Help a new CCW out: Legalities and carry solutions for me

[MattCFII]

I just recently received my LTCH and been trying to find the best method for me to carry. I deal with two unique environments and want some help of first where am I legal to carry in these situations and then what are your suggestions for the best method for me to carry. I know a lot of this would require real legal advice but I also know that there are a lot of knowledgeable people here that could speculate for me to get an idea

First, I am a flight instructor at an airport without a security area. Since there is no controlled area I know I am good to carry all around the airport. But the part where IN law becomes gray to me is the no carrying on commercial nor charter flights. While I'm sure the intent of the law is commercial being airlines and I know the aviation definition of charter, I can't figure out if the flights I do instructing people to fly falls under Indiana's definition of those two things. I know if I was just flying an airplane around for my own use I could carry the whole flight as long as I didn't fly to an airport that would require me to go through a controlled area after landing.

Most of the year, often I am at a educational institution part of the day that definitely falls under IC 35-47-9-2 as a NPE. I am most definitely NOT carrying there despite the risk of shootings making me not believe in this law but I'm still going to follow the law. But I have considered parking some place off property and locking the gun up in a car lockbox, while it wouldn't be on hand for what I perceive as one of the largest threats, it would still be there for the trip there, to the airport, and back home. If I were to do this locked up in the car method, my carry method would have to be easy to remove. On a side note, do colleges fall under Indiana's definition of a 'school" under IC 35-47-9-2?

My everyday dress is typically "business casual" as in dress pants, tucked in polo or button down shirt. When I settle on an IWB holster it has to be a tuckable one. Note I currently own a Makarov, CZ-82, and Glock 26 with the Glock being the planned primary carry gun.

An OWB holster is not on my list for a several of reasons with my flight instructor job. A. Besides for winter coats, I never wear a jacketand a sports coat, blazer, etc. would look out of place and would be ungodly hot in the non-air conditioned aircraft that I fly. B. Often times I am required to preflight inspect aircraft that requires me bending over, crawling under, climbing on top of the plane and that would take a cover garment as large as a tent not to get shifted and expose the gun. C. Most cover garments that would fit A and B don't fit my work dress requirements not to mention with a new baby on flight instructor wages I don't have tons of cash to buy a new wardrobe.

If a IWB is my main carry method, again it may have to be easily removable which is going to be hard with a tuckable holster. Even with a good IWB, I really think I'm going to need multiple solutions which scares me from a training standpoint. I also don't really have a clue what carry position will work well in my job as a flight instructor if I can carry in the plane. I need place that won't print much when I'm doing all the gymnastics preflighting or standing at a dry erase board instructing, but then also has to be comfortable sitting in the airplane the rest of the time. Note that my seats in the airplane are closer together than even airline coach in most cases. Luckily my strongside is away from the person I'm instructing but a crossdraw position or if I switched seats it is quite possible for them to brush against the gun and feel it is there. It's that close quarters. Honestly I don't feel tons of a need for a gun while I'm flight instructing. I am close enough that my CRKT M16 folder might do a better job than a gun if I did get a wacko that wanted to hijack or otherwise harm me or the flight (while I don't know of a history of that in light aircraft, and have had few people that I was worried about since almost anybody off the street can sign up for a intro lesson) but I'm still trying to keep up whenever possible with rule 1 of CCW, have a gun.

I'm still sure that a tuckable IWB will be a good overall option but I don't have the cash to throw around, I need to get a good medium priced ($50-$80) holster that will fit the G26 and allow for multiple cants to find the best carry position and that is available from the maker now. I've also considered just get a cheap DeSantis TuckThis holster that is under $30 at most places and does allow the cant to be adjusted so I can find my position and then buy a good quality holster for that position.

I've also been looking at non-traditional methods. The Smartcarry design is up there, as is off body carry in a small bag like the Maxpedition Thermite which looks enough like a camera bag or something like that but still have ego problems carrying around murses, even the Maxpedition Fat boy and above and fanny packs. Maybe a messenger bag/laptop case isn't uncool enough to me, but then they become too bulky IMO. Also I've been considering a pocket holster in a cargo pocket because I think I can get by with nicer cargo pants at work. The pocket holster and off body carry would allow for easy on, easy off which I know is a double edge sword but does met a niche of mine. If I do the lockbox thing for car storage while in the NPE, the CZ-82 will be the primary carry gun at that point due to it being the gun I would miss the least and hardest for criminals to find ammo and stuff for if the car and/or gun was stolen (and with my car I'm betting on if it happened it would be the latter).

