Kneeboard contents

[BackPacker]

When I did my PPL in Florida I bought one of those "Made in Korea" kneeboards intended for the VFR US market. It contains the phonetic alphabet, FAA flightplan format, US semicircular rule and a bunch of other things that I don't need or that are different over here.

I've been steadily updating that kneeboard by adding stickers with telephone numbers, volmet and other frequencies, wake turbulence separation times/distances, CAA take-off/landing distance factors, low flying rules, VMC minima, personal checklists and that sort of things.

Following the discussion in the "interception" thread I'm now thinking of preparing an A5 PDF (or two: front and back) which you can print on sticky paper and put on your kneeboard in one go, containing everything that's relevant to European VFR flight. Space to put your frequently used frequencies/telephone numbers and such would also be provided.

In addition to the list above, what would YOU like to see on such a kneeboard template?

[Keygrip]

Considering the posts on PPRuNe recently, I think a section on how to keep your licence and ratings current (and the different between the two)......as well as a section with a few LED lights that randomly indicate "which school is better".

Sorry, BP - I'm not helping, am I?

[BackPacker]

Not helping - but you made me laugh and that's worth something...:ok:

But seriously, I'm looking for the things that you might need in-flight at the spur of the moment, for which you did not and maybe could not prepare.

Edited - I might add a small box in which you can pencil in the expiry dates of the various parts of your license:

PPL expiry date:
SEP expiry date:
R/T expiry date:
Medical expiry date:
+check 90-day currency for carrying pax.

[Final 3 Greens]

BP

In case you ever have to divert from home base, bearing/range/frequency for a couple of local alternates, so that you can ease into the diversion without stress.

Psychologically, we tend to 'switch off' when near to home and if the runway is blocked (for example) having to go somewhere else is quite a surprise.

Just my tuppence - I'd also keep a Bottlang plate (or whatever you use) for each field easily available too, so you can refresh on local procedures etc en route.

Perhaps this is less important these days with many GPSs having a DCT button and airfield info on the database, but let's not start that old argument off!!

[172driver]

But seriously, I'm looking for the things that you might need in-flight at the spur of the moment, for which you did not and maybe could not prepare.

Cup of coffee - and one of those little plastic bags to get rid of it :E

OK, OK, BP, you didn't really expect serious answers, no ? ;)

I'll try regardless: mine contains checklist, the plog for the flight with frequencies (both comms and nav) and the plates for departure/arrival as well as possible alternates/diversions. The latter kept to a realistic minimum, after all my GPS has a 'Nearest' button. Ouch, now I said it again...... ;)

[White Otter]

Any chance of you uploading this to here when you're finished?

It might be worthwhile adding marshalling signals (though that may take up too much room on an A5 space), light signals (though in a lot of flight guides anyway) and VFR minima.

[Genghis the Engineer]

Looking at mine, the main things I have (and use occasionally) are:

- Chart of UK LARS areas and frequencies
- Main transponder codes (N.B. Not always the same here as in the USA!)
- Quadrantial rule

And don't (often?) use, but would probably not choose to delete:

- SAR ground signals
- Flight plan sequence

Also rarely removed from any of my kneeboards is a standardised light aircraft checklist which I've simplified and reduced to A5.

G

[pulse1]

I usually carry some of the special approach or noise abatement procedures for airfields in my usual cruising area, plus a ground plan for the one major airport in my area.

[englishal]

A piece of blank paper, oh and clip? That's about all I ever use on my (staples $2) kneeboard...

[miroc]

Please, do it in some easily editable format. It would be nice to have it hanging on the internet and as Public Domain, GPL, Creative Common or similar licence.

Everybody can modify it and put their own stuff in. Thanks anyway.

