pb84,

Do you have a link for the LA incident? I do remember you nagging me about looking out, when all I wanted to do, was look at the Queen Mary!

Hi Piperboy,

Good question - lots of good sensible answers .... BUT once you decide on what's good **it and what's just **it ....... the big thing is the discipline to action it properly every time.

As you probably know the airlines run standard operating procedures (SOPs) to avoid the screw ups that winging it inevitably brings .... in most airlines if you don't RIGIDLY stick to the SOPs you're in trouble.

It's the deviation from good habits (airmanship) that normally gets you - notwithstanding the need to deviate when you need to deviate.

Best

There is some truth in the theory that you should only use a checklist when you know the checklist.
I stand to be corrected but I believe that was the RAF way

A strange comment maybe but with an element of truth.

The point that you are likely to miss something is usually the very time that you are under a lot of pressure, in bad weather, turbulence or your attention else where. I am talking single pilot.

Its hard to read a checklist single pilot at night in bad turbulence when you are flying a challenging approach and your hands and concentration are full

I have even known of one pilot in such conditions who dropped the checklist which lodged out of sight beneath the seat so learn the checklist and the aircraft till you know it blindfolded. Then the checklist becomes a confirmation not a fly by numbers manual

Multi crew is a different ball game

Pace

I usually do the transit checks no matter how short the stop. It just gives me greater peace of mind.

As a previous poster said, a mag check is valuable in all turnarounds.
I was even shown by some instructors how to do a power check whilst taxying against the brakes. It was a mighty long taxi to the hold.
Back in the real world we must remember that spark plug fouling most often occurs at low revs/full rich, being detectable as a mag drop difference and rough running.
Very occasionally this can be burned off. It's interesting to see what is causing the plug to short when you take one out. The cake across the gap sometimes even has a blob of molten lead sat there.

PPMMTTFFGGHHCCC

Yes, a mag check for L/R/off -on. Check for full power when you fully open the throttle. That's two bases covered. Is your compass reading the same as the runway heading that you want to use?........I really must remember to look more often!

For theses examples, full checklist, no matter what.
When I learned, we had this strict telling that most things break on switching on or shutting off.

Regarding pulling the governor when flying SEP, I have to admit I always do it at least three times. I am flying on the belief in the Analog God's "see and feel what goes on", instead of the Digital God's "some higher CPU will take care for it". I am looking at the primaries when pulling. First pull, is the rpm drop right? Second pull, does the MAP do what it is supposed to do. Third pull, oil pressure and temperature moving correctly? Im my opinion this cannot be done in one move. How many countless times did I see colleague pulling the rod without switching on their brain first? I do see a bad tendency, especially with the younger G-something generations, to stare at glascockpit screens without realizing the physics. The, as my Australian Co called, blinky new technology may give better Situational Awareness for some, but also may degrade Aircraft and Engine Awareness.

It ain't just the obvious that will get you:E

http://www.pprune.org/accidents-clos...lk-rounds.html

SND