What's your thoughts and suggestions?

[Scutter01]

Originally Posted by MattCFII

An OWB holster is not on my list for a several of reasons with my flight instructor job.

Holy God, I can't imagine OWB in, say, a Cessna 152. Forget about it digging into my side. I'd be worried about it digging into the side of the guy sitting next to me!

[MattCFII]

Originally Posted by Scutter01

Holy God, I can't imagine OWB in, say, a Cessna 152. Forget about it digging into my side. I'd be worried about it digging into the side of the guy sitting next to me!

Exactly, somebody who understands my pain Luckily I'm hardly in a 152 anymore, mostly 172s which are a little better.

[Scutter01]

Originally Posted by MattCFII

Exactly, somebody who understands my pain Luckily I'm hardly in a 152 anymore, mostly 172s which are a little better.

Not by much, man! Maybe an inch at best!

Those are so cramped, I can't imagine where you'd be able to comfortably carry. MAYBE a SmartCarry, but I'm thinking a holster mounted in your flight bag might make more sense, especially with pre-flight. You won't have to worry about accidental exposure.

BTW: I make no comment on the legality. I believe you're safe, but I just don't know, so I won't address it.

[Ri22o]

Glock 26 with an MTAC.

I am not a very wide/thick guy and I usually wear Large t-shirts. I carry a Glock 26 in an MTAC holster at about 3:30-4 o'clock and it disappears.

I live in Speedway if you want to check mine out sometime.

[Scutter01]

Originally Posted by Ri22o

Glock 26 with an MTAC.

I'd normally second the MTAC (it's the same holster I use, as a matter of fact), but I don't think you understand just how little room there is in a Cessna cockpit. You're literally mashed up against the person sitting next to you. Side carry will be difficult at best. Although, if he's a righty, then as the flight instructor he'll be in the right-hand seat and the holster will be mashed against the aircraft door, so maybe it won't be so bad.

[Ri22o]

Originally Posted by Scutter01

I'd normally second the MTAC (it's the same holster I use, as a matter of fact), but I don't think you understand just how little room there is in a Cessna cockpit. You're literally mashed up against the person sitting next to you. Side carry will be difficult at best. Although, if he's a righty, then as the flight instructor he'll be in the right-hand seat and the holster will be mashed against the aircraft door, so maybe it won't be so bad.

I stopped reading before I got to that part...

[MattCFII]

Originally Posted by Scutter01

Not by much, man! Maybe an inch at best!

Those are so cramped, I can't imagine where you'd be able to comfortably carry. MAYBE a SmartCarry, but I'm thinking a holster mounted in your flight bag might make more sense, especially with pre-flight. You won't have to worry about accidental exposure.

BTW: I make no comment on the legality. I believe you're safe, but I just don't know, so I won't address it.

Yep, that's why I've been looking at offbody carry. I don't really carry a flight bag anymore since my students re normally the ones that have them and two flight bags gets kinda ridiculous. I got a really nice knee board that carries all my pens, a couple sectionals and L Charts, flight computer, and small flashlight. I might be able to fit a NAA .22 mag revolver in there but that's about it I think a Maxpedtion Thermite or something similar would fit the bill here. Again I don't see a major threat because Ive never heard of a instructional flight being hijacked but there has been a few times that I really had to be firm to get control of the aircraft back from someone off the street who wanted to play too much and the FAA is always preaching to us about watching for possible terrorist because they think rightly that General Aviation is a less secure angle for them to work which does have a historical precedent in the fact that some of the 9/11 hijackers did take flight lessons from guys like me. There is a "background check" now to take less if you are a foreign national.

Originally Posted by Ri22o

Glock 26 with an MTAC.

I am not a very wide/thick guy and I usually wear Large t-shirts. I carry a Glock 26 in an MTAC holster at about 3:30-4 o'clock and it disappears.

I live in Speedway if you want to check mine out sometime.

