Ben Hallert wrote:
I know a pilot who described handheld radios as a container for storing
dead batteries. I'd personally invest in a nice aviation GPS before a
handheld, especially if I have dual comms in my plane, but that's just
me.

As a student, I found a handheld very useful for hanging around the
airport, listening to the radio traffic, and then correlating it to the
positions of the actual traffic.

It's also very handy for calling for fuel. :^)

-- Bryan