[jxk]

On my knee pad:
Going foreign check list - Gen Dec, fuel invoices, passports, special branch etc..
Passenger brief - This was made a requirement in the dim and distant past.
Transponder codes - 7700 etc..
Holding procedures - sectors 1,2,3 diagrams (was in old AERAD yellow book).
Conversion tables - gallons to litres etc..
Morse & phonetic codes -
Factors affecting performance - Take off from grass, increase in alt & temp etc..
Useful telephone numbers -
Check list for aircraft -
Plog
Relevant Airfield plates -
Stop Watch -
Pens & Pencils -

Hope this helps:-)

[bookworm]

A piece of blank paper, oh and clip? That's about all I ever use on my (staples $2) kneeboard...

I'm with Al. But you were robbed. ;)

[bigfoot01]

Maybe a list of Frequently Asked Questions, if you have a reasonable level of experience, don't forget to get really really angry if any of these questions are asked by people of less experience. A small prompt for the speach 'in my day, I would be have been lashed while reading the original tablets of stone...'

Again, not terribly helpful, sorry...

Shortened checklist (possibly emergency); Radio Prompts;

[mm_flynn]

Being a sad git, I have an A4 lapboard that is very flash and expensive


It is clear - So it was $2.50 vs Al's
Has a pencil holder (I was robbed at £3 for that)
Has double sided A4 laminated to it (£0.06 printing and plastic), showing on the back

Startup and shut down check lists
Each Emergency Procedure checklist
Interception signals
Light/flare signals


On the front

Approach and Landing check lists
Takeoff check list
V speeds
A couple of performance graphs I use
A big blank space I can write on if I forget my blank piece of paper

[Whopity]

The best Knee Board is the one with two ridges down the back to stop it falling off your leg!
What it has on the front rather depends on what you are doing; usually you put a piece of paper on the broad that covers everything else, so what is the point of having anything written on it. Go for plain BLACK. You can write anything you like on your piece of paper!

[englishal]

My mate developed a brilliant kneeboard. It was based on a $1 wooden staples clip board, but he stuck a velcro strip on it. He then wrapped his pen in velcro and can just lob it back onto the kneeboard and it sticks there....Best invention ever :ok:

[BackPacker]

so what is the point of having anything written on it.

There's a category of things you simply have to know by heart. 121.5, 7700, the format of an emergency/pan/pass your message call, that sort of thing. Then there's a category of things you need to prepare for each flight. Plog, frequencies, airport plates and so forth.

But there's also stuff that you might need occasionally but not every time, and if you need it you generally have no time to look them up. Interception procedures, light gun signals, marshalling procedures, the morse alphabet, wake turbulence wait times. That's the stuff I want to have permanently printed or laminated on my kneeboard.

As for aircraft specific checklists - I fly about four different types regularly and have a laminated checklist for each of them. This clips onto the kneeboard but I'm not going to laminate them there. And of course I have blank paper or plog templates to record tacho and other times.

So what do we have so far?

- I AM SAFE checklist
- Space to write the various license expiry dates
- Checklist for flight prep (A/C reservation, plog, MET, Flightplan, NOTAMs, Aircraft problem reports, customs/immigration, ...)
- Mandatory paperwork checklist (aircraft & personal)
- Pax briefing
- Phonetic alphabet & morse code
- Light gun signals
- Interception procedures
- Marshalling signals
- List of important/common frequencies
- List of important/common telephone numbers
- CAA landing/takeoff factors
- Wake turbulence hold times
- Low flying rules
- VMC minima
- Quadrantical and semi-circular rules
- Holding procedures? (More useful for IFR I'd say.)
- Conversion tables?

[bookworm]

I think that's a useful analysis BackPacker.

My preference would be to put many of the items you mention in either the aircraft checklist or the aircraft tech log (which contains the mandatory paperwork, including interception procedures). There are also a number of things on your list that might be useful tucked into a flight case, but don't get used in flight. I can't think of any of it that deserves a fraction of the real estate on my knee.

[tmmorris]

Like many above I have a US VFR one. The thing I use all the time is the morse code list, but I do a fair amount of IFR OCAS.

Tim

[Nipper2]

Pah... knee-board..... Why not be a real man and write everything on a corner of the chart?

[fl2006]

IF anyone could PM me a copy of their template, it would be very helpful

Thanks