[TheForge] Safety -- Turning Things Off

[Andrew Vida]

David E. Smucker wrote:

> One of the simplest solutions for this is a very simple check list.  
> Pilots have been using these since at least WWII 

	Checklists are great if you actually use them. :)  It is amazing how 
easily one forgets items even on a simple one.  When I was flying 
regularly I appreciated the value of lists, but didn't use them on a few 
occasions - after all, how many items are there to preflight a 172?  One 
day I was about to get going when I realized I had forgotten to check 
the fuel for water.  I never neglected to use a list after that.  Water 
in fuel == badness.  Arrogance or presumption and flying don't mix well.

	I remember about 20 years ago or so a guy from Texas flew into 
Robbinsville airport in NJ.  There was a guy who stabled a P-51 there. 
When the Texan saw it, he HAD to have it.  Local pilot refused to sell 
until Texas offered him $400K+ for a plane not worth $150K at that time. 
  Done deal... here, read the manual.  Texas let Local know he didn't 
need no steenkeeng flight manual, assuring him that he knew what he was 
doing.  Texas fired the bitch up, taxied to the threshold, gunned it, 
rotated, and as he flew over Route 130 the pony rolled to port until it 
inverted, and promptly went into the farmer's field on the other side of 
the highway.  I was so appalled when it happened... that arrogant dork 
totaled an aircraft worth far more than his dumber 'n dirt self.

	In case you're not aware, those high powered warbirds need a lot of 
right aileron during takeoff because the engines produce so much torque 
that they will flip the planes right over on their backs until the 
airflow is strong enough to keep things straight and level.