A generic Approach checklist

I think there are simply no 100% safeguards against skipping some required action.

If it’s on a written checklist, items might be skipped or the checklist not completed / not read at all, for whatever reasons. Even if you do read the item, there is a risk you might read it but not complete the necessary action. Again, for whatever reason.

If it’s not on a written checklist, then one might simply forget.

Probably the best protection is to do both, i.e. have important items on some kind of checklist AND to constantly ask yourself “what is important to do at this point?”

This ties in with the never-ending discussion about “do-lists vs. checklists” in SP operations.

Specifically on the QNH topic, I also recommend setting the QNH right after the controller first gives the QNH to you (usually along with a descent instruction). Don’t delay anything, since you might forget. However, there may be (rare) occasions where, coming from an enroute segment in the flight levels, nobody will ever actively give the QNH to you before you start the approach. These are the occasions where pilots would be more prone to forget to set QNH.

boscomantico wrote:

Specifically on the QNH topic, I also recommend setting the QNH right after the controller first gives the QNH to you (usually along with a descent instruction). Don’t delay anything, since you might forget. However, there may be (rare) occasions where, coming from an enroute segment in the flight levels, nobody will ever actively give the QNH to you before you start the approach. These are the occasions where pilots would be more prone to forget to set QNH.

I use this practice as well. I always set QNH the first time I get it, even if I am still way above transition altitude. And the same goes for climbing, even if I am at 2000 ft and get cleared FL100 I will set 1013 straight away. I do not see the point in waiting for the transition level and by doing this I minimize the risk of forgetting to change.

Is this stupid or smart?

I found that using the good old FRIEDA (FREDA with an I in it for icing) can be used in ALL phases of flight. It just makes sure that you think of all items that you need to check, except for the configuration (gear, flaps).

Normally, it is used for cruise checks, but it works equally well in any phase of flight.

So approach, for example, in the aircraft I fly:

• Fuel – pumps on
• Radios – Set and approach aids identified, approach loaded
• Icing – Prop heat as appropriate, check wings/cycle boots
• Engine – nothing special to do here
• Direction – check HSI, check course selector
• Altimeters – QNH and cross check

Sometimes it is redundant, but for example on passing 1000ft / MSA on departure

• Fuel – pumps off
• Radios – normally nothing to do here – but if flying classical, you might need to think about the next classic nav-aid to tune and identify
• Icing – Check wings, cycle boots if necessary, check prop heaters working
• Engine – check Ts and Ps in the climb
• Direction – nothing to do here either
• Altimeters – change to 1013 if cleared to a flight level

So it is FRIEDA at 1,000ft, FRIEDA on levelling off, FRIEDA regularly during cruise, FRIEDA at top of descent, and FRIEDA when commencing the approach.

With that, one acronym plus Red/Blue/Green/White on short final covers everything, instead of BUMFFICHWTFDOIDONOW for each phase of flight.

This, together with a written Killer Item checklist for ground ops, serves me well.

We have generic lists for gliders, all parts of flight. Gliders are all very standard (except the few that aren’t ). For motorized aircraft, is it even possible ?

I don’t thing generic “Do Lists” are sensible.

The big screw-ups tend to be about things people forget about, not errors made when doing things, so a generic list that reminds you to think about doing things that might kill you if forgotten is possible.

Fly310 wrote:

I use this practice as well. I always set QNH the first time I get it, even if I am still way above transition altitude. And the same goes for climbing, even if I am at 2000 ft and get cleared FL100 I will set 1013 straight away. I do not see the point in waiting for the transition level and by doing this I minimize the risk of forgetting to change.

Is this stupid or smart?

Smart! …. why would you not set QNH/FL immediately you are so cleared ……..that’s how the airlines do it.

I set QNH or 1013 when assigned an altitude or FL respectively even if above/below transition.