Originally Posted by
TeeS
Tip Cap - I'm not sure that checklists should be there to prevent poor handling skills. If you can't tell that the brakes are on or the cyclic is locked before you raise your left hand too much, then the training/checking system has failed in it's primary task.
On a slightly different subject, do we operate with a 'check list' or a 'do list' I've had pilots voice concerns about switching radars to standby or arming floats prior to running through the checks. Are fixed wing pilots allowed to lower the flaps and undercarriage without written instruction?
TeeS
A checklist is a checklist surely, not a do list. There should be nothing to stop a pilot showing some initiative and doing stuff that is beneficial to do, in anticipation of checking it at checklist time. Of course, one has to be reasonable about this and not only ensure that the other pilot knows what you are doing, but also do stuff that is beneficial to the flight, and not just to yourself. Lowering the undercarriage at 30 miles just in case you might forget it later for example, would not be a good idea.