Interested in soaring safety? Read this

On Dec 16, 10:13 am, wrote:
On the last item, Traffic, make eye contact with the ground crew who
should now be patiently waiting at your wing tip and say TRAFFIC and
look around to remind them to look around for you. This is crew
resource management.
Matt Michael

My first Glider Instructor taught me a simple pre-takeoff checklist:
A
B
C
C
C
D

I added another D.

Another instructor implored me to add E

A-Altimeter
B-Belts
C-Canopy
C-Controls
C-Cable (in that order!)
D-Direction of Wind
D-Dive Brakes (spoilers to some)
D-Dummies In The Patter (my way of categorizing "traffic")
E-Emergency Procedures and Plans.

The good Big Iron drivers BRIEF every takeoff (heading, speeds, what
to do in an emergency).

The great Big Iron Test Pilots pre-Brief every takeoff, and who's to
do what when (not if) something goes wrong...even for a normal non-
test takeoff. Taking an unfamiliar FAA Test Pilot with us once, the
captain briefed the FAA pilot "If something goes wrong, YOU fly the
airplane, and I'll deal with the emergency, since I'm more familiar
with the aircraft/systems/etc." We can do this with our ground crews,
too, as Matt has suggested.

Some of us treat our checklists like we treat our parachutes: like a
talisman. If we take care of them, have them and know how to use
them, they will perform the function of a good luck charm, and ward
off emergencies, ramp checks and embarrassing appearances on the five
o'clock news.

-Pete