Put Down Your Checklist!

A wise old pilot once told me here are three distinct types of flying: simulator flying, checkride flying and typical everyday line flying. Although the context of this nugget was originally air carrier operations, there seems to be an innate understanding of this concept among all pilots. When administering flight reviews to experienced owner-pilots, I often get to see them on their "best behavior." Of course, flight reviews arent checkrides, but many pilots view them as such, especially if its been a while since their last "real" pass/fail flight. While somewhat flattering to me, its usually obvious which aspects of their behavior are part of their normal operation and which are a show put on for my benefit. Often, Ill see them whip out a ratty old checklist, dust it off and try to use it sequentially as a do-list. Almost comically, the effort comes across almost as awkward as a middle school dance: The desire is there, but they just dont seem to know what to do with it.

Key Takeaways:

• The article advocates for the "do-verify" method of checklist usage over the traditional "read-do" method, emphasizing that flows followed by a verification with the checklist are more efficient and safer for normal operations.
• The "do-verify" method involves pilots first using memorized "flows" to configure the aircraft and then reviewing a written checklist on a workload-permitting basis to confirm correct configuration.
• While normal procedures benefit from "do-verify," abnormal procedures should be strictly "read-do," and time-critical emergency procedures should begin with memory items before a "read-do" verification. The FAA's Practical Test Standards explicitly support the "do-verify" method.

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