Checklist Discipline

The Aeronca Champs checklist was simple, befitting most small aircraft of the late 50s: "CIGAR" stood for Controls, Instruments, Gas, Attitude, Run-up and, sometimes, Runway. Time and experience brought along more-complicated airplanes and checklists, but it was still hard to mess up by using CIGAR. Following USAF pilot training, I became an instructor pilot in the T-37. Its checklist was a bit more complicated. When students asked about checklist sequencing, there was the standard answer: Checklist discipline. Not too much to question, but not too much to mess up, either.

A Bartlett

Tuesday, March 23, 2010 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

The article emphasizes the evolution of aircraft checklists from simple to complex, highlighting the universal and critical need for "checklist discipline."
A catastrophic incident occurred when an F-4 Phantom II's external fuel tanks were prematurely jettisoned due to switches being incorrectly positioned before power application.
This oversight led to a severe fire that destroyed both the F-4 and an adjacent F-8, serving as a stark reminder of the crucial importance of strict checklist adherence in aviation.

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The Aeronca Champs checklist was simple, befitting most small aircraft of the late 50s: “CIGAR” stood for Controls, Instruments, Gas, Attitude, Run-up and, sometimes, Runway. Time and experience brought along more-complicated airplanes and checklists, but it was still hard to mess up by using CIGAR.

Following USAF pilot training, I became an instructor pilot in the T-37. Its checklist was a bit more complicated. When students asked about checklist sequencing, there was the standard answer: Checklist discipline. Not too much to question, but not too much to mess up, either.