Like i need a checklist
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Here’s what I personally use, applicable to airliners only—
Spawn-in/Before Start-up:
1. Verify Parking Brakes(SET), Landing Gear(DOWN), Thrust Lever(IDLE)
2. Main Battery- ON
3. Ext. Power (if avbl.)- ON
4. Nav Lights- ON
5. Connect Cargo/Catering/Fuel Truck, or additional Jetbridges/Stairs as per discretion
6. FPL (GENERATE/IMPORT), inclusive of setting pax/cargo/fuel at discretion
7. Disconnect Catering/Fuel Truck/Cargo(in that order, preferably), if connected
8. APU- START then wait for it to turn ON
9. Ext. Power- OFF then disconnect
9. No Smoking/Seat Belts signs- ON
10. Pushback tug- ATTACHED
11. Disconnect Jetbridges/Stairs & Set Beacon Lights- ON
12. Set initial climb altitude- as per SID/Local Altitude Restrictions/Initial Cruise Altitude on ALT; V2 on SPD; takeoff runway heading on HDG in the AP menu
Pushback & Start-up:
1. Request Push&Start/Pushback at discretion(if no SMC)
2. Verify Port/Starboard sides CLEAR
3. Once clear of gate area on apron/active taxiway, perform ENGINE START PROCEDURE
3.1.ENGINE START PROC.(TWIN ENGINE/TRIJETS)- Start each engine individually, i.e., one at a time (sequence can be at own discretion, my rule of thumb is eng.s 1-2 for BOEING/BOMBARDIER, eng.s 2-1 for AIRBUS/EMBRAER, eng.s 3-1-2 for MCDONNELL DOUGLAS)
3.2. ENGINE START PROC.(QUADJETS)- Start 2 engines at once for quadjets, sequence at discretion(I do eng.s 3-4 then 1-2 for A388; eng.s 2-3 then 1-4 for B742/B744/B748)
(To note, wait for all engine parameters to stablize in every aircraft with a live cockpit, before starting the next in sequence)
4. Verify Parking Brakes SET after completing pushback and disconnecting tug
5. Once ENGINE START PROC. complete, SET TAKEOFF CONFIG., i.e., FLAPS+TRIM (Note- if taxiing on single eng. for twin eng. a/c, or two eng.s for trijets/quadjets, follow same engine stary sequence, but set takeoff flaps & trim before releasing parking brakes for taxi)
6. Verify and turn APU- OFF
7. Perform flight controls check as per discretion
Taxi:
1. Request Taxi at controlled airports, make “taxi” call, before taxiing to runway at own discretion(if no SMC)
2. Make sure NOT to exceed 30kts on straight taxiways, 10kts on 90-degree turns, 20kts on 45-degree-or-less turns
3. If ENGINE START PROC. not complete due to single/dual eng. taxi, make sure to do so BEFORE reaching final holding pt before takeoff rwy (prioritize keeping throttle lever IDLE as much as possible while starting remaining engines)
4.1. Switch to TWR before reaching final holding pt of takeoff rwy(or when no.2 or no.3 in sequence for departure) at controlled airports
4.2. Make “holding short” call if unready for departure, or “takeoff” call with necessary intentions at or before final holding pt of takeoff rwy at uncontrolled airports
Takeoff:
1. STROBE LIGHTS & LANDING LIGHTS- ON
2. Line-up on rwy if immediate takeoff is deemed unnecessary
3. When ready and cleared for takeoff, gently increase the throttle lever to about 40-55% and wait for N1% to stabilize. Once achieved, set required T/O thrust
4. Ensuring not to exceed 10 degrees of pitch-up attitude while rotating after Vr, upto 50ft AGL, gently pitch up to 10-15 degrees to establish stable climb
5. When certain positive climb rate has been established, RETRACT Landing Gear, at or above 200ft AGL
6. Start cleaning your config. once above 750-1000ft AGL, taking care to RETRACT Flaps and SET APPROPRIATE Trim, accounting for aircraft load and airspeed. Do not exceed altitude or airspeed restrictions in respective airspaces
Climb & Cruise:
1. Turn STROBE LIGHTS- OFF in low visibility conditions(if applicable) and LANDING LIGHTS- OFF, once above 10000ft AGL
