A blown tube after a fuel stop in Arizona taught me a simple lesson: I do not like being one missing jack away from being stuck.

The FBO happened to have a jack. I found a replacement tube, fixed the tire on the ramp, and got back in the air the same day. That worked out, but I did not like how much of it came down to luck.

So I built a portable jack I could keep in the baggage compartment with spare tubes and forget about until I needed it.

Specs

• 4-ton hydraulic bottle jack with threaded extension for fine height adjustment
• Adjustable jack pad to accommodate different axle heights
• Fits most GA aircraft, and probably some other stuff too

Simple, stable, and built for real-world situations when you do not have the luxury of a hangar or a mechanic.