Interested in soaring safety? Read this

On Dec 16, 12:12 am, Ramy wrote:

Yeah, but my point is, how can you make sure you will follow the
checklist

T-R-A-I-N-I-N-G. P-R-A-C-T-I-C-E.

As Henry says: "Take the tow."

As Pete says: "Take the CFIG." At least once a year.

Practice your emergency procedures (no flap landings, no spoiler
landings). What do you think the military pilots do most of the
time? What do commercial pilots expect when they take their simulator
rides (at least once a year, sometimes twice a year)?

Make your own checklist. I've gotten in the habit of doing that for
each airplane (and each glider) I fly. As a Flight Test Guy, this
saves lives, saves money and makes the difference between success and
failure. The sun is setting on these items, but how many diamonds
would have been ACHIEVED if the checklist (the usually non-existent
checklist) had included the following two items:
1.) Wind barograph.
2.) Load film in camera, wind camera.

How many lives (and gliders) would have been saved if these had been
on the checklist?
A.) Positive Control Check - Elevator
B.) Positive Control Check - Rudder
C.) Positive Control Check - Aileron Left
D.) Positive Control Check - Aileron Right
E.) Positive Control Check - Spoiler Right
F.) Positive Control Check - Spoiler Left

Yup, I've been a dummy: took off once with the static ports still
taped over. Knew what to do: turned it into a pattern tow and a
practice "emergency" landing. Untaped the statics, did a (more
thorough) complete walk-around (preflight), got in line and took the
relight for a damn fine flight. And statics got added to the
preflight checklist!!! BTW, that's not the only time I've been a
dummy -- those that know me ...

A checklist is no substitute for airmanship. RAS posting is no
substitute for getting current AND competent in your machine. It
seems that too many of us get one or two flights in at the beginning
of the season, and then go striking out hunting diamonds (yeah, me
too). We should spend more time locally, with or without the Constant
Flight Interruptor aboard. We should practice more landings, short/
soft field with obstacle landings...simulated landing out landings.

After you use a checklist for a while, you'll find that they're
terrific security blankets, and help you relax more during the
flight. Keep the mnemonics (USTALL, TWA, GUMP) as safety nets. When
you forget your checklist, and feel brave enough to fly without it,
make sure you touch and say every item within your reach (spoilers,
release, flaps, gear, relief tube...).

The pros fly with checklists. The FAA condones the discipline. Many
accident investigation reports cite, as one of the causes, the crew's
failure to follow the appropriate checklist.

It's at least as important as your parachute. Hopefully, you'll use
the checklist more often.

-Pete
#309