IFR kneeboard organizer, depart, enroute, arrival checklist

[ilvsleep]

Thanks for all the help!!

All the info was a big help....my CFI was in the same IFR ground school I was (money problems held me up a little) so he doesn't have that much more experience than I do. All of this info from more experienced pilots is extemely useful, I'm sure I'll be safer because of it. I really appreciate it. Also if there are any other things you find helpful to IFR flying please throw them on the board... we're all paying attention!

 

[User546]

If you're still doing, or just fresh out of, ground school... let me give you one handy piece of advice.

Know your approach charts (Jepp & NACO) and Enroute Charts down cold.

On the Enroute Charts know all the symbols, and their significance, and do some real world scenarios with them. It's not rocket science, but you will be using them a lot if you fly a lot of IFR in smaller planes.

For the Approach Plates, know all the symbols, and be able to fully understand the intricacies of the charts. Be able to pull out any chart of any airport and be 100% confident that you could fly it and understand it without any worries.

Few things will get you more excited in the cockpit then being single-pilot IFR, with no autopilot, and not being "completely" sure about what a portion of your approach is indicating (for instance, do you do the PT turn, is this particular segment required, is this segment the missed approach or regular approach leg, etc.)

And I think Rod Machado's "Instrument Pilot's Survival Manual" is a great reference book for your aviation library. It covers in depth just about anything and everything you could possibly want to know about IFR flying. It's a great book for a begining instrument student, or for a well experienced pilot. I still look up stuff from time to time as a refresher or to find the answer to a specific question thats stumping me.

 

[JediNein]

Jr. Legal pads on the kneeboard, a post-it note, scrap of paper, Burger whoop napkin, whatever.
I set up the sheet as follows:

_______
ATIS
CLRNC
_______
H | A| R
| |
| |

Across the top two lines, I write ATIS, Box the code, circle the runway(s) in use.

I use "CRADS" (Departure & Squawk) instead of "CRAFT" when teaching. It just sounds dirtier. I give the Route two lines of room.

If needed, I'll write the VOR check on the kneeboard, signing and dating it.

Under that, generally three columns, headings, altitudes, and frequencies; when instructing, the three move left and I add a column to write maneuvers to do, squawks, name of student, n-number, date, and times. When the frequency, heading, or altitude changes, I'll line out the previous one. That way I can still read the previous frequency if needed. They really help when required to re-construct the flight, for a student or FAA debrief.

At the bottom of the page, I'll write any questions to ask, or to look up the answer, and finish the sheet with the flight total time; any special notes like IMC or night; record tach & hobbs; and any payment made by the client.

Good luck! A kneeboard habit will go a long way towards avoiding altitude busts.

Fly SAFE!
Jedi Nein

 

[ilvsleep]

thanks to eveybody so far...

This is great information....I would appreciate if some of you would post what call-outs and procedures your companies use for IFR flight. That way I might start memorizing the order so the checklists aren't so foreign to me when I do actually get a class date someday. Thanks!

 

[GravityHater]

I would appreciate if some of you would post what call-outs and procedures your companies use for IFR flight.

I have a strong suspicion (and would love to be shown wrong) but I think a lot of the callouts and briefings get short-shifted or dropped altogether except for checkrides.

Here are some I ran across and we tend towards although there are a thousand variations out there - I expect lively discussion on these:

PRETAKEOFF
"Sterile Cockpit please"
Pax briefing
PF briefs PNF on Checklists, Callouts, Plan in event of malfunction on TO, who handles radios/flaps/gear/power and when.
Transfer of Control procedures
Runway Briefing (Type of T-O, flap setting, power settings t-o and climb, Vspeeds, Alt & Hdg)

TAKEOFF
PNF: board clear, checklist complete (PF stands em' up.)
PF: set power...airspeed alive on the left
PNF: power set, airspeed on the right
PF: 80kts x-check PNF: 80 on the right
PNF: V1, (PNF right hand on yoke now) Vr
PF: pos rate, gear up PNF gear selected up.... gear indicating up
PF: V2+10 ,400' - flaps up PNF flaps selected up.... flaps indicating up.
PF: set climb power, after t-o checklist please.

ENROUTE(PNF)
"Transition altitude"...2992
1000' before assigned "1000ft to go" (well the game is to call it before Bitchin' Betty, but not before 1100ft to go!)

APPROACH (PNF)
Course Alive
Glideslope Alive
Vref plus 30/20/10/5 or minus from the marker in, anytime a big change or if viewed as unstabilized by PNF.
Descent rate >1000fpm
Significant deviations and trends from GS or Loc given in 'dots'
Radar altitude every 100', from 500' on down
PF calls for gear flaps spoilers as needed, PNF actuates and confirms, verbalizes.

PF calls for checklists at each stage as required, PNF reads/challenges PF responds.