SPIFR Checklists (rote or written)
 

I would appreciate any inputs on what people use as checklists for SPIFR. Do you use a written checklist or a rote set using CHATFIR, MANIC or other acronyms or mnemonics.

Cheers

I find "TSWW" quite useful.

People forget. Checklists don't!
:ouch:

IMO while you are VFR/VMC do what you want, use the written checklist or memorise the items or whatever you like (as long as it works).

but if you are doing procedural work i.e. ILS/NNB/Holds etc OR if you are/or are likely to become IMC use the checklist.

if you use it all the time you wont (hopefully) go wrong, people will remember the 1 time you got it wrong not the 1000 times you got it right.

regards

CF

Amortes
 

The Jepp briefing strip is nice but whenever I penetrate a stupid front I always go back to the basic:
AMORTES

A ATIS, ALTIMETER, APPROACH

NOTED, SET, CLEARANCE / DATE / PAGE

M MINIMUMS or (MINIMA if you insist)

SECTOR, HOLDING, IAF, PROC.TURN, FAF, MDA / DH
O OVERSHOOT

AS PUBLISHED OR ATC CLEARANCE

R RADIOS

TUNED, IDENTIFIED, SENSING CORRECTLY

T TIMINGS, TRACK BARS

TIMINGS, TRACK BARS SET AS REQUIRED
E EMERGENCIES

AS PER SOPs / EXISTING ( does no good to shoot a great approach, forget you are OEI and try to hover the darn thing at the bottom. )


S SWITCHES

NAV / GPS / # 1 / # 2 - SET AND CHECKED


And the classic for check / reporting points


5 T's TIME, TURN, THROTTLE (Climb, descend or change speed) TUNE and then TALK
One crusty instructor I know insists that a 6th T - THINK would prevent most accidents!

Checklist every time. Then you know you won't miss/haven't missed something if your checks are interrupted, when the workload is high etc etc. Also if it is your IRT and your examiner says words along the line of "you can do checks from memory or a checklist, but if you do them from memory and get them wrong it is a fail item" (or words to that effect, but it is big hint) you give him one less chance to make you spend even more money. Just try to avoid falling into the trap of becoming 'checklist driven' and endlessly covering the same stuff instead of doing a relevant set of checks when airmanship dictates.

I appreciate that checklists are preferable but what i have been told is that you must be able to do everything in IMC while briefing a plate with an autopilot malfunction, i have tried this with a checklist and find it a distracting juggling act, in this respect a rote checklist is beneficial as you can fly while looking at a plate without the further hassle of a checklist, however coming from a dual pilot IFR background i understand how important a written checklist is.

Yep, checklists all the way!! Anything else is just setting up the mistakes which WILL happen, unbidden and unprompted!!

I work SPIFR in a complex aircraft and after a period of feeling super-confident in this latest type followed by a (short) period of things happening to show that I shouldn't be, I've given up on everything but the checklists!!

Fly safe, people!!