Pre-Takeoff Vital Actions

[Eric Hunt]

It's true how the Law of Primacy works: you will best remember the first thing you learned about something. No matter how many other things you learn, you will tend to return to the first thing you learned.

 

And for pre-takeoff and pre-landing, you often have to use memory because your hands might be full and you don't have the luxury of a copilot to read a checklist for you.

 

For me, learning on the Huey, it was the VAs:

 

Hatches

Harness

Heaters

Electrics

Fuel - quantity, pressure, and selection

Instruments- in limits, lights out

Audio (Eng out or low rotor RPM audio switch - on)

Auto (FCU in auto mode, not manual)

Full throttle

6600 RPM

 

This same list has worked for me in every aircraft I have flown, from an R22 to a B412 and S76, but with some sensible additions. For example, with the S76 it went:

 

Hatches (all doors locked, as shown on the indicator panel)

Harness

Heaters (air conditioner off for takeoff or landing, unless doing a rolling runway takeoff)

Electrics (all gen and inverters on, loads indicating normal)

Fuel - quantity in both tanks, pressure, flow normal

Instruments - all gyro/glass screens erect/ready, compass aligned, Ts and Ps all normal

Audio - all radios and navs set, volume checked, monitor switches in appropriate spot, intercom checked

Auto - autopilot tested and in appropriate mode, pre-set altitudes, force trim as desired

Full throttle - both in Fly

RRPM - at 107%

 

Worked for me for 45 years, though for the final 5 years working in a military-style flying school, the students had to follow the printed checklist word for word for the B206.

 

Some of you will recoil in shock and go pale as you say "but..but... you MUST use the checklist for that aircraft, as per the RFM, or the insurance will be invalid, the sun will refuse to rise, and your coffee will forever be bitter!"

 

To you, I say, try this list against your printed list, and see if it misses anything. If it does miss an item, does it fit into any of the afore-mentioned headings? Give it a try.

 

But most of you will have the R22 as your first helicopter, so your Law of Primacy will be different from mine. And as you move on to more complex aircraft, you will need to learn different checklists, but you will never forget your checks for the Flimsicopter.

[r22butters]

Hmm, that one doesn't flow well for me in my "flimsicopter". Lets see,...

 

Lights out

Speed green

Gauges green

Fuel ok

Carb heat ok

Trim in

 

,...ah' yes much better!

[Thedude]

Mine checks off a lot of those boxes on its own as well. Canopies are always shut, harnesses always on, heat/ac always on, generators always on, fuel auto balances and quantity is always displayed, no autopilot, force trim always on. A quick physical/visual check of the power levers, select the correct MPD pages with a button or two and good to go.

[Azhigher]

Landing:

No warning lights, do I know what I'm doing? Ask crew if they're ready, tell crew to shush, make a radio call, proceed.

 

Takeoff:

No warning lights, do I know what I'm doing? Ask crew if they're ready, make a radio call, proceed.

[Rotorhead84]

Take-off: Spinning bit works. This lever moves. Accomplish take off.

 

Landing: Still alive, best not push our luck any further. Accomplish landing.