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1
Overview
1.1 The Reason for this Book
This book provides a detailed description of what pilots do in aircraft cockpits. It covers operating procedures step-by-step and provides perspective on why the procedures are designed the way they are.
Over the years, I have discussed these procedures in depth with several dozen students. It is always time-consuming and, especially in the early stages, students do not have enough background knowledge to fully absorb everything. Therefore I hope this book will allow prospective pilots to mull over the procedures more closely and on their own time, before their instructors start drilling the stuff into them, as well as during training itself.
Keep coming back to this book regularly, and you will find that the procedures start making more sense as your own frame of reference expands.
1.2 The Contents
The book does not rigidly advocate one set of procedures. Instead, it lays a basis for understanding procedures and using them sensibly. Therefore, it is likely that this book can also be used with your existing checklist.
The book is divided into different topics:
- Checklists: Different philosophies of their usage.
- Normal procedures for airplanes: This section can be read as one continuous account of a typical flight in a light airplane. The different phases of flight are discussed in chronological order.
- Abnormal procedures for airplanes: These situations are covered individually. They will seldom be encountered in normal flying and are mainly applicable to training or hazardous operations.
- Emergency procedures for airplanes: Procedures for situations that require immediate action to prevent a disaster. Different situations (engine failure, fire, etc.) are discussed separately.
- Helicopter operations: The issues unique to helicopters are discussed, using similar principles as those provided for airplanes in the previous sections.
- Airmanship: Some ideas on how to become a better and safer pilot.
- Definitions: All the abbreviations and buzzwords in the book you may not understand.
- Appendices: The appendices include material about aircraft manuals, example airplane checklists and Morse code pointers.
1.3 How to Use this Book
It may prove useful to start by reading the entire text in a relaxed manner, before returning to work over each section in detail.
There is no need to learn the checklists in detail, except for the few that will be used in flight. On the ground, you will use flow checks to ensure that you do not miss anything. As long as you know exactly what to do when you get to the particular control or indicator, you will be fine.
Airplane students can skip Chapter 6.
Helicopter students should read Chapter 3 to get an idea of the thinking behind procedures and to understand the concept of testing, configuring and checking equipment, and the principles of panel-by-panel operations. They can briefly skim through Chapters 4 and 5 to get an idea of priorities. Details are not relevant. Chapter 6 contains helicopter-specific details, but the last chapters pertain equally to both airplane and helicopter pilots.
Experienced pilots should try to master the concept of flow checks and panel-by-panel operation, with particular emphasis on the differences between testing, configuring and checking. Chapters 2 and 3 are most useful in this regard.
Chapters 2 and 7 provide insights to help any pilot, even those who do not intend to modify their existing way of doing things.
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2
The Use of Checklists
The term “checklist” is often used generically to describe any itemized aircraft operating procedures. Strictly speaking, though, many such procedures are not checklists.
Most airline and corporate operations use written procedures in the cockpit. They are used in two forms: Checklists and Action Lists.
Action lists are used to execute the procedures they refer to. They are also referred to as read-and-do lists. One would read “Fuel boost pumps: On” and then turn on the fuel boost pumps. In two-crew operations, one pilot reads the action list item (“Fuel boost pumps: On”) and the other one doing the work reads back (“On”) once the action is complete. When a high level of standardization has been achieved, the pilot reading the action list item can omit the response, as the other pilot should know the correct response from memory. Many airlines use action lists for all abnormal and some emergency situations.
Checklists are used differently. The work is done first, after which use of the checklist verifies that nothing has been missed. Many airlines use checklists for routine operations. The readback is typically slightly different, in that the call does not include the outcome. The call might be “Fuel boost pumps” and the readback is “On” once the status has been checked.
The way in which the work is first done is often by the so-called “Flow Check” method. The panels are scanned in a prescribed sequence, dealing with every switch or indicator when its position is reached. If the flow has been designed properly, the pilot knows that everything will be covered efficiently.
Checklists can be written or memorized. For single-crew operations, routine inflight checklists must be memorized, but emergency checklists must also be available in writing to ensure that a stressed pilot does not miss anything. Unfortunately, emergencies often require quick and decisive action, so the use of only written checklists may not be appropriate. For this reason, emergency checklists often contain parts framed in a box, which indicates they should be memorized. Once these memory items have been executed, the written checklist can be consulted. The pilot first checks that the memorized items have been correctly executed, then proceeds with the remainder of the written checklist.
For light aircraft, I advocate the use of flow checks and written checklists on the ground, with a combination of memorized action lists and written checklists in the air.
For light piston-engine airplanes, a generic checklist such as the one in Appendix C works well.
For more sophisticated airplanes such as turboprops and jets, a type-specific checklist or action list is usually more appropriate. The document must be compiled from the relevant Pilot’s Operating Handbook (POH), consulting a generic checklist to ensure that nothing is missed. Such checklists are often in the form of a compact, ring-bound booklet that can easily be managed in the cockpit. Manufacturers often supply such booklets for their aircraft, as do many training organizations.
Finally, a word about learning to cope with sophisticated airplanes. Cost considerations preclude using sophisticated aircraft for initial training. In most training aircraft, very few of the items on the checklist actually need to be done. Landing gear retraction, electric fuel pump and fuel selector operation, cabin pressure management, propeller control and even flap operation might not be applicable to the training aircraft you fly. Don’t be overwhelmed. Pilots who are well trained can step up from little trainers to far more complex aircraft with very little effort. Integrate the operation of more complex systems into your thinking from day one and you will be ready for the next step up when the time comes.
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3
Normal Procedures for Airplanes
3.1 Why a Preflight Inspection?
Most pilots tend to regard a preflight inspection as a necessary evil, or worse. Those who do inspections at all often subscribe to the “kick the tires and light the fires” policy. After a cursory examination, they jump in, start the engines and blast off down the taxiway.
Most of us routinely get away with it. Modern aircraft are remarkably reliable and seldom break down. Some argue...
