| I have flown many different types of aircraft, and | | | | that the final check is controls full and free. I have a |
| when I was operating both Airline and Air Taxi work | | | | good reason for this having taken off in a Twin Otter |
| single crew it was often slow and ponderous to try | | | | with the control locks in. That is another story that I |
| and use a check list, especially on simple aircraft like | | | | may write about one day. |
| the Islander or Trislander. | | | | T Throttle friction tight |
| So I developed a Mnemonic which I have adapted | | | | T Trim set |
| and use for all the aircraft that I currently fly or have | | | | M Mixture Rich. Mags on Both. Master on both |
| flown. It is necessary to get the mnemonic in your | | | | switches. Autofeather on. |
| head first, and some of these are well known like the | | | | P Propellor levers full forward |
| FREDA checks or the HASELL checks that are used | | | | F Fuel. On and sufficient. Correct tanks. Fuel |
| for the cruise and pre-aerobatics. When reading | | | | Pump on. Fuel primer Locked. |
| many UK checklists there is a pretty standard | | | | F Flaps set as required. |
| mnemonic annotated within the checks. This is the | | | | I Instruments and radio aids set as required for |
| one I have adapted and it works for all aircraft I have | | | | departure |
| flown including turboprops like the King Air or Twin | | | | H Harnesses |
| Otter. | | | | H Hatches and general security. |
| If you want to develop your own based on the | | | | D De-Icing as required. Pitot Heat as required. |
| following if it does not quite fit into your current checks, | | | | C Caution lights. Out or as expected. |
| then it is easy to adapt. What is needed is to | | | | A Altimeters. Set for departure. |
| carefully go through the aircraft check list and make | | | | When cleared for Take Off |
| sure that using this mnemonic everything is covered. | | | | T Transponder for radar visibility On. Strobes for |
| If there is something missing, then weave it into your | | | | human visibility On. |
| mnemonic. | | | | C Controls Full and Free. |
| For example, the checklist for piston aircraft does not | | | | That's it. I think you will find that covers everything in |
| include turning on the autofeather, and so when I go | | | | your aircraft, if not just modify it a bit, or put in a new |
| through the check list, and I get to M for Mixture, Mags | | | | letter or sequence of letters that you can remember. |
| and Master, I then add this memory sequence. | | | | For instance the DCA is easy to remember for me as |
| Manual = Auto feather. Job done. | | | | many countries have a Department of Civil Aviation. |
| So here is the list I have created, and you may notice | | | | |