Checklists

[baz76]

I am thinking of learning the checklists by heart. is it a good idea?

[Saab Dastard]

This is not to discourage you asking questions, but many topics such as this have been discussed before, many times and at length.

Fortunately, there is a Search function, which makes it relatively easy to find much of what has previously been written.

If a search doesn't throw up what you are looking for, then go ahead and ask!

If you were to go to Search > Advanced Search and enter learn checklists as keywords, searching only Private Flying and ensuring that "Any date" and newer was selected, you would find several threads to digest.

One caveat - the keywords must be at least 4 letters in length. There is a way around this using google (see the Computers and Internet forum FAQ).

SD

[BackPacker]

Don't think so. At least, not when you learn them literally. Particularly not when you start flying different aircraft with subtly different checklists. The check lists are there to make sure you didn't forget anything. Without a written list, it's too easy to forget something vital. But what constitutes "vital" is different from aircraft to aircraft.

It is a good idea however to start making up a few simple "idiots" checklists for yourself, learn those by heart and apply them *after* having done the official checklist. Things along the lines of "lights, camera, action" before entering the runway, or "reds, blues and greens" on short final. These lists should contain the things that are absolutely vital for a good take-off or landing in any kind of aircraft, and function as a double-check of the checklist.

[Rodent1982]

I've been thinking this also. Because I think I know the checklist well I have found I've missed a couple of things a couple of times. Like forgetting to change the fuel tank on the power checks :ugh:

Personally, I'd get those ones were you'd be too busy to look at checklists commited to memory, downwind checks, BUMFFPICHH, engine failure after take off, etc. But make absolutely sure you have checked off those on the checklist when you are using it.

[Fright Level]

You learn to fly by memory actions, checklists are there to trap items that if missed could be a real hazard to aviation. If you try to learn them, then miss a single item because of a minor distraction, then what?

I made up my own checklists based on the POH but removing trivia that doesn't affect flight safety (eg radio master on) and would be immediately apparent if I forgot.

Other items, eg fuel management etc are so important that committing a checklist to memory is a sure way to forget. Airlines don't expect their pilots to memorise checklists, so why try?

One of the other hazards is as you become familiar reading a checklist on a regular airplane, you tend not to actually read/do the items but skim over them. Again, another potential trap. Use a checklist and use it with rigour to trap any mistakes. This could save your life.

[Crash one]

When I bought my a/c I didn't have a written down checklist, this was ok till I decided to fit a pitot cover! At least I learned how to fly by attitude/feel.

[SNS3Guppy]

You should learn flows by heart. Flows work very well, and are best established by starting at one side of the instrument panel or cockpit or airplane, and working toward the other. Or starting at the top and working down, or left to right, and so forth. Know your flows...what you need to check and do, and accomplish these from memory. Then back it up with the checklist.

You should thoroughly know and understand the checklist, and develop your flows from the material in the checklist, but you needn't memorize the checklist itself.

You can develop a flow from each checklist segment. For example, if you have a BEFORE TAKEOFF checklist with 10 items, you can anticipate what needs to be done, do it in a convenient flowing pattern, then review the checklist. You needn't do it in the same order as what's found on the checklist...you just need to cover everything. When it's accomplished, then review the checklist to make sure you got everything.

BEFORE TAKEOFF:
Fuel Selector BOTH
Flight Controls FREE & CORRECT
Throttle 1700 RPM
Magnetos CHECK
Suction Gauge CHECK
Ammeter CHECK
Propeller CYCLE
Transponder ON
Strobes ON
Auxilliary Fuel Pump ON

There is your checklist for an imaginary airplane. 10 items which may or may not be arranged in the way you'd find them in a flow. You might do the flow by bringing your power to 1700 RPM, and starting at the left side of your cockpit with the magneto switches. Next to those are the strobes, and you turn them on. Next to those are your aux pump switches, and those get turned on. Your flight controls are on the way, test them top and bottom. As you move past those you find the propeller control, you cycle it. Your transponder is next to the right, and that gets turned on, and next to that
you find the suction gauge and ammeter...both checked. You've flowed left to right, and all that's left is to go down to the bottom of your pedestle, note the fuel selector position, and you can retard your power to idle, and pull out the checklist.

This is an imaginary airplane, of course; yours will be layed out different. You can see, however, that a simple flow moves in order of convenience in checking the items for that particular checklist segment, and needn't be accomplished in the order that they're found on the checklist itself. If you find you've forgotten an item and discover it when you review the checklist...that's why you have a checklist.

[jamestkirk]

As an FI i heard the checklist thousands of times and still sometimes forgot stuff when a trial lesson.

As an airline pilot i follow it and its no problem.

Dont make more work for yourself. Its better to just take a minute or two extra and follow it.

[hightower1986]

Well here In New Zealand you have to know the checklists from memory for the flight test, mixed thoughts about this as its good to learn it and know it but then you can forget things, but the same can be said about reading a checklist, it just gets skimmed over and you can also miss things.

I would say learn it and cross refernce with a checklist and maybe some tick boxes against each item, maybe create your own checksheets that have been copied from the POH with boxes next to them and keep them handy so you just check it, tick it off and you know its done!

[rich_g85]

As a low-hour PPL student, I personally feel more comfortable taking an extra few seconds to run through the checklist, ensuring that everything is completed, rather than relying on my memory which is prone to forget things! :)

[flying_shortly]

Talking of checklists, does anyone know where I'd get a second-hand Cessna 152 checklist?

[rich_g85]

I guess you could try Ebay, but you can pick up a brand new one for a fiver on Flightstore.

[flying_shortly]

http://www.atlasaviation.com/checklists/cessna-152/c152_checklist.pdf
http://www.stefanv.com/aviation/checklists/cessnanormal.pdf

Could someone tell me if the above is as would be in the official checklists?

I think I'll just make up my own checklists based on the above....

[Fright Level]

Those are exactly the "checklists" that make me cringe. For goodness sake ..

"Radio - Broadcast Intentions" :ugh:

Why don't you make your own based on the POH which is the definitive legal document?

[Tinstaafl]

Forget using checklists as 'do-lists' and enacting them line-by-line or memorising them . Like da guppy so eloquently said: Pick a corner & work your way across the rest of the cockpit. Push/poke/flick or shove the relevent knob/button/switch & selector to the appropriate position it should be in for what you're trying to achieve. Then pull the checklist to catch anything you might have missed.