Have you ever been frantically looking for the airplane keys after you have completed the preflight and are ready to start up? Or have you ever tried to get your keys out of the pocket after you have strapped on your seatbelt? There is an easy solution to the problem of where to put the keys, and there is more than one reason to put them there.
Any time you are around the airplane on the ground the top of the instrument panel is a great place to keep the keys (unless of course the space above the panel has a hole or holes large enough for the keys to fall into). Consistently putting the keys on top of the panel after you unlock the door before a flight or after you pull the keys out of the ignition after a flight ensures that you always know where the keys are.
