I'm having an embarrassing problem. My brain seems to shut down lately
as soon as the key is out of the ignition. It's little things, like
leaving my kneeboard (with gas card) or charts in the airplane,
forgetting to completely tie down the aircraft, forgetting to properly
fill out club paperwork, etc.

It's all getting embarrassing, and I'm starting to get a little
nervous. So far, I have not done anything stupid in the air -- that I
know of -- but, I do wonder if I will.

A possible factor is that I'm flying much less than I used to, always
alone, and usually with very tight time constraints.

Any advice? Does this happen to anybody else? How do you stay focused
until your outside the gate?

"Dave J" > wrote in message
...
>
> I'm having an embarrassing problem. My brain seems to shut down lately
> as soon as the key is out of the ignition. It's little things, like
> leaving my kneeboard (with gas card) or charts in the airplane,
> forgetting to completely tie down the aircraft, forgetting to properly
> fill out club paperwork, etc.
>
> It's all getting embarrassing, and I'm starting to get a little
> nervous. So far, I have not done anything stupid in the air -- that I
> know of -- but, I do wonder if I will.
>
> A possible factor is that I'm flying much less than I used to, always
> alone, and usually with very tight time constraints.
>
> Any advice? Does this happen to anybody else? How do you stay focused
> until your outside the gate?

Use a check list?

On Sep 22, 8:26*pm, "Tim" > wrote:


> Use a check list?

An obvious enough answer, but a decent one. My objection is that it
feels like a slippery slope. Will it lead to a getting dressed
checklist, making dinner checklist, etc? :-)

Making a checklist checklist?

My problem is forgetting to look at the checklist!

"David Jacobowitz" > wrote in message
...
On Sep 22, 8:26 pm, "Tim" > wrote:


> Use a check list?

An obvious enough answer, but a decent one. My objection is that it
feels like a slippery slope. Will it lead to a getting dressed
checklist, making dinner checklist, etc? :-)

Dave J wrote:
> I'm having an embarrassing problem. My brain seems to shut down lately
> as soon as the key is out of the ignition.

Take up soaring? :-)

Ron Wanttaja

In article
>,
David Jacobowitz > wrote:

> On Sep 22, 8:26*pm, "Tim" > wrote:
>
>
> > Use a check list?
>
> An obvious enough answer, but a decent one. My objection is that it
> feels like a slippery slope. Will it lead to a getting dressed
> checklist, making dinner checklist, etc? :-)

I made a "before leaving the airport" checklist after a couple of stupid
episodes of forgetfulness, including one where I forgot to put my
batteries on charge (not good for a sailplane that can't charge them in
flight!). It's very short, just five items. 1: forget anything in
plane/trailer/on ramp? 2: batteries on charge? 3: big hangar door
properly closed? 4: little hangar door locked? 5: bags in car?

Works well, haven't had any major problems since.

So far it has not led to a "getting dressed" checklist, but I won't rule
out the possibility.

--
Mike Ash
Radio Free Earth
Broadcasting from our climate-controlled studios deep inside the Moon

Mike Ash > wrote:
> David Jacobowitz > wrote:
>> On Sep 22, 8:26*pm, "Tim" > wrote:
>>
>> > Use a check list?
>>
>> An obvious enough answer, but a decent one. My objection is that it
>> feels like a slippery slope. Will it lead to a getting dressed
>> checklist, making dinner checklist, etc? :-)
>
>I made a "before leaving the airport" checklist after a couple of stupid
>episodes of forgetfulness, including one where I forgot to put my
>batteries on charge (not good for a sailplane that can't charge them in
>flight!). It's very short, just five items. 1: forget anything in
>plane/trailer/on ramp? 2: batteries on charge? 3: big hangar door
>properly closed? 4: little hangar door locked? 5: bags in car?
>
>Works well, haven't had any major problems since.
>
>So far it has not led to a "getting dressed" checklist, but I won't rule
>out the possibility.

Don't laugh. If I have a "grownup" meeting the next day (e.g. job
interview, high-level managers meeting, vendor meeting, etc) I lay
out all the clothes so I won't miss something in the morning when
I'm not terribly coherent. I speak from experience....One day, many
years ago, I had a very important client meeting. Forgot to grab my
blazer and spent the day feeling under-dressed....

Never again.

In article >,
"Tim" > wrote:

> "Dave J" > wrote in message
> ...
> >
> > I'm having an embarrassing problem. My brain seems to shut down lately
> > as soon as the key is out of the ignition. It's little things, like
> > leaving my kneeboard (with gas card) or charts in the airplane,
> > forgetting to completely tie down the aircraft, forgetting to properly
> > fill out club paperwork, etc.
> >
> > It's all getting embarrassing, and I'm starting to get a little
> > nervous. So far, I have not done anything stupid in the air -- that I
> > know of -- but, I do wonder if I will.
> >
> > A possible factor is that I'm flying much less than I used to, always
> > alone, and usually with very tight time constraints.
> >
> > Any advice? Does this happen to anybody else? How do you stay focused
> > until your outside the gate?
>
> Use a check list?

That's what I did. All the way out to the parking lot.

I didn't miss closing any flight plans after that, at least.

In article
>,
David Jacobowitz > wrote:

> On Sep 22, 8:26*pm, "Tim" > wrote:
>
>
> > Use a check list?
>
> An obvious enough answer, but a decent one. My objection is that it
> feels like a slippery slope. Will it lead to a getting dressed
> checklist, making dinner checklist, etc? :-)

Ask yourself that in a decade or three.

