Another comment: poking fun at the use of check-lists in this thread
is very unfortunate.

Exactly which part of my post was "poking fun"? I thought that I was
being dead (pardon the pun) serious.

I have 4 opportunities to catch an error on control linkages:
1. The initial hookup.
2. An immediate check of each control linkage after hookup.
3. The walk-around inspection.
4. Visual observation of control movement standing by the cockpit.

Missing all 4 falls into the "being hit by an asteroid" category.

Tom