2. Follow suitable climb profiles as per FPL or respective aircraft being flown
3. Seatbelt signs- OFF, at discretion, usually once turbulent parts of climb are over, or above 10000ft AGL, whichever appropriately applicable
- Regulate aircraft such that it does not exceed maximum continuous thrust(MCT) margins on AP, indicated by the N1% turning amber, or in the EICAS/ECAM panel in live cockpits; especially if you’re about to exceed your thrust setting at takeoff
5. Maintain appropriate cruise profiles as per FPL and respective aircraft
Descent:
1. Following FPL, Arm VNAV for descent(or do it manual if you’re bored but can manage your descent profile decently) 60 seconds before TOD
2. Maintain appropriate descent profiles, as per manual descent/VNAV, ensuring aircraft doesn’t overspeed or overshoot waypoints, altitude restrictions, tight turns in-air, etc. Use throttle and speed-brakes/spoilers if necessary
3. Seatbelt signs- ON, at discretion, usually about 10-15 mins from ETA, or below 20000ft AGL
4. LANDING LIGHTS- ON below 10000ft AGL
5. If using instrument approaches, ARM the respective approaches on the FPL and TUNE INTO frequencies of the necessary navigational aids respectively
6. Configure aircraft for landing based on respective factors like load, speed, LDA, and ambient atmospheric conditions, setting autobrakes, flaps, trim, and landing gear within their respective airspeed restrictions(can find these within the cockpit of most aircraft noted somewhere or the other)
Landing & Taxi back to Gate/Apron:
1. On final approach, by no less than 4NM from landing rwy threshold, ensure clearance, criteria for approach and complete landing config. for aircraft
2. If using instrument approaches, be ready at moment’s notice to implement missed approach procedures, with appropriate altitudes, speed and configuration on your fingertips if required
3. Once fully configured, target specific exit taxiways from runways, ones closest to and in the direction of(if applicable)desired parking spots, ahead of landing, to ensure prompt runway vacation
4. Once vacated past the hold-short lines on exit taxiways, switch to appropriate controllers(if applicable) and turn STROBE & LANDING LIGHTS- OFF
5. Taxi to parking gate/apron as per scenario
6. Once reached, SET Parking Brakes, connect and turn Ext. Power- ON(if avbl), OR APU- START then wait for it to turn ON
7. TURN ALL ENGINES OFF once alternate power source has been established
8. Beacon Lights- OFF
9. Connect Cargo & Jetbridges/Stairs as per discretion(preferably in that order) once all engines’ N1% < 4%
Nd voila, that’s a successful commercial flight in IF on most airliners. I do realise my checklists contain stuff which would normally be considered as pointers, but if ya needed a steadfast checklist with SOPs only, ya can find them on traytables of aircraft like the a330 and a380. I apply these points so often in my flights that I decided to include them anyway, as they’re part of the flows I do by muscle memory atp lol, soo hope it helps​
Also, I have omitted on Taxi lights/Logo lights since they’re in works but haven’t been added yet, I do plan to edit nd update my checklist once they are ofc soo yea~
12 Likes
This was beautiful to read just by itself! Now I have a question, and I’m not training to be a pilot, I find this stuff extremely fun! But anyway, you said to retract flaps, what does retracting or even enacting the flaps actually do? I use it (of course incorrectly) but I keep it on pretty much my entire ascent, and while I’m flying (I fly manual a lot). So why should I not be doing that? And why should I be retracting the flaps and adjusting the trim? What does that do to the aircraft?
