36
votes
Accepted
How do pilots stay disciplined and use checklists, even after they have become routine?
You stay vigilant by having seen things go wrong.
Like Jamiec mentioned the importance of a proper preflight is drilled into you by your primary instructor from day one in light aircraft, and that ...
- 67.4k
25
votes
Accepted
What is the difference between a flow and a checklist?
Generally speaking a checklist is an actual list of items to check, and a flow is a pattern of movement across the aircraft controls (switches, dials, etc.) which will accomplish some subset of the ...
- 67.4k
23
votes
Accepted
What is the appropriate fuel tank selection to land a 172?
You should check your POH but it may just be that the instructor in question was recently flying a lot of Pipers and it was force of [bad] habit.
This POH for the 172S is in agreement with you.
...
- 96.3k
23
votes
How do pilots stay disciplined and use checklists, even after they have become routine?
In commercial operations the vigilance to avoid complacency is derived from multiple reinforcing actions.
Checklists are often preceded by flows in which you take a logical route through the aircraft ...
- 34.9k
19
votes
How much do you have to respect checklist order?
Yes, the published sequence must be respected. Here is a quote from published instructions on checklist usage by one of the major manufacturers based in the USA:
". . . . The crew may need to ...
- 1,585
16
votes
What is the difference between a flow and a checklist?
Definitions
A flow is like a fluid movement in specific directions across panels for a specific purpose, to set up the airplane. It is meant to be a muscle memory method.
Example:
A checklist is a &...
- 29.1k
13
votes
How do pilots stay disciplined and use checklists, even after they have become routine?
I can't speak for commercial operations, but from a GA point of view, the pre-flight checks and their importance are drilled in to you from your very first lesson. Its is stressed that the Pilot in ...
- 25.8k
12
votes
Accepted
Why are the windshield wipers in the A320 power-up checklist?
For the same reason you should turn your wipers off when you shut off your car (since very few people go through a power-up checklist in their car...):
Running the wipers on a dry windshield can ...
- 15.1k
12
votes
Accepted
Is there any form of checklist that a pilot needs to go through before they use their ejection seat?
Yes there are checklists but a lot of the training is done by practice exercises so the procedure becomes instinctive during an emergency.
The exact procedures to be used vary based upon airframe, ...
- 65.7k
12
votes
How much do you have to respect checklist order?
I can only speak to the FAA but they expect you to follow the order that checklists are written in as per AC120-71B they also expect checklists to be created in a logical order:
4.2 Organization.
4.2....
- 96.3k
12
votes
Accepted
How much do you have to respect checklist order?
There is some good advice on proper checklist usage in the answers given. Like FAA and civilian aircraft manufacturers, the military preaches disciplined and proper usage of checklists.
For the sake ...
- 16.4k
11
votes
What are the checklist items for a runaway stab trim on a B737 MAX 8 and MAX 9?
Here is a screenshot of a B737 Max 8 Runaway Stabilizer Checklist. There might be some small variations in the checklist when comparing each individual airline.
Additionally, here is the Boeing "...
- 32.4k
11
votes
Accepted
Why might flight schools prohibit you from testing pitot heat during pre-flight?
I was taught to check it (on a C152/172) before every flight but I've also heard people say that you don't need to. Some reasons I've heard people give for not checking it are:
Risk of draining the ...
- 70.4k
10
votes
Accepted
How many checklists are there for a commercial pilot for the entire flight?
Typically, the checklists in normal operations are:
External walk around and preflight
Before start
Before taxi
Before take-off
After take-off
Cruise
Descent
Approach
Landing
Shutdown
...
- 30.9k
10
votes
How to verify the runway numbers in a systematic way given the high workload during landing?
There are a few common (?) techniques you could use, although how you work them into your actual checklists is up to you. Here are some that I've been taught, there are probably more:
Tune the ...
- 70.4k
10
votes
How much do you have to respect checklist order?
On your PC, do you press the power button before it is plugged into the wall?
It is written that way because the thing might not work if you do it in the wrong order.
Your example of RADAR first and ...
- 4,740
8
votes
Accepted
Is there a checklist for lightning strike?
For the aircrew, at least in the aircraft that I've flown, there is no defined checklist. You scan and then deal with anything that occurs (inoperative equipment, pressurization issues, whatever you ...
- 42.1k
8
votes
Is there any form of checklist that a pilot needs to go through before they use their ejection seat?
Really, really worst case, grab the handle & pull. In the T-37, the boldface checklist for ejection was, "Handgrips - Raise, Triggers - Squeeze" -- it was a 2-step process. In the T-38, it was ...
- 42.1k
8
votes
How do pilots stay disciplined and use checklists, even after they have become routine?
In short, discipline.
In my case, I learned the discipline to use a checklist for every action on every flight the one time I decided not to use a checklist while taxiing from the fuel pump back to ...
- 401
8
votes
Has a pilot ever accidentally skipped an item in the before takeoff checklists and survived?
Yes, I forgot to preflight the pitot tube, took off, had no accurate airspeed indication, the airspeed indicator acted as a cross between an altimeter and a rate of climb indicator. The pitot side of ...
- 17.4k
7
votes
Is there a best-practice method to work through a checklist?
The current FAA Advisory Circular dealing with SOPs in general, but only lightly touching upon checklists, is AC 120-71a. It is primarily aimed at Part 119 certificate holders who conduct operations ...
- 2,872
7
votes
Do any airlines have Braille emergency checklists?
It would be counter productive
It takes time to learn (especially touch reading)
It takes time to keep proficient
This is time spent on a skill useless for >99,999999% of flights
This is time NOT ...
- 4,123
6
votes
How to verify the runway numbers in a systematic way given the high workload during landing?
The FAA issued a NOTAM https://notams.aim.faa.gov/lta/main/viewlta?lookupid=1396671390068774785 in December of 2016 that deals with this issue.
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation ...
- 7,230
6
votes
How many emergency/abnormal checklists are there for a typical airliner?
How many checklists does a typical airliner have for
unusual/abnormal/emergency scenarios?
Many. A book. The abnormal checklists usually compile to a book and it is located in the cockpit at all ...
- 39.3k
5
votes
Accepted
Does the FAA have a best practice for highlighting memory items on a checklist?
The short answer is to use color in some way.
I couldn't find anything very detailed on this: there's plenty of general checklist information out there from the FAA, NASA, universities and so on, but ...
- 70.4k
5
votes
What is the appropriate fuel tank selection to land a 172?
Yes, the fuel selector typically must be selected to "Both" for takeoff and landing.
The Cessna 172 Type Certificate Data Sheet (TCDS) requires a placard for most early serial numbers (all models ...
- 16.2k
5
votes
Is there a best-practice method to work through a checklist?
There are really two aspects to your question: Operational usage and Design usage. The two are closely related, but let's look at them separately:
Operational Usage
From an operational standpoint the ...
- 67.4k
5
votes
How to verify the runway numbers in a systematic way given the high workload during landing?
I don’t use checklists when taking off and landing, but I do use acronyms.
On takeoff, I use HAAPPY
...
- 7,230
5
votes
Why do we check Idle operation with carb heat on during a Cessna 172 run-up?
Because, in engaging the carburetor heat, you are decreasing the density of the air entering the engine with the same fuel flow, thereby richening the mixture. At idle power, if the throttle idle set ...
- 65.7k
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