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a takeoff. Advance to takeoff power and add the right amount of pressure to the wheel. Think about what you’ll see – power comes up, oil pressure and temperature check, airspeed comes alive, you track the centerline with your feet, then rotation speed, pitch up, and establish initial climb. Stop short of moving the landing gear handle (you’re still on the ground, after all). But make a few mental take- offs with as much kinesthetic feed- back as possible (feeling and moving controls) to practice a few takeoffs before you actually fly them. Do the same with virtual landings. Get your head back in the flying game, even before you fly.
Now, do the same thing with emer- gency procedures. Run through the motions of emergency procedures memory items – engine failure, elec- trical fire, emergency descent, trim runaway and more. To the extent safe- ly possible, actually move switches and controls to rebuild that muscle memory. Practice until you can com- plete the trim runway procedure with your attention still focused outside the windscreen or on the primary attitude display. Do the same with the procedure for an engine failure during initial climb, for an electrical fire, and for an emergency descent. Use your cockpit procedures trainer, the airplane itself sitting still on the ground. When you’re done, complete the Shutdown and Securing checklists to put everything back into place for the next flight, whether virtual or real.
Book a Flight
Take this opportunity to get back in the books. Read Section VII, Systems Description, of your airplane’s Flight Manual or Pilot’s Operating Handbook. I guarantee you’ll learn something new, or at least re-learn something you knew but have forgotten. Most pilots are very familiar with the Normal and Emergency checklists, but far fewer have taken the time to thoroughly read the Systems Description. Even if you had, they call it “refresher” training for a reason. Refresh your memory, and learn something new, but reading Section VII.
Dan Moore
AOPA
September 2021 / TWIN & TURBINE • 13