2 Likes
haha appreciate the input
nd to answer yer ques, flaps are a part of what we call “high-lift devices” in aircraft, nd theyre aptly named as such, since that’s exactly their function, adding more lift than the aircraft’s wings would normally produce. to put it simply, the lift produced by wings depend on the surface area of the wing, airspeed, nd AoA(angle of attack), alongside density nd the shape of the wing, which we dont hv much control over ofc. i wont go into detail w how exactly lift works, theres hundreds of better videos, animations nd explanations out there that’d make understanding that way more intuitive than wtv i can provide over text lol, but essentially flaps, or rather, these high-lift devices mainly affect the surface area of the wing thats in contact w oncoming airflow over the wings, giving ya more lift at low airspeeds, where you’d normally stall in a clean configuration without flaps. so effectively, they allow the plane to fly at lower speeds with more manoeuvrability than it normally would hv otherwise. this benefit ofc comes at a cost, that they also increase drag nd turbulent airflow in the wake of the aircraft, slowing it down nd making it burn more fuel to stay airborne at the same airspeed. thats why when we need to cruise at higher speeds, we retract flaps nd let the higher airspeed keep our weight afloat in-air, nd when we need to slow down for landing on finals, of takeoff at relatively low speeds or rwy length limitations, deploying flaps help w that
keeping them on for the whole ascent woule def be inefficient to say the least. i reckon any good airliner, regardless of load would hv no trouble of any manner flying normally above 240 kias, so if its too much for ya to keep track of all speeds at where flaps should nd shouldnt be deployed, jus atleast use that as a rule of thumb, yer flaps should be up by 240kias, nd deployed gradually as u slow down in speed below~220 kias
as for trim, i like it best explained as an analogy to a faulty car, it should be even more intuitive nd helpful to ya since ya fly manual often as claimed. think of the car w a fault in its steering wheel, ya want to maintain your lane discipline on a highway with it, but the car constantly wants to steer to the left for some reason. ya fight that tendency ofc, by constantly inputting into the steering wheel to the right in order to not swerve nd maintain a straight path. its fine for a while until it gets tiring on the hand nd eventually ya dont even realise when you’ve swerved onto grass even, right? if only there were a mechanism to fix such a fault so that the car wouldnt constanly swerve to the left-
aircraft trim tabs are not so different in that regard, pitch trim that we have control over in IF, helps pilots maintain a constant pitch attitude, without having to constantly pull back/push down manually in order to do the same. theres little tabs on/near most planes’ flight controls like elevators nd rudder nd in commercial airliners, the whole horizontal stabilizer is made to move for the same purpose, in order to reduce manual workload and muscle fatigue for pilots, since changing air conditions can constanly make yer aircraft drift nd bob about like ragdolls, trim helps stablize the flight path of the aircraft in such conditions, so that the pilot doesnt hv to keep compensating for that the whole flight
4 Likes
[quote=“phoenixms, post:4, topic:1238925”]
this benefit ofc comes at a cost, that they also increase drag nd turbulent airflow in the wake of the aircraft, slowing it down nd making it burn more fuel to stay airborne at the same airspeed. thats why when we need to cruise at higher speeds, we retract flaps nd let the higher airspeed keep our weight afloat in-air, nd when we need to slow down for landing on finals, of takeoff at relatively low speeds or rwy length limitations, deploying flaps help w that
[quote=“phoenixms, post:4, topic:1238925”]
keeping them on for the whole ascent woule def be inefficient to say the least.
[/quote]
The…
A380, A330 family, B747 family, 787 family, C172, B38M, A346, CRJ family, C17, PA28, A320 family, and whichever one(s) I forgot would like a word with you.
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they want a word w me cuz im wrong somewhere?
2 Likes
They are the exceptions to what you just said. This is specifically in the sim, though, and not real life. I just wanted to give you a heads up. You didn’t say anything wrong.
oh? what exactly are they exceptions to tho? flaps def do increase drag in-game, nd its pretty self-explanatory why it would be aerodynamically worse to keep flaps extended for any length of time-
apologies if im not following yer pt TT
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If you increase the flaps, your fuel efficiency will increase. The N1 plummets and that gives you a ton more excess thrust. Because they gave an ungodly amount of lift compared to the drag (which may have very slightly increased/stayed the same/decreased), the airplane literally flies better than without the flaps. The A330 is one of those I tested and it gained an additional 8,000 feet to cruising altitude for fuel efficiency using the full flaps. I’ll send you a PM regarding this 
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shi, youre right, i jus tested that myself too, nd as much as it shouldnt be the case, it is lmao, i never fell upon this since i generally use nd adhere to airline/aircraft SOPs, but thats def some broken physics ryt there. kudos for the discovery lol 
2 Likes
Wow! Got to take time and appreciate the effort of explaining all that… Great job man.
For specific planes I usually use the Ground School category that has aircraft-guide profiles that have more detailed info about the plane you’re flying… Makes it much easier to manage. Happy flying!!
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So would @AvioesEJogos
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Ok THATS new I didn’t even know that option existed!
I don’t know how to put emojis on here, but if I could, I’d send a couple of hearts your way. You didn’t have to take time out of your schedule to explain that to me and you did. Thank you very much. Going to test out that knowledge with the 350-1000 today !
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my only cheklist is fuel. if i see i have no enough fuel to get to dest im instantly either going to FL 300 or FL 400 based on the weight
but nice one
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