StanFoster
Active Member
- Joined
- Nov 16, 2003
- Messages
- 17,139
- Location
- Paxton, Il
- Aircraft
- Helicycle N360SF
- Total Flight Time
- 1250
Just wanted to share something that we all know,,but need to keep reinforced. Using a checklist. I have always had a good written one and a mental one that I use. I prefer the mental one but to each his own. I posted some time ago that I like the acronym COPILOT for my mental checklist. Not to rehash all the checks for each letter,,,,...but my story didnt get past the first letter C in my checklist.
I took my dad up two days ago. He had a camera strapped around his neck as he wanted to take some pictures of his first flight.
Before I taxied..I went over with dad about keeping his feet off the rudders...making sure the cyclic had full range of motion...warned him about the throttle that he could inadvertantly bump...etc..
We back taxied 36 ...turned around and I started my COPILOT checklist for takeoff. First letter C....has three things to check....
Carb heat off .... done
Clock to 12 noon to time fuel burn ... done
Controls for full range of motion,,,rudder done.....
cyclic... cyclic....wait a minute....I cant move my cyclic to the right. A quick check to see why.....dear ol dad had stowed his camera under the cyclic on his side!!
This really reinforced my procedures. The problem is that now that I am taking a few passengers....there are new formulaes in the mix....more things to check.
After that flight...I decided to remove the right cyclic stick. The cyclic bar would have still hit the camera....but now I dont have to consider the passengers legs getting in the way.
I took my dad up two days ago. He had a camera strapped around his neck as he wanted to take some pictures of his first flight.
Before I taxied..I went over with dad about keeping his feet off the rudders...making sure the cyclic had full range of motion...warned him about the throttle that he could inadvertantly bump...etc..
We back taxied 36 ...turned around and I started my COPILOT checklist for takeoff. First letter C....has three things to check....
Carb heat off .... done
Clock to 12 noon to time fuel burn ... done
Controls for full range of motion,,,rudder done.....
cyclic... cyclic....wait a minute....I cant move my cyclic to the right. A quick check to see why.....dear ol dad had stowed his camera under the cyclic on his side!!
This really reinforced my procedures. The problem is that now that I am taking a few passengers....there are new formulaes in the mix....more things to check.
After that flight...I decided to remove the right cyclic stick. The cyclic bar would have still hit the camera....but now I dont have to consider the passengers legs getting in the way.