Might need a checklist to make sure you don't forget...

On Sep 22, 8:22*pm, Dave J > wrote:
> I'm having an embarrassing problem. My brain seems to shut down lately
> as soon as the key is out of the ignition. It's little things, like
> leaving my kneeboard (with gas card) or charts in the airplane,
> forgetting to completely tie down the aircraft, forgetting to properly
> fill out club paperwork, etc.

Well, some things are an inconvenience and others are safety related,
and the latter is what needs the most attention. The checklist is
obvious, but, a broader measure would be to remember that you're
having the problem and to develop habits to mitigate it.

I have a similar problem which is that I forget something once in
awhile, and so I'm usually paranoid that I'm forgetting something so I
waste several minutes checking and rechecking the cockpit. I tell
myself it's better that than leaving the master switch on or
forgetting a tie-down. Here's an idea:

Organize your postflight and make it a routine. Your shutdown
checklist will be stuff like the master switch, avionics master,
radios, control lock, keys... Get out and tie down the plane for
safety. (Stretch legs.) Then do your paperwork; Hobbes, tach,
whatever. Check under and behind the seats as you exit and on the
dashboard, then do your postflight walkaround. You know you've tied
down the airplane and put the pitot sock on, but, you're also looking
for obvious stuff like missing fuel caps, low tires, oil leaks.

Finally, after you've done your walkaround, check the cockpit one last
time and make sure everything is secured and that you have all of your
stuff.

Always do it in that order: Panel checklist, tiedown, paperwork,
cockpit check, walkaround, cockpit. Make it a ritual.

If you're like me, you'll get to the gate and turn around again just
to make sure. :>

-c
CFI, Troutdale, Oregon

Dave J schreef:
> I'm having an embarrassing problem. My brain seems to shut down lately
> as soon as the key is out of the ignition. It's little things, like
> leaving my kneeboard (with gas card) or charts in the airplane,
> forgetting to completely tie down the aircraft, forgetting to properly
> fill out club paperwork, etc.
>
> It's all getting embarrassing, and I'm starting to get a little
> nervous. So far, I have not done anything stupid in the air -- that I
> know of -- but, I do wonder if I will.
>
> A possible factor is that I'm flying much less than I used to, always
> alone, and usually with very tight time constraints.
>
> Any advice? Does this happen to anybody else? How do you stay focused
> until your outside the gate?

Count yourself lucky. I am still in the stage where my instructor
reproaches me my brain quits the moment the wheels touch the grass.
Worst of all, he is damned right, too.

On Sep 23, 3:38*am, jan olieslagers >
wrote:

> and usually with very tight time constraints.

Could this be the root of your problem? Rushing promotes oversight.
Allow more time for you to take your time to do the housekeeping
duties post flight.

In article >,
Blanche > wrote:

> Mike Ash > wrote:
> > David Jacobowitz > wrote:
> >> On Sep 22, 8:26*pm, "Tim" > wrote:
> >>
> >> > Use a check list?
> >>
> >> An obvious enough answer, but a decent one. My objection is that it
> >> feels like a slippery slope. Will it lead to a getting dressed
> >> checklist, making dinner checklist, etc? :-)
> >
> >I made a "before leaving the airport" checklist after a couple of stupid
> >episodes of forgetfulness, including one where I forgot to put my
> >batteries on charge (not good for a sailplane that can't charge them in
> >flight!). It's very short, just five items. 1: forget anything in
> >plane/trailer/on ramp? 2: batteries on charge? 3: big hangar door
> >properly closed? 4: little hangar door locked? 5: bags in car?
> >
> >Works well, haven't had any major problems since.
> >
> >So far it has not led to a "getting dressed" checklist, but I won't rule
> >out the possibility.
>
> Don't laugh. If I have a "grownup" meeting the next day (e.g. job
> interview, high-level managers meeting, vendor meeting, etc) I lay
> out all the clothes so I won't miss something in the morning when
> I'm not terribly coherent. I speak from experience....One day, many
> years ago, I had a very important client meeting. Forgot to grab my
> blazer and spent the day feeling under-dressed....
>
> Never again.

Despite saying I don't use a checklist for getting dressed, I do follow
this plan on rare occasions. Normally I do this the night before I plan
to do some winter flying. There's a lot of crap to put on when you're
flying without a heater in cold weather, and I'm usually up well before
the sun and well before my brain. Helps prevent me from searching for
the heavy socks for 20 minutes or realizing I forgot the long underwear
only after I've put everything else on.

--
Mike Ash
Radio Free Earth
Broadcasting from our climate-controlled studios deep inside the Moon

> > and usually with very tight time constraints.
>
> Could this be the root of your problem? *Rushing promotes oversight.
> Allow more time for you to take your time to do the housekeeping
> duties post flight.

OOOPS, the above quotation in my original response should have been
attributed to to Dave J, not Jan.

Sorry Jan!

On Sep 23, 8:38*am, BeechSundowner > wrote:
> > > and usually with very tight time constraints.
>
> > Could this be the root of your problem? *Rushing promotes oversight.
> > Allow more time for you to take your time to do the housekeeping
> > duties post flight.

Hey, thanks for writing. Yeah, I think it could be. We've got an 18
month old baby and what happens is that I am usually allotted a 3 hour
block of time to venture out on my own recognizance. It takes me about
50 minutes to/from the airport, plus preflight, and I'm lucky to get
in the air for an hour. Postflight is getting short shrift, I suppose
because I'm rushing to get home.

-- dave j