I think we are in danger of confusing the lack of use of a checklist to poor perpetration. Before flying any simple aircraft it is obviously necessary to read all supporting info, including the aircraft specific checklist if there is one. It is obviously necessary to understand if the fuel system is modified etc, and it may be necessary to write some notes on anything really odd. Most of this perpetration should be done hours or even days before first flight. The more you introduce complexity the more the case for the checklist gains credence, so disappearing Dunlop’s, amphibious floats and complex fuel would probably benefit from a list, but it is interesting that even with a list people still get it spectacularly wrong. a very simple aircraft with fixed gear, one tank, gravity feed, no flaps, no radio etc the case for a 20 item downwind check does not exist. If you fly one aircraft a lot and understand it then it is much safer to look out of the window more and think rather than reading a book in the cockpit oblivious as the world carries on around you.
Most flying school aircraft are flown with generic lists produced by commercial manufactures for say “Robin DR400” (I have one). Such a list has some benefit if you want to go on and fly B737’s and you need to get into the philosophy of big jets , but it adds little or nothing to flight safety in GA. A 16 year old air cadet that turned up for flying without having memorized his vital actions would not get to fly!
Rod1