Jim Burns wrote:

Pre flights... what do you check, why do you check it, how do you identify a
discrepancy and how come you're not using a checklist for the preflight?
What happens when you have a larger airplane? Use a checklist. Safety.

This is interesting as I watch a lot of airline pilots do their
preflight and I've NEVER seen one carry a checklist. A flashlight, but
never a checklist. Personally, I like the Navy approach to checklists.
Execute the list from memory and then "check" it with the checklist.
That way in an emergency you know the procedures and can do them
instantly and come back when things are more under control and check
what you've done.

I realize the FAA doesn't agree with this, but it makes a lot more sense
to me than fumbling for a checklist when the prop is windmilling and you
are descending at 800 fpm towards hostile terrain.

Matt