The Lift Flight Bag: The Bag That Started It All

By: Mark Glassmeyer, Founder and President

As I worked my way through flight school, it occurred to me that something was missing. I had all the gear I needed, flashlights, an iPad, fuel tester, charging gear, an E6B, countless charts and training gear, etc… but what I didn’t have was the perfect flight bag to hold all my gear. I needed something durable, something that I could lug around from one Cessna 172 to another, but one that didn’t take up too much space in the cockpit. And if I’m honest, something that looked cool. I tried other bags at the time, but none captured my adventurous style or seemed iPad-centric enough to get the job done. So I made one, and Flight Outfitters was born.

We set out to make the best flight bag for the modern pilot. This was just about the time that ForeFlight, Garmin Pilot, ADS-B, and the digital cockpit were really starting to take root in general aviation. Gone were the days of multiple sectional charts and binders of airplane and airport information. We set out to make a flight bag specifically designed for the items modern pilots were carrying. We must admit, the first design of the Lift bag originally looked like a glorified bowling ball bag. But after asking pilots what they wanted and test flying several different prototypes we ultimately were able to make the Lift bag as it is today. 

We attended our first Oshkosh in 2015, having only been in business for a little over eight months, with the Lift plus a couple of flight bags (which would turn into the Waypoint backpack and the Lift Pro), a t-shirt or two, and no inventory to sell. This event was very important to us and we really learned a lot. Not only did we learn that customers liked our bag designs and quality, but we also learned that they did in fact identify with our brand. We had found our tribe of people/customers and it became our goal to continue to provide more and more products for this wonderful community. This focus would ultimately help our brand grow into what it is today.

Fast forward to nearly 10 years later and the original Lift bag is still the hardest working flight bag in the business. With an intense eye for detail, we’ve captured what pilots look for in a flight bag. With dedicated pockets for pilot essentials like the iPad, a headset, fuel tester, and radio, the Lift bag continues to check all the boxes for the modern pilot. And while finding the perfect spot for all your gear is our number one goal, lessening the imprint on the cockpit continues to be at the forefront of our concerns. We’ve reduced the bulk to make it the perfect bag for all flying adventures.

While I’m not a daily flight operator, I am proud to say I still have my very first Lift bag as my flight bag today.