To some extent this discussion boils down to semantics and what glider
you're flying. I could subscribe to calling what you check immediately
before takeoff a "killer list" rather than a pre-takeoff checklist.
After all, these are the last items to be checked before bad things
that can happen suddenly might occur. But what should be on the killer
list? It depends.

If I'm about to fly a club ship that's flown for the last few hours, I
want to make sure it's configured for me and that important
instruments, controls, locking mechanisms and pilot attitude are ready
for flight. Ballast, altimeter, contols, dive brakes, canopy, tail
dolly, and emegency prodedures are on this list. However, my club
encourages the use of a short written checklist which is in the side
pocket, which covers more items than are on the killer list, and I run
thorugh this as I'm waiting for the towplane. I also run through my
ABCCCDDDE memorized list just before I give a thumbs up to the wing
runner, primarily to insure everything was checked and that my head is
ready for flight.

If I'm about to fly my own ship, then I've put in a hour or so of time
rigging, checking, loading and configuring. I've done a critical
assembly check, a positive control check, I've taped the wings,
winglets and tail, I've checked the tire pressure, made sure the
electrical system is functional and that all electrical instruments
are loaded with the correct nav or communication data and functional.
I've put my hat, sunglasses, wallet, phone and food in the side
pocket, and stored the Camelbak in its place. I've talked to the field
manager, gotten a place on the flight line, aligned the plane to the
runway and removed the tail dolly. I turn on the electrical system,
turn on the radio and set it to the field frequency, put the
transponder on standby, turn on the SN10, clear the Volkslogger memory
and turn off its warnings, and set the altimeter to field height. At
this point I run through the LS written checklist on bottom of the
instrument cluster. Then I struggle into the chute, get into the
plane, wiggle until I can reach and fasten the harness belts and
thread the Camelbak hose into position, and put the mike into
position. As the towplane taxis up I do a radio check and request a
tow height. The canopy comes down and is locked, and I inspect the tow
rope condition where it attaches to the Tost rings before I allow hook-
up. At this point the killer items are contols, dive brakes, canopy,
and emegency prodedures. However, I run through my ABCCCDDDE memorized
list to make absolutely sure all important items were checked and that
my head is in the right place for possible trouble just before I give
a thumbs up to the wing runner.

It's possible to pare down the pre-takeoff checklist, or to change to
one that's universal. But what real advantage would this bring? The
two pre-flight checklists commonly used both contain all the killer
items that should absolutely be checked just before flight. And with
repeated use, each checklist has a rhythm that will cause a pilot to
stop if something is missed or out of place. I don't think it really
matters what exactly is on each pilots checklist, so long as it
contains the same items on each and every flight.

-John

On Mar 23, 2:54 pm, Tony wrote:
I think if your pretakeoff checklist is so long that it can't be
memorized then perhaps some of your "pretakeoff" items need to be
moved off the runway. I'm not convinced that sitting on the runway
with the towplane running, ground crew running around, and who knows
what is happening with other traffic in the air, is the best time to
be heads down going through a lengthy printed checklist. The runway
time should be reserved for the "Killer Items". Anything else should
be done before you stage. So, as I asked a few posts ago, what are
the killer items? I use the logic stream that if I forget to do it
then something bad will or can happen. So I check controls to make
sure that nothing is impeding their movement. If i'm flying a glider
with removable ballast I make sure it is removed (for fat me), I make
sure I'm strapped in so i don't go for Mr. Toads Wild Ride, set the
altimeter so that *at a glance* I can determine my altitude AGL, set
flaps and trim so that once i get in the air I know what to expect
from the glider, shut the canopy and LOCK it so that it doesnt blow
off, and check the airbrakes and LOCK them so that bad things dont
happen.