allows me to put my flight log and flight log in the compartment next to the headset. The Lift XL Pro is narrower than the Liftsack and is slightly easier to carry without bumping your foot while walking. The number and location of the branches are well thought out and efficient. Cons: An open side bag designed to fit over the handle of a rolling suitcase is an innovative idea. I like it, but the top is a little wide open due to the expansion of the pouch with the contents stored inside. I don't have anything in that subject right now, but it still gapes. A zipper at the top of the compartment would fix that. The mesh pocket at the outer end, designed for a portable aircraft transceiver, is too small. My iCom A24 fits perfectly in a non-mesh pocket on my lift bag, but it took a lot of effort to fit in the XL Pro mesh pocket. The rubber cover on the transceiver port on the accessory side was constantly hanging on the elastic top of the mesh bag and I had to stretch the elastic so much I was afraid it would break. Love the idea of a mesh bag instead of a fabric lift bag. The transceiver can be turned on and the mains will make the received signals more audible, but the pocket needs to be about 1/2 inch larger. I find the XL Pro a bit big. The Lift XL Pro is 18 inches wide. This makes the Lift XL Pro a bit large when cabin space is limited with multiple passengers and luggage. One of the reasons I love the lift so much is its compact size. have a width of 14 inches, and the rest of the dimensions are the same as now. I understand that the Lift XL is designed for two headsets, not one, and that probably affected the width size. I only carry one headset and leave the passenger headset in my Maule or Cessna while I work. A removable partition would still make sense to pack my logbook in the space next to the headset. Overall Impression: This is a quality flight bag that is well designed and well made. Based on the popular lift bag but with more space this is a great idea. Reducing the width would make it less bulky in a crowded cabin. The other shortcomings listed above are not major issues, but in my opinion a good bag can be made better.