On Sat, 4 Sep 2004 16:16:30 UTC, "F.L. Whiteley"
wrote:

: Personally I can't believe a UK basic instructor is saying this publicly.
: Are you still giving ab-initio lessons? Perhaps you should chant this, or
: something like WULFSTALL, in the circuit and think about what each item is
: and what the implications are if you don't do each one.

There is a lot of honest debate about how many of these are truly
necessary. For example, is your "W" for wind? If so, it should have
been checked a hell of a long time before trying to join the
"circuit". And if it has been, and the circuit planned to take account
of it, why specifically check again? Doesn't the practice of good
airmanship imply that this will be done anyway?

Similarly with T for Trim. Surely anyone who has been reasonably
trained with use the trimmer without thinking about it for any long
term change in speed? Why make it a separate item in a check list at a
time when maximum attention should be gven to lookout?

I have had experienced full cat instructors tell me that they didn't
advocate any down wind checks at all, per se, as they claimed that
every single one should be a consequence of good airmanship. I don't
go that far myself, but the only ones which is seems to me might be
seens as circuit extras are Undercarriage (check only, should be down
already), Speed, Airbrakes (in case frozen). Everything else should
have been done before or is plain bleeding obvious. Do you really,
truly, know people who wouldn't check the intended landing area unless
they had a mnemonic? If so, should they be flying? [I think I know
one, and I don't think he should be.]

Ian

PS If the F is for Flaps for the small proportion of gliders with 'em,
what about the other W for Water? Mind you, I had one instructor who
used the F for "Fag (extinguish and chuck out of DV panel)"...
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