That is one on the list that I've been reading about, is there a wait time for it at all? Thanks for the offer, I might take you up on that. If you don't mind PM about where you normally go to shoot around here, I'm not from Speedway originally.

BTW, I'm medium height and weight (and trying to loose some belly to see if AIWB is an option for me)

Originally Posted by Scutter01

I'd normally second the MTAC (it's the same holster I use, as a matter of fact), but I don't think you understand just how little room there is in a Cessna cockpit. You're literally mashed up against the person sitting next to you. Side carry will be difficult at best. Although, if he's a righty, then as the flight instructor he'll be in the right-hand seat and the holster will be mashed against the aircraft door, so maybe it won't be so bad.

Exactly! Glad I found somebody here that's been in them, I really trying to find a way for people to understand this. I'm a righty (at least with shooting, right eye dominant, left hand writer, mix of both hands in sports). However I think anything on my 3:00 to 4:00 would be hitting the arm rest/door latch making the gun extremely hard to get to. Really I don't know how I would use the gun in flight if I had to. Id have to pull it up about the yoke and get it in front of my body, maybe something like up by my right side chest with that shoulder rotated forward so I wouldn't shoot myself but still shoot directly across my body or behind me. I wouldn't feel underprotected in the airplane with my 3.9" M16 tanto or the 3.5" spearpoint CRKT and there carson flippers are the easiest one hand opening I've tried on a regular folder. I'm more worried about having access to my gun pre and post flight.

Originally Posted by Ri22o

I stopped reading before I got to that part...

sorry for the book, but trying to get across the problems I'm having to readers and didn't know a way to give the short version.

[Scutter01]

Originally Posted by MattCFII

Yep, that's why I've been looking at offbody carry. I don't really carry a flight bag anymore since my students re normally the ones that have them and two flight bags gets kinda ridiculous.

I agree that in-cockpit is probably not when you're going to need it. If anything, I'd be thinking after you tie down the aircraft and are walking back to your car from the FBO. If you don't use a flight bag, how about a fake DayTimer that's really a holster? You can toss it in the back seat easily enough and it's nowhere near as big as a flight bag. Something similar to this.

By the way, here's my MTAC. Sounds like you and I are about the same build. If you're ever around the north side of Indianapolis, you're more than welcome to try it out if you like. I carry an XD9SC which is almost identical in size to a G26.

[MattCFII]

Originally Posted by Scutter01

I agree that in-cockpit is probably not when you're going to need it. If anything, I'd be thinking after you tie down the aircraft and are walking back to your car from the FBO. If you don't use a flight bag, how about a fake DayTimer that's really a holster? You can toss it in the back seat easily enough and it's nowhere near as big as a flight bag. Something similar to this.

By the way, here's my MTAC. Sounds like you and I are about the same build. If you're ever around the north side of Indianapolis, you're more than welcome to try it out if you like. I carry an XD9SC which is almost identical in size to a G26.

Thought about that too but I want something I can strap onto my body so I can retain it better. Plus I don't want to be that guy who sat down his "dayplanner" and somebody pick it up to steal or even just nosey people that peek inside.

Along the lines of the dayplanner thing, I've considered the Safepacker, which looks like a cross between a large PDA holster/dayplanner strapped to your belt. It mounts to seat belts easily. One nice plus is you can carry an extra mag with it:
- Wilderness Tactical Products, LLC

I have a couple of eBay special Maxepdition knockoff of the Thermite and Fatboy to experiment some with bag carry. The thing I like about the Maxpedition Thermite is that it looks less tacticool murse than their Fatboy and larger, my ego might be strong enough to use them as a tacticool diaper bag/carryall on a trip or outing but I just can't bring myself to do it for EDC (and I've tried). The Thermite more camera/small flight stuff bag and can be around waist (but somehow rates less uncool than fanny bags this way) or my prefered over the shoulder. It would also allow me to carry a bunch mags including my G17 mags, a flashlight, plus other small stuff like multitool and sunglasses. I think if I go with bag carry the Thermite might be the right mix of not too small, not too big, not too fanny pack, not too mall ninja MOLLE, not too murse for me.

Any thoughts on pocket holster in a cargo pocket?

MTAC is high on my list now for my IWB choice. I know holsters really are the best method and I'm sure I'll use whenever possible but unfortunately I'm still having problems with it as my primary means of carry.