An FBO marshaller looked in the cockpit and commented on the number of dials and switches that pilots had to deal with. So, in a quiet moment of cruise I started counting.
I probably missed a few because they are so familiar that they just blend into the background, but here is the tally:
Lights (warning, info) - 123
Switches (2- and 3-posn) - 113
Instruments - 40
Controls - (rheostats, chinese hats, levers, pedals) - 143
Circuit breakers - 224
Making a total of 645+ items that we pilots look at before starting up.
No wonder I need a beer after a day's flying - my brain has an Impending Bypass Light on.
