Dutch...
Indeed you are correct... I was refering to things such as, Strobes and Xpdr into and leaving the active runway; Fuel Pump after a Tank change; next frequency ready to go...
When you are out of practice, I find myself noticing one thing, and then re-checking everything, as you get the feeling you may have forgotten something else.
I have often gone to change Xpdr code, and just before changing a dial, remebering to switch to STBY. Dodgy, when around the 7000 mark!
I don't use a GPS yet.
I was trying to make the point that as a low hours pilot, without even thinking about it, your attention is very easily distracted by the lack of practice. I am lucky that I am aware, as it has been pointed out to me. If I fly for two or three days on the trot, the issues go away. Therefore by more practice I think the distractions for low hours will disappear due to habit and not affect the flight safety.
Robin,
Couldn't agree more about lookout. On my first solo nav had some military hardware go above, then a different set go below, by a few hundered feet within about 20 seconds on one of my solo navs...
Maybe it is just me, but sometimes when completing a check, for example, downwind checks, if I forget one small thing it makes me re-check, as I could have forgotten something else. Time spent looking inside the cockpit. If however I have flown for a few days, I tend not to miss things.
(Sorry about the split answer - you responded during my writing of the reply to dutch... so just added comments on)