Pre Takeoff Checklists

On Mar 23, 12:47*pm, Andy wrote:
On Mar 23, 7:20*am, Tony wrote:

Seems to me that it's been a while since we had a good brouhaha over
pretakeoff checklists. *Most of use use either ABBCCCDDE (or is it
AABBCCDDE? Or ABBBCCCCDDEEFG?) or CBSIFTCB or some other variant. *I'm
curious what you use and WHY? *What have you added or subtracted to
the "base" checklist to fit your specific glider or operation, or to
prevent problems you have encountered.

I personally use CBSIFTCB *in all the gliders I fly. After that is
complete I'm OK hooking up the rope, then I review WET (Wind,
Emergency, Traffic) and give the signal to launch.

CBSIFTCB E with Flaps always reponded to even if the response is
NONE. *Wind is not on my checklist, nor is checking to see if I put my
pants (trousers) and shoes on. *How could anyone sitting in a cockpit
waiting to takeoff be unaware of the wind?

The Emergency add on seems to have been replaced in UK by
Eventualities. *That observation based on a recent visit to the UK
club where I did my early glider training. Don't know why it changed
but the review of E's doesn't change.

Some people responding here seem to be confusing a pre-takeoff check
list with a flight preparation checklist. I have a pre-pushout
checklist for all the things that would impact my flight if I forgot
them, but that is completely separate from the memorized pre-takeoff
checks. It's before I push out that I check I have my pants on.
(Actually that's not as silly as it sounds - I often prepare for
flying in shorts but prefer to fly in long pants).

Some people like to cite what airline pilots do, thinking they prepare
for takeoff by going though a checklist. *They don't. *Normally they
do all the preparation and configuration by memory using standard
flows and, after it is all done, then they run the checklist. *Also,
the most critical emergency procedures have to be memorized and
executed without a checklist, then the checklist is used to "check" if
time allows.

Andy

I am not blissfully unaware of the wind as I arrive at the gliderport
and pull the glider to the runway, but I do like to take the few
seconds to take a glance at the wind sock or yaw string and just
refresh myself on what the wind situation is going to be like for that
particular takeoff.

You've hit on the key difference between a Checklist and a Do-list.
Your description of an airline cockpit is an example of a real
checklist where a task was performed and the list was used to verify
that it was performed. What most of us use in the glider is a Do-list
where we recite the item to be completed and then perform the task.

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.

I don't have "hook up the rope" on my before takeoff checklist because
if I forget to hook up the rope, nothing bad will happen except the
towplane will takeoff and ill stay on the runway and people will look
at us funny.

Thats just me though, I'm curious what the rest of RAS thinks.
enjoying the conversation so far!