Check List Design in GA aircraft - often superfluous

[Seabreeze]

In the early seventies I did my multi instrument rating training at Correll Advanced Flying Training (YMMB). Instructors were mostly ex RAAF or ex airline. They required a check list which was only on two sides of an A4 page.. Actually it was a To Do list, and was used in the same format for every light twin GA type, with info drawn from the AFM. This was common practice then. It was required that all be committed to memory.

On the Normal Procedures side, there was pre start and start, pre takeoff, line up, on take off, after take off, top of climb, cruise, top of descent, preaid, prelanding, PPUFF., and after landing. Under each subsection there were only a few key ToDo items. There was also a small table of key speeds (usually for MTOW at ISA at sealevel), and a short table of fuel capacities, endurances and weights
On the Emergency procedures there was a summary of most key actions that might be needed: EFOTO, EF in cruise, EF during an IF procedure or circuit, securing actions, SE approach, manual gear extension, crossfeed, and a longer list of speeds.

Put into a clear plastic sleeve and left on the aircraft dash, you could very quickly find any key info that you needed on either the Normal or Emergency procedures side. In the sleeve between the two outer pages was a more detailed W&B table, fuel consumption rates at various altitudes and power settings to facilitate quick flight planning, necessary for charter work out in the bush.

I recently looked at a (CASA approved) QRH for a very light training aircraft, and found it was over 60pages long! It included literally hundreds of items, many not even related to operating an aeroplane ( e.g. adjust the seat belt neatly after flight). This new world may create in trainees the idea that it is more important to be able to complete this ridiculously long list of actions (many of which are at best marginally relevant), rather than to focus on the actions and checks needed to operate the aircraft safely and efficiently, and on flying ability. IMO, the present QRH system actually detracts from effective and safe airmanship through distraction via this unnecessary complication. This needs some serious research...

Seabreeze