When I was younger, I could remember anything; whether it happened or not.
Mark Twain
I used to be able to remember four or five parts of a long ATC transmission: “Citation N797VS, right to zero-six-zero intercept the localizer, maintain four till established, cleared the ILS-PRM-Yankee one-zero right, maintain 170 knots till KVENN, tower at GOOZY 133.0.” Now, because of years of listening to ATC, my readback is mostly knowing the order of the information presented and simply filling in the blanks rather than remembering the whole string of information from scratch; similar to the order of data on the ATIS or the initial route clearance from clearance delivery. Another example would be the format of holding instructions: “Duke N7510D cleared direct WATSN, hold East as published except 10-mile legs, maintain one four thousand, expect further clearance at 1435 Zulu, time now 1410.” Other transmissions from ATC are similarly predictable: taxi instructions with hold short or cleared to cross, and a takeoff clearance with the winds, a heading or climb via the SID, and cleared for takeoff. But many of the things we must remember to fly the airplane require good old-fashioned memorization.
Memory! Memory! My kingdom for better memory!
William Shakespeare (modified)
Memory is the retention of information over time, even if only for a short time – such as in the above ATC examples. According to the Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER – that’s an initialism, not a mnemonic), these seven things can help in retaining information:
- Include physical activity in your daily routine.
Physical activity increases blood flow to our brain. This can be problematic for a professional pilot due to schedules and living on the road. - Stay mentally active.
Mentally stimulating activities help keep the brain in shape. I think we pilots have this one covered. - Socialize regularly.
Social interaction will help decrease depression and stress. Many of us interact with passengers, FBO’s and fellow aviators, so we probably have this one covered too. - Get organized.
If your home is cluttered and your notes are in disarray, confusion and frustration can result. Pilots are pretty organized – often to the point of being called control freaks. Those living with us, maybe not so much. - Sleep well.
Sleep plays an important role in consolidating memories. Once accustomed to living on the road, this is manageable. - Eat a healthy diet.
Diet is likely as good for your brain as it is for your heart. Traversing multiple time zones and finding healthy food on the road is likely our most challenging impediment to healthy living. - Manage chronic conditions.
Depression, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, obesity and hearing loss should be properly managed. The need to maintain our First, Second or Third class physical forces us to comply with this recommendation.
Youth is wasted on the young.
George Bernard Shaw
Whether you fly wearing a suit and tie, jeans and Docksiders or tights and a red cape, aviation demands both mental and physical proficiency. And it’s our job to minimize mistakes and the times in which we skip or forget things or accomplish them out of order. The frequency of mental lapses increases as the first digit of our age changes from four to five, then from five to six and then to seven. Certainly, by the time the first digit reaches eight and nine, even super pilots in tights and a red cape can expect diminished capacity. In order to help remember a clearance, some pilots like to set the clearance items as they hear them. They have the direct-to page called up on the FMS and select the point but wait to activate it. Or they load the cleared-to altitude in the altitude pre-select window, set a com frequency in the standby box, the squawk code in the transponder, and they write down everything else. I’m a write-it-all-down first, read it back, then enter the data and execute it kind of guy. Not only do I recognize that my tights and cape are retired and my memory capacity has diminished, but it seems that ATC communications contain a higher number of critical items. The paths which we fly and taxi are less tolerant of deviation. Climb and descend via procedures, RVSM, PRM and CAT II/III approaches, land and hold short (LAHSO) and SMGCS low visibility taxi procedures are prime examples. Mnemonics and litanies are not simply crutches; they are useful checklist supplements.
The study and development of systems for improving and assisting memory is called mnemonics.
A study in 1967 by Gerald R. Miller revealed that students using mnemonics increased test scores up to 77 percent – statistically impressive. Here are some common phrases, rhymes and spelling mnemonics: Thirty days has September, April, June and November; the alphabet song; In 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue; red sky at night, sailors delight; and i before e, except after c. And for remembering the mountains from North to South in the Cascade Range, use BRASH: Baker, Rainier, Adams, Saint Helen and Hood. We have a ba-trillion mnemonics in aviation. Here are some samples followed by a discussion on litanies:
Spelling mnemonics: GUMP: Gas, Undercarriage, Mixture, Props. ARROW: Airworthiness, Registration, Radio license, Operating Limitations, Weight & Balance.
Feature mnemonics: Dashed and solid lines for hold short. Dashed lines are skid marks on the “fast” or “movement” side of the hold-short line.
Rhyming mnemonics: flying from an area of high pressure to one of low pressure – high to low, look out below. White over red, your dead for VASI/PAPI. East is least, west is best for true vs. magnetic corrections.
Note/phrase mnemonics: Maintain thine airspeed, lest the ground arise and smite thee. Dead foot, dead engine. Identify, verify, feather, secure. Aviate, navigate, communicate.
Alliteration mnemonics: In an emergency: Climb, Communicate, Comply. Or during an approach: Time, Turn, Twist, Throttle, Talk.
Song mnemonics: I could not remember a single aviation song mnemonic – mail me one!
Organization mnemonics: FAA, EAA, AOPA, NBAA and TFR.
Visual mnemonics: L or R hand, fingers and thumb for visualizing holding pattern entries.
Litanies
One definition describes litany as a long and tedious address or recital. A litany is also the act of delivering formal spoken communication. Even when solo, we may verbalize a litany out loud to ensure emphasis and accuracy. In fighters, we would verbalize bombing parameters when flying a “pop-up” bombing profile. Some pilots like to verbalize speed and configuration changes from downwind to base and final. In a time-critical situation, we perform the memorized litany items first, sometimes using additional mnemonics, and then accomplish follow-on actions from a checklist. Each sector of aviation and individual aircraft has its own litanies. In most turbine aircraft, there is a litany for each type of takeoff and go-around: normal takeoff, engine failure on takeoff, multi-engine go-around, and single-engine go-around.
And certainly, there are litanies for a rejected takeoff (abort) before V1. We think more clearly when we are not all hot and bothered. So, how fast do we need to complete the expanded checklist after we have accomplished any memory items, litanies and mnemonics? How long will the other one(s) keep running if an engine quits? Likely, all day long. If we have a configuration issue, whether flight controls or landing gear, the time remaining to deal with the issue is probably a direct function of fuel remaining and weather. If the abnormal situation is electrical or hydraulic in nature, your life may become more complicated due to the risk of fire or potential loss of other systems like navigation, attitude control or braking and stopping/slowing ability.
Everyone complains of his memory, and nobody complains of his judgment.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
Rushing, distractions, loss of SA (situational awareness) and fatigue are common excuses for not following procedures. Many would add complacency and forgetfulness to the list as well. When we become comfortable in a particular vehicle, we may rush or skip through a checklist. But consider this: It has been shown that those who deviate from procedures and checklists are three times more likely to commit errors with consequential results. I don’t know about you, but I don’t need any consequential results with any added level of consequential grief in my airplane. We all need to use good judgment, checklists, litanies and mnemonics in order to avoid relying solely on our memory. Just be careful and don’t confuse GUMP with BRASH or your engine failure litany with the alphabet song.
