How do you remind yourself to do your checklists?

citizen5000 said:
How many times have you heard someone call Clearance Delivery or Ground and not have ATIS? Happens a lot.
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I think that's more like the pilot forgot to say he has "Alpha" upon initial contact. If you need a checklist to tell you to get the ATIS, you may need to ground yourself.
 
Well, I don't like checklists made by others as found in an Ops manual for example. If someone needs a memory aid to get ATIS or release the parking brake, why not? Each have their own own flow and reminder needs.
 
Tantalum said:
Lights on, mags both, fuel both, flaps set, trim set, carb heat check. Done.
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Mixture rich. Check safety belts (required for takeoff and landing, not for cruise) and seat backs/rails. Pitot heat off. AC and autopilot off, if equipped. Some 172s require prop high RPM and/or aux pump on. Forgetting stuff like that is why you need checklists, even on a 172. Especially mixture rich, 'cause they ALL do that, except at high density altitude (then, it's mixture set for takeoff).
 
jordane93 said:
I like when a check list says:

ATIS: Obtain

What a concept!
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The company I work at recently went through a rework of our Standard Work Instructions and documentations... basically checklists for a virtual assembly line. There were some strong debates about what level of detail to go into... and it usually ended up with "is this value added?" or "is this a regulatory or client requirement?" <- if the answer was no then it was generally not included on the documentation
 
Develop flows (and calls if appropriate) that you faithfully follow at various points during the flight. The end of the flow will signal the use of a checklist to verify flows are completed.
 
Tantalum said:
How often do you forget, and when you do is it a major item or something small? I recently did my run up flow and forgot the carb heat, then saw it on the checklist and checked it. I was very discouraged and disappointed in myself, but at the same time it reminded me how important the checklist is!!
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Don't be discouraged or disappointed, that is what the checklist is for, to double check your flow list.

It is very rare for me to forget an item. When I do forget, it is usually because something interrupted me. At that point I may start over.

The only major item is gear down and checked, and that is a no brainer to remember. But if I forget to set the pressurization, everyone in the plane will know as soon as the mains touch down. Mostly I will forget to close the cowl flaps while setting up for cruise on a hot day with a long climb. And by the time I review the checklist, the temperatures are where they should be, so no harm.
 
Put an app on your ijunk. That seems to be the only thing people look at anyways. I think the better apps do the checklist for you and only bother you when there is an issue.
 
Arbiter419 said:
Read stuff like this
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Yeah. After returning to flying after taking many years off I read a LOT of those. It's now the internet age and they are very easy to find. What I found is a big majority of accidents are pilot error. Many, if not most, of those errors happen before the airplane takes off and a lot happen before it even starts taxiing. Not using checklists reared its ugly head way, way to often.
 
jordane93 said:
I like when a check list says:

ATIS: Obtain

What a concept!
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That's one of the many "clutter items" I see on checklists, usually the ones provided by flight schools and FBOs that I think leads to lack of use. Another big clutter item is the local frequencies. Personally, I don't even like IFR approach briefing checklists on mine. But that's just me.

They are probably fine as a training device. And, if a particular pilot wants to add something non-traditional because she thinks it would be helpful to her, that's fine whether I would add it or not.

But I do think clutter makes checklists more difficult to use in flight which, in turn, makes them less likely to be used in flight.

One possible solution is to move clutter to a separate page. Before my iPad days, I had a quick reference list of the airports I flew to most, with frequencies, pattern information. And while it was bound together with my checklists, it was separate.

I still use that system, though not for frequencies. I fly a bunch of different types and giving instruction takes me into a few more. Not only are the airplanes different, but even similar ones have different avionics and other systems. I can't mentally keep track of how to engage the FIKI system in airplane A, the EDM fuel flow an B, the CGR in C and the variations in autopilot configurations in even more. But I don't want my need for preflight or in-flight refreshment on a particular system to interfere with my basic checklist items. And I don't want my basic checklist items to interfere with the refresher. So they go on separate pages.
 
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midlifeflyer said:
That's one of the many "clutter items" I see on checklists, usually the ones provided by flight schools and FBOs that I think leads to lack of use. Another big clutter item is the local frequencies. Personally, I don't even like IFR approach briefing checklists on mine. But that's just me.

They are probably fine as a training device. And, if a particular pilot wants to add something non-traditional because she thinks it would be helpful to her, that's fine whether I would add it or not.

But I do think clutter makes checklists more difficult to use in flight which, in turn, makes them less likely to be used in flight.

One possible solution is to move clutter to a separate page. Before my iPad days, I had a quick reference list of the airports I flew to most, with frequencies, pattern information. And while it was bound together with my checklists, it was separate.

I still use that system, though not for frequencies. I fly a bunch of different types and giving instruction takes me into a few more. Not only are the airplanes different, but even similar ones have different avionics and other systems. I can't mentally keep track of how to engage the FIKI system in airplane A, the EDM fuel flow an B, the CGR in C and the variations in autopilot configurations in even more. But I don't want my need for preflight or in-flight refreshment on a particular system to interfere with my basic checklist items. And I don't want my basic checklist items to interfere with the refresher. So they go on separate pages.
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Simplicity is best. Here's the checklist I use. It works with a CRJ and a 747 (different items of course)

IMG_0494_zpsovt0chzv.jpeg


IMG_0497_zpsjxq5pfd0.jpeg
 
jordane93 said:
Simplicity is best. Here's the checklist I use. It works with a CRJ and a 747 (different items of course)
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Exactly. And if you happen to need more, it is available. But the basic checklist is clean.

It's funny, though, what we get used to, and where personalization is so important. My personal checklist is similar in a number of ways. As one example, somewhat like your "Electrics....ckd" I have a "Avionics & Switches" item on my After Start checklist.

One evening I was flying with a friend and the FBO checklist was missing, so he asked for mine. He was used to a checklist that listed each switch and its setting, so my groupings were useless to him.
 
Kritchlow said:
Develop flows (and calls if appropriate) that you faithfully follow at various points during the flight. The end of the flow will signal the use of a checklist to verify flows are completed.
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Ding ding ding winner.

Please don't be looking down at your checklist in the pattern, those are flow items. If your CFI insists then at LEAST hold it up in front so you're not head down in the cockpit.
 
danhagan said:
Ding ding ding winner.

Please don't be looking down at your checklist in the pattern, those are flow items. If your CFI insists then at LEAST hold it up in front so you're not head down in the cockpit.
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Aside from the head-down issue you raise, IMO, you are a little behind if you wait until you are in the pattern to run a written landing checklist. Personally, I treat the before landing checklist at least partially as a briefing.
 
danhagan said:
Please don't be looking down at your checklist in the pattern
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Don't read a checklist while in the pattern. You need your head outside the cockpit 99% of the time that close to the ground. Brief landing checklist before takeoff if you are staying in the pattern. Brief landing checklist if coming in from a flight before entering the approach.
 
citizen5000 said:
Don't read a checklist while in the pattern. You need your head outside the cockpit 99% of the time that close to the ground. Brief landing checklist before takeoff if you are staying in the pattern. Brief landing checklist if coming in from a flight before entering the approach.
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And ignore the ADS-B traffic alerts? Gasp...! ;-)
 
I saw this "checklist" on a gas pump:

1. Follow instructions on screen

Great, I'm glad they numbered the steps. And I'd have never figured out to look at the screen if they hadn't told me.
 
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