I’m trying to practice proper procedures, getting familiar with some of the aircrafts’ checklists. It seems some of them are incomplete. I just completed a flight in the Cessna 152 Aerobat, focusing on each of the items in the checklists. After the flight I notices my alternator switch was off. Yikes! I went through each of the checklists again and didn’t see anything mention of the alternator, nor any magneto check, radio check, transponder settings, and I could go on.
My question is, if you’re going to include any checklist wouldn’t it be prudent to ensure that all necessary items are included? If not, aspiring pilots like myself may very well be learning incomplete procedures and bad habits.
I hesitate to critique this flight simulator because it truly is awesome. But it seems like adding the necessary items to the checklists would be relatively easy, low hanging fruit. And it would help ensure we’re not learning bad habits.
A quick search shows that many many real flight school use an abbreviated checklist so if it is OK for them then I think it is probably OK for a sim. I use them in two different real aircraft all the time.
You, as PIC have the responsibility for deciding when using an abbreviated checklist is appropriate, not Asobo or even the real flight schools. Some of those abbreviated checklists will tell you that, some assume you know because as a pilot you should already know your responsibilities.
As for the alternator. That isn’t a separate item in my POHs, it is always switch at the same time as the battery.
Thank you for this perspective. I suppose I assumed that the checklists were determined by the manufacturer instead of the flight school. And I assumed they’d always be the same.
It’s also good to know that battery and alternator switches are always switched at the same time (unless testing alternator output, apparently).
Oh they are so you are correct. You need to find your particular POH to get them though. I’m just pointing out that in real life, an abridged version is very common.
