Page 26 - Oct2016 Vol 20 No 10

Let’s look at the Descent checklist for our example airplane, an early B55 Baron:DESCENTAltimeter – SETCowl flaps – CLOSEDWindshield Defroster – AS REQUIRED Power – AS REQUIREDFuel Selector Valves – MAINThere’s that all-important fuel selection step. But “Power – AS REQUIRED”? How helpful is that? It’s understandable how pilots can think they can omit backing up their actions with a printed Descent checklist.How about the Before Landing checklist? What does it contain?BEFORE LANDINGSeat belts – FASTEN, SEAT BACKS UPRIGHT, SHOULDER HARNESSES FASTENEDFuel Selector Valves – CHECK (MAIN TANKS)Fuel Boost Pumps – OFF, OR LOW AS PER AMBIENT TEMPERATURECowl Flaps – AS REQUIREDMixture Controls – FULL RICH OR AS REQUIRED BY FIELD ELEVATIONLanding Gear – DOWNFlaps – DOWNAirspeed – ESTABLISH NORMAL LANDING APPROACH SPEEDPropellers – LOW PITCH (HIGH RPM)That’s a lot to remember. But have you ever referenced the printed Before Landing checklist in flight? As I said earlier, most likely not—there’s not enough time to pull out the checklist and read it as you’re closing in on the runway, and if there were time, the last thing you want to do on short final is to take your eyes off the airport with more than quick scans of your panel.So we have critical pre-landing tasks, some of which appear on a Descent checklist we rarely use, and most of which are on a Before Landing checklist we don’t have time to use. What to do?The Approach ChecklistI suggest you create a personalized Approach checklist that contains the critical items from the Descent and Before Landing checklists, customized to the equipment on board your airplane. Use your Approach checklist during your descent but before you begin an approach procedure or enter a visual traffic pattern. Write your checklist down24 • TWIN & TURBINEon a kneeboard or other temporary location, and try it out a few times to see how it works. Once you’ve test-flown your Approach checklist, make a more permanent version. Force yourself to use it every time you fly until it becomes a natural part of your pre-arrival routine.For example, when I was teaching in Barons at the Beech factory we made an Approach checklist:APPROACHAltimeter - SETLanding Lights – ONMixtures – FULL RICH OR AS REQUIRED BY FIELD ELEVATIONFuel Boost Pumps – OFF (LOW IF SURFACE TEMP XCEEDS 90°F)Fuel Selector Valves – MAIN TANKSSeat Belts and Shoulder Harnesses – FASTEN Avionics – CONFIRMED SET FOR THE APPROACHEThis checklist acknowledges that a lot of what you’ll do before landing won’t happen until you’re on final approach, and you’ll do it from memory at that time. Gear down, flaps down, propellers set for the missed approach...like many pilots I use a mnemonic on short final to get those items (“Full flaps, Full props, Gear Three green, Yaw damper OFF). That doesn’t preclude me from setting the majority of the Before Landing items further out from the airport, and quality control-checking my work using my printed Approach checklist.You might choose to get more specific with some of your Approach checklist items. For example, you might add “GPS/VLOC Switch – GPS FOR RNAV APPROACH, VLOC FOR ILS” or similar. If your airplane is pressurized, add a step “Pressurization – SET FOR LANDING” to your customized checklist.The Before Takeoff checklist is arguably the most important checklist once the engines are running. Most pilots do a good job of using the Before Takeoff checklist to confirm they have everything set for departure, I’ve found that most pilots do not use a printed checklist to ensure everything is ready for landing, yet this is the second most important checklist, as is obvious in many NTSB reports. To make a pre-landing checklist more usable, and train yourself to actually use it, I suggest you write andadopt a customized Approach checklist.T&T •Thomas P. Turner is an ATP CFII/MEI, holds a Masters Degree in Aviation Safety, and was the 2010 National FAA Safety Team Representative of the Year. Subscribe to Tom’s free FLYING LESSONS Weekly e-newsletter at www.mastery-flight-training.com.OCTOBER 2016