Check Lists

Congratulations on finding your way to the Checklists section. Using check lists is the smartest thing you can do to prevent doing dumb things.

With some hesitation, I will share my personal checklists below. So why my hesitation? I developed these check lists for me, to keep myself out of trouble, and for me they have so far worked. But please don’t take my checklist as THE checklist. YOU need to personalize your checklist to meet your specific needs. For example, if you set up from a trailer each time you may need a different check list than someone who keeps their Cygnet set up in a hangar. You may have calls to make or things to check that are specific to your location.  I cannot guarantee that everything YOU need to do is on MY check list.

The less experience the pilot has, the more detailed their check list may need to be. Beginners need more than a list of things to check. They need a ‘do list’ describing in detail all the things they need to do.

I believe that a check list should be short, so your eyes don’t glaze over when looking at it. The more words, the greater the chance of glossing over some important words. So a balance must be struck between brevity and thoroughness.

For example, a line on my check list says ‘WX’ which stands for ‘weather’. To an experienced pilot, those two letters remind me to get a weather briefing AND ALL THAT GOES WITH IT: weather forecasts at home and destination airports; winds aloft and the subsequent effect on fuel consumption; temporary flight restrictions; airport advisories and runway closures, etc. As a new pilot you may want to spell out each of those as their own lines on the list.

Another example. On my checklist I have a line that says “Docs”. That means Documents and reminds me to make sure I have all required papers for ME and my aircraft. For me, Pilot Cert, Instructor Cert, driver license, and medical certificate. The AIRCRAFT needs Registration, Airworthiness Certificate and Operating Limitations (in a place where they are visible), my Radio Operator certificate if I am flying internationally, Weight and Loading doc and Aircraft Operating Instructions stashed somewhere accessible. A beginner pilot would probably want to spell out this list in detail, as it takes a while to get to the point where you understand what all these documents are and how they all work together.

If you have gotten this far I’m sure you know to use a Pre-Flight Check List. But like I said earlier, checklists are the smartest way to avoid making dumb mistakes. The dumb things I have done, like forgetting the aircraft key, or flying all day and getting sunburned lips are now on a check list that starts before I even leave the house!

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Michael Percy’s Personal Check Lists

GO FLYING CHECKLIST (Before I leave the house)

Wallet, driver license, pilot & medical certificates.

Aircraft key, ribs, seats, aircraft documents.

Short and long foot pedal adjuster link.

Headsets, radio, intercom, all charged.

Cameras & GoPros, charged. Blank SD cards.

Jacket, sunglasses, lip balm, sunscreen.

Fuel filter funnel, gas can.

Tools: allen wrenches for hang block adjustment, ACF-50, zip ties, side cutters. Box wrenches for AN4, AN5 & AN6 (7/16, ½, 9/16 or 11, 13, 14mm)

Check weather, call 800 WX BRIEF and Eglin Approach.

 

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Here’s my ‘in the aircraft’ checklist.  I colored red some special emphasis areas that could especially make for a bad day if forgotten.

Cygnet 912 Flight Checklist

Flight prep: TFR/Notams, WX, docs, flt plan, pilot physical/mental

Setup:
Remove covers and pitot tube cover. Open wing, insert ribs. Check nose hardware, install nose cone. TENSION WING. Tension ribs. Raise wing. Insert pin. Set sprog and washout tubes. Install wingtip rib. Secure radio cables and PTT.

Pre-flight:
Wing—tensioner, yellow straps, batten strings, sprogs and washouts, strut hardware.
Airframe—hang block, safety cable, gear up and down locks.
Engine—motor, oil tank & radiator mounts. Coolant, oil & fuel tanks full. Fuel on.
Prop—condition, attachment, strap removed, good compression when turned (mags off).
Systems—radio, antenna connection, intercom power. Zip pockets.

Engine Start:
Hand and foot throttles off, choke on, mags on, cover mags. Clear prop, key to “ON” position, check voltage (12+), RPM (0), transponder off. , key to “Start” position. Foot throttle as needed to maintain 2000rpm. Choke off.

Passenger brief: Secure loose items, LSA warning, seatbelts, where to put feet & microphone, look for traffic, exchange of flight controls, follow but don’t fight.

Warm-up: Idle for 1 minute, then 3-3500 rpm until oil temp up. Mag check.

Take-off: Set altimeter, Transponder to Alt. Align with wind. Clear surface and air traffic. Wing to high AoA and level. Full power. Neutral AoA once planing. Rotate at 35mph. Neutral AoA once airborne. Keep wing level! No downwind turns below 300 ft.

Cruise: Reduce throttle to +-4200rpm. Hand throttle as desired.

Descent: Maintain engine rpm and heat.

Landing: Wheels positioned and locked. Align with wind. Clear surface and air traffic.

Go-around: Apply full power. Clear air traffic. Make radio call.

Shut down: Transponder off, mag check, mags off, key off. Radio, intercom off.

Tear down: Park Cygnet into wind. Fold sprogs and washout tubes. Remove wingtip ribs. Unclip remaining battens. Install lift assist. Lower wing to saddles. Undo nose cone and nose ribs. Unclip tension cable. Remove remaining battens starting at wingtips. Install prop guards and hang block padding. Fold wings. Insert wing spacer. Get straps, roll wing material. Strap wingtips together. Install wing cover. Load onto trailer. Secure ramps.