instead taking inappropriate actions that prevented or reduced the likelihood of land- ing safely. Certain checklist items, of course, should be memorized so that the pilot can respond immediately during an in-flight
My instructor reminded me that using a checklist is a sign of professionalism, not an indicator of weakness or lack of knowledge.
emergency and aviate, navigate, and com- municate appropriately. Once those emer- gency steps have been taken, however, the checklist should be consulted for guidance on subsequent steps.
Slow Down An overly confident pilot who relies on memory can overlook key steps in the checklist, causing mistakes. Taking time and slowing down to confirm the steps in our checklists makes us methodical, keeps us familiar with the list, and prevents us from making rushed and potentially danger- ous decisions. To get yourself “into the checklist,” com-
bine your discussions and training about checklists and procedures with your simu- lator training. That way, you can reinforce your checklist skills before you ever take flight. If you can’t train in a simulator, use cockpit drills to review and practice the checklist procedures in your own aircraft.
Use the Checklist during Single- Pilot Operations Especially The checklist becomes even more impor- tant without the assistance of another crew member to cross-check and verify our actions. When you’re operating single-pilot, take extra care to confirm the steps and double-check your settings. If you find yourself men- tally skipping ahead, stop. Go back and check the
steps you took against the checklist to ensure you didn’t miss anything important.
Minimize Distractions Ideally while flying, we’d minimize all dis- tractions to focus on one task at a time. Sadly, this isn’t always possible, but remember: if you become distracted while going through the checklist, go back two,
or even three, steps before the point at which you were interrupted to confirm you completed the previous items and are con- tinuing to follow the checklist in the correct sequence.
Practice Your Checklist Skills Regularly Take time to regularly practice your check- list skills and procedures to prepare for your next flight. From preflight to post- flight, using the checklist helps us maintain familiarity with the steps in our operational procedures so that in times of high stress, we know where we are in the process and exactly where to go to find the next step. Ever since that first lesson in using my
Rotor Summer 2019 1.3 page copy.pdf 1 6/25/19 2:48 PM
checklist for a before-landing check, I regu- larly review and practice the checklist items, whether in the simulator or in flight, before I need to perform them in the air. This keeps me in the checklist and familiar with its steps when I need them most.
C M Y CM
Employ a Multiple-Crew Cross-Check In multicrew operations, cross-checking checklist steps with fellow flight crew members helps monitor and confirm the necessary steps and settings. Having a flight crew member read out the checklist steps and procedures using the call-and-re- sponse method for each individual step fos- ters assimilation of the checklist, establishes a rhythm, reduces errors, and increases communication between crew members.
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