Since you asked

I am a CFI with a question about students and checklist use. I have always taught beginning students to use the checklist as a to-do list. I then read articles that stated students should develop a flow pattern and then use the checklist to ensure nothing was forgotten. I guess what I am wanting to know is, should I teach a new student from lesson number one to do things first without a checklist and then use the checklist to verify that all the items have been completed?

I started one student off using the checklist as a to-do list. As he became comfortable finding the items on the checklist and about 10 hours into his training I switched gears on him and had him try to do the before engine start and runup actions by memory and then back it up by the checklist. This totally confused him and after about four lessons of attempting this I had him switch back to his original way. I would like to know how you teach a brand-new student checklist usage.

Thank you,
Skipper

Practically speaking, the best way to use a checklist (we’ll call it a list for now) for all students is to use it as a “do” list, not a “check” list. There are times to rely on our memory for procedures, such as during an engine failure, but engine start isn’t one of these times. After all, how many times have you had to do an emergency takeoff? I’m thinking, none—right?

That’s why students should look at a specific item on the list, do what the list says to do (turn it on, off, move it), and then move onto the next item. Once they gain more experience in a specific airplane, and restrict their flying solely to one specific airplane, then they may establish a flow pattern and use the list as an actual “check” list to check that they’ve accomplished the required task.

Relying on the memorized items of a flow pattern is, in my opinion, unreasonable behavior for any student, much less an experienced pilot who flies several different airplanes.

As a personal note, I fly so many different airplanes that I always use the list as a “do” list, since I prefer not to rely on my memory to recall all the necessary operational details of each airplane I fly. Even in my own personal airplane, I still use the list as a “do” list, despite my being very familiar with that machine.

Your instincts are correct here.

Why do they want my logbook?

I’m taking lessons at a local Part 61 flight school. I’ve paid ahead for my lessons. But the school says it wants to keep my logbook in its files, except when I’m flying solo. I think the book belongs to me, and I should keep it with me in case something happens with the school. What do you think?

K.P.

Unless you’re running around the airport showing everyone your instructor’s terrible penmanship and mocking him mercilessly, there really aren’t too many good reasons why the flight school should keep your logbook. I do know of a school that was trying to
handle a student who owned his own airplane but insisted on flying beyond the supervision limits imposed by his instructor. The flight school finally agreed to continue training this student but only if they could hold the student’s logbook until the student became a private pilot. I agree with that flight school’s decision. I’m assuming, however, that this isn’t your situation, right? OK, I believe you.

I’m a big believer in you keeping possession of your personal property if it pleases you. If it were my logbook, I’d rather hold onto it myself and I certainly wouldn’t want it lying around a flight school, even if it’s kept in a secure location. Those are your endorsements, signoffs, and entries and they reflect the flight and ground time you’ve earned and paid for. You have a perfect right to hold onto that logbook if you wish. There’s no federal aviation regulation that says the flight school can or should be in possession of your logbook. Suppose you went to another airport one day and decided to go for a flight with another instructor, just to see how someone else teaches? Or what if you went on vacation and decided to pick up an hour of glider time with an instructor? Your logbook should be with you.

I think I’d say to the school that if they want a copy of your logbook, then they should purchase an additional logbook for their own use. They can keep one while you keep the other one. Of course, the instructor would be required to fill out and sign two logbooks, but that becomes the flight school’s problem, not yours. Then again, you might offer to make a photocopy of the logbook. You might even offer to take a digital picture of the logbook every month if they need it for record-keeping reasons (this allows the instructor to use Photoshop’s Colonel Sanders feature to “sand down” the rough edges of his chicken-scratch logbook entries).

The logbook is a personal document and you have every right to possess it.

I have seen the following behavior at a local airport. There is a 4,000-foot runway, but to taxi its full length, you have to cross over the runway at about the 1,000-foot markers. A lot of people tend to accept an intersection departure from this point to avoid crossing the runway and having to taxi an additional 1,000 feet.

The airplane I fly can take off within 1,000 to 1,500 feet even in the middle of summer (based on our elevation). Even if I were to double this number for a safety margin, that would give me a takeoff distance 3,000 feet. How do you feel about taking an intersection departure in this scenario? I have been telling my students to take it full length, but I notice a lot of people taking the intersection departure. How much runway is enough? 

Sincerely,
CFI

My natural instinct is to always take the full length of any runway if possible, especially when training students. That’s my gut reaction.

Then again, I’m a realist. Sometimes crossing the runway or excessive maneuvering around an airport can present its own risks, especially on very busy days. The big issue in determining whether or not I’ll take the full length of the runway has less to do with convenience than with airplane performance, as well as what lies off the end of that runway. If it’s a clear path (i.e., no obstacles, a safe area in which to land such as a golf course, desert area, infrequently used road, or a road through a deserted golf course), then given my airplane’s good performance, I might consider taking off at the intersection you described above. But if the airplane’s performance or obstacles off the end of the runway become even a slight consideration, then I’ll opt for using the runway’s full length for departure regardless of how long I must taxi—or how many airplanes I have to dodge on the ground.

Rod Machado is a flight instructor, author, educator, and speaker. A pilot since 1970 and a CFI since 1973, he has flown more than 8,000 hours and is part owner of a Cessna P210. Visit his Web site.