The GUMPS Landing Checklist

GUMPS is just a quick mnemonic to use in addition to your landing checklist to help you remember some of the most essential items during descent to landing. Please, always use your printed checklists!

Gas (fullest tank)
Undercarriage (gear down and locked)
Mixture (full rich)
Propeller (high RPM)
Switches (fuel pumps, magneto check, landing lights, etc)

If you're flying a plane with a carbureted engines, you might run the C-GUMPS or Charlie GUMPS checklist. Charlie stands for Carburetor (heat on).

I'd like to reiterate that this is a basic acronym to use in addition to the standard descent, approach, and landing checklists. Mental checklists should not be used as a substitute for an actual checklist.

Have fun. Be safe. Happy Piloting.

I really appreciate comments so please feel free to comment on my posts. Whether you agree or disagree, I'd love to hear from you. Also, feel free to link back to your own blog in your comments. You can even subscribe to an RSS feed of the comments on this thread.

© 2008 — , D. Patrick Caldwell, Vice President for Research and Development, Emerald Software Group, LLC

Required Equipment for IFR Flights

In addition to that which is required for VFR flight, an IFR airplane bust be equipped with GRAB CARD:

Generator or alternator
Radios
Altimeter (sensitive, with Kollsman window)
Ball

Clock
Attitude indicator
Rate of turn indicator
Directional Gyro

Have fun. Be safe. Happy Piloting.

I really appreciate comments so please feel free to comment on my posts. Whether you agree or disagree, I'd love to hear from you. Also, feel free to link back to your own blog in your comments. You can even subscribe to an RSS feed of the comments on this thread.

© 2008 — , D. Patrick Caldwell, Vice President for Research and Development, Emerald Software Group, LLC

Required Equipment for VFR Day and VFR Night

What do you have to have to be airworthy for a VFR Day flight? TOMATO FLAMES:

Tachometer
Oil pressure
Manifold pressure
Altimeter
Temperature sensor (if liquid cooled)
Oil temperature (if air cooled)

Fuel gauge
Landing gear position indicator
Airspeed indicator
Magnetic compass
ELT
Seat belts


For VFR Night? All that stuff above, plus FLAPS:

Fuses or circuit breakers (spare)
Landing light (if for hire)
Anti-collision lights
Position lights
Source of electricity

Have fun. Be safe. Happy Piloting.

I really appreciate comments so please feel free to comment on my posts. Whether you agree or disagree, I'd love to hear from you. Also, feel free to link back to your own blog in your comments. You can even subscribe to an RSS feed of the comments on this thread.

© 2008 — , D. Patrick Caldwell, Vice President for Research and Development, Emerald Software Group, LLC

Things to Remember

Sometimes I like to go back to review things from my private and instrument studies. Other times, I like to just try to keep track of new things I learn from various sources. I thought that this would be a cool place to store my "Things to Remember." Whenever I post an entry for something like this, I'll classify it as "Things to Remember" so that they'll all show up under the Things to Remember search label.

Also, a convenient Things to Remember RSS feed is available.

Have fun. Be safe. Happy Piloting.

I really appreciate comments so please feel free to comment on my posts. Whether you agree or disagree, I'd love to hear from you. Also, feel free to link back to your own blog in your comments. You can even subscribe to an RSS feed of the comments on this thread.

© 2008 — , D. Patrick Caldwell, Vice President for Research and Development, Emerald Software Group, LLC