Glider pilots hygienic drinking valve cover

This thing provides a hygienic cover around your hydration bladder mouthpiece, which can be easily opened and closed with one hand and is especially useful for single pilots when flying gliders. It is held closed by two little magnets and the complete assembly can simply be snapped onto the hose.

If you have ever tried to drink from a water bottle, while piloting a single-seat glider plane, you know it's tricky. With the canopy hood directly over you head, it is difficult to lift a bottle high enough to drink from it. Also bending your head backwards to drink doesn't make it easier to keep the plane level. Not to speak about the fact that you can't look out for traffic while your head is bent backwards, which can be dangerous in crowded airspace.

The solution to the drinking problem is to use hydration bladders with silicon or rubber hoses and bite valves, which are typically used by endurance runners, mountain bikers and extreme hikers.

The problem with this solution is that the mouthpiece will inevitable touch parts of the cockpit or seat pockets once you let it go when you are done drinking. These planes are flown by many different pilots over many years, therefore the interior is typically not the most hygienic environment. Especially in times of a worldwide pandemic, that thought is not really appealing.

This is where this part comes into the game. It can be easily handled with you left hand, while you fly the plane with your right hand. I have successfully tested this part in flight already, where it has proven its usefulness.

If you find this part useful as well, please drop me a few lines into the comments, whether you are a pilot or not. I am curious to see which use cases may find this part helpful.

Have fun, take care and stay healthy!

Print instructions

The parts are very easy to print, without the need for supports or brim. I have printed mine on a Ender3Pro in translucent blue PETG from DasFilament.de. Nozzle size was 0.4mm, layer height was 0.2mm and infill is ok around 20%.

Use a M3x20 screw and two nuts which are tight against each other as an axis.