Human factors are very much part of all this. From the very beginning flip checklists are introduced and become the norm; some checks are learnt by reference to the printed list others to be performed by memory as needs must. These checks are rarely lifted directly from the aircraft Manual/POH. It is common to buy checklists for a particular type from a commercial provider. Within these, almost without exception, "Landing gear down and locked" was always included as part of the 'downwind checks' commonly known as BUMPH checks. This simple RAF mnemonic could be extended to reflect more detail; sometimes so long it is a task in itself to learn and commit to memory. In practice these checks are taught together with the relevant touch controls (no actions are part of it). The danger here is that the exercise becomes a beginning and end in itself. The reasoning behind all this therefore becomes forgotten even thought "pointless". Some items will have no purpose in most small training aircraft without retractable gear and constant speed propellers. Certainly in the UK climate the mixture will be only adjusted 'rich' for starting and 'fully lean' to shut down. One common question asked by ab initio students is "why do we keep checking this when we never find anything?" for too many the checks are a burden. I remember well a Piper Arrow owner who twice landed with the gear up: he relied on the Arrow automatic gear down on final having reduced the throttle and therefore the vacuum pressure below the critical gear activation point.
Learning on the Cessna 172 RG could have advantages.
Last edited by Fl1ingfrog; 21st November 2023 at 12:43.