I must come across as a real amateur…
I have never used these mnemonics either nor ever come across anyone who did or does. I think they come from the military environment where a single pilot who needs both hands on the trigger buttons for guns and rockets and both eyes to follow his various enemies can not look down on charts and checklists. In my part of the world military and civilian pilots hardly ever cross paths so this mnemonic thing has not found its way into civilian flying – neither amateur nor professional.
I find that visual approaches aren’t offered or suggested except when one is close in already. They probably don’t want you doing a DIY bit of nav for 20 miles.
Depends. On some airports you really have to wait for your visual clearance until five miles out when it does not make sense any more (or you don’t get one at all like at many German airports when flying turbine aircraft – the usual noise abatement thing). But I fly to some frequent destinations like Ingolstadt (ETSI) for example where you can get cleared for a visual approach by Munich radar when still 30 miles out. Day and night, any runway, any altitude, any type of aircraft. They are a military aerodrome and this is their normal way of operation. Instrument approaches are for sissies 
Haha, Peter, you are probably one of the most experienced private pilots here, so don’t fish for compliments :-) If you want to see a real (IFR) amateur, look my way! I am really glad I have the live approach chart large on the MFD, because that gives me the situational awareness i wouldn’t have. I cann ot even remember how i did all that in the 172 RG without any moving maps or electronic charts. …
I must come across as a real amateur… I don’t use any mnemonics and could never remember a single one anyway.
This is why airlines use mnemonics all the time. lol
Sorry. I can’t remember them either. There must be something wrong with my brain, they are meant to help to remember things.
I can’t keep the connection between the letter and the word. FREDA, what was it: Fuel, Radio and then it ends.
FREDA, what was it: Fuel, Radio and then it ends.
I think we’ve already had that one before, but there is a mnemonic that I once read about in a magazine and that I was able to remember over the years (but it is very easy to remember and will come almost automatically in that situation 
): Engine failure after takeoff on a twin: FUCK (*F*orward everything that can go forward – *U*p everything that can go up – *C*lean the aircraft (= proper attitude and speed, rudder trim) – *K*ill the bad engine (= perform proper shutdown including feathering)).
Mnemonics seem to be a British thing. I’ve never been taught to use them, or known anyone else to use them. We all use written checklists.
Anyway, I also brief like Flyer59 and what next, and I agree that the order of things on the Jepp briefing strip is illogical, although it is a good idea in principle.
Mnemonics seem to be a British thing. I’ve never been taught to use them, or known anyone else to use them. We all use written checklists.
Me neither….I remember one pilot, aghast that I don’t HASELL before stall practice
I will brief my colleague: “Visual approach runway 08, in case of missed approach (due to unstable aircraft or blocked runway) we will fly a visual pattern to the left at 1500ft AGL”. Not one more word
Really not to try and be a pedant, but I was always of the opinion that missed approach from a visual should follow the published procedure for the runway/approach in use unless told otherwise or approved by ATC? It goes back to the discussion again about it still being an IFR procedure.
the published procedure for the runway/approach in use
But if you are cleared on a visual approach, surely the approach in use is a visual approach (not an ILS or whatever else is available). How do you know which instrument missed approach to take?
I normally clarify with ATC: “G-YC: In case of missed approach, we will enter a right hand visual circuit at altitude 1600ft”. A few times they have asked for something else – but never a standard instrument missed approach.
Really not to try and be a pedant, but I was always of the opinion that missed approach from a visual should follow the published procedure for the runway/approach in use unless told otherwise or approved by ATC?
Difficult question, really. It’s certainly true for a circling approach where in case of a go-araound you are supposed to follow the standard missed approach procedure for the initial instrument approach. But in case of a visual approach: Which missed approach are you supposed to follow? Many airports have ILS-Z, ILS-Y, ILS-X, VOR-DME, NDB and RNAV/GPS approaches, all of them with a different missed approach procedure. You were cleared for a visual approach, not for one of these instrument approaches, so which missed approach procedure will you choose? Which one should you brief and prepare? Needs some talking to ATC probably…
I would never fly an instrument missed approach after being cleared for the visual. I would join the circuit and await further instructions.
