pilot cheat sheet?

[sky_hi]

Hey guys my first post!

Well i finally did it a few months ago in my mid 40's, i got my PPL! I really enjoyed the whole experience, as i always wanted to learn to fly as i grew up next to a airport. The last few months have been AWESOME to take a plane up and see the world from above.

I have a problem though. not being young i don't seem to remember things as good as when i was younger (not Alzheimer's lol ). I am the only one that i know in my extended friends and family that is a pilot, so i have know one to talk flying with, so i find myself forgetting things. I find this depressing as i truly love flying and strive to be the best i can be...

so i guess what i am asking you guys out here is if i was to make some cheat sheets up, what would you consider that i put down on it? (lets say like the transponder freq. for comm failure, procedures, weather faqs, en route freqs, flight planing tips???) anything really that i can read over and over to get in my cob web of a head... lol

I am always reading but i want to simplify things too, using the combined knowledge out here.

I thank you for your time.

[Rookie50]

Congrads. It's a big achievement. No one can remotely remember all the procedures ect. With avaition. It's checklists and more checklists. For cheat sheets as you call them, other than the checklists -- normal and emergency -- that come with the (rental ) aircraft, your local pilot shop should have laminated lost comm procedure checklists, ect...take a look.

I created a simple excel sheet that I cut to size, and i used that for weather, clearances, time up, down, enroute....like a flight log. ect.

In addition, when I started flying cross countries, so I didn't have to fumble with the cfs enroute, have entered my origin, destination, and waypoint airports on the sheet. Under each airport I
entered in the excel boxes the different frequencies i might need , runways and length, special
procedures like right hand circuits, lighting ect....

Flying comfortably is a lot about mental preparation, the more prepared you are in advance, the more you will both enjoy the flying and be prepared for a weather diversion, ect...

I use a number of checklists, I suspect most here would say the same. Fly safe, and never stop training!

[burhead1]

I had a book made, at a local print shop. I put in the check list, emergency procedures, take off, landing, etc.
You can add what ever content you would like, info for the airports you frequent
(just be sure to check for any changes in the CFS)
The book I had made had, has a spiral binder and tabs. The tabs contain check list, take off, landing, emergency, frequency, airport info.
similar to this.
cheap to make and handy.

[DanWEC]

Just take a few pieces of paper and write down EVERYTHING that you don't know very well.
I suggest-
VFR minimums
Controlled, MF and ATF circuit procedures.
Airspace types
Etc... Plenty I'm leaving out, basically anything you're foggy on and couldn't answer immediately if asked.

The best part is that by the time you are done writing the cheat sheets, you'll know them pretty well!

[schmoo]

Congrats on the PPL.

I too, just got my PPL in the spring at the young age of 46. I'm sure that makes some of the experienced pilots here a little nervous.

Although I enjoy flying, most of the time I wonder "What the Hell am I doing?" For me it was just something I wanted to challenge myself with. Didn't really have the $$$ for it, but wanted to do it anyway.

The really strange thing is, people actually keep asking to go up with me !!!

[Beefitarian]

Since you're not taking a test it's not a chest sheet.

It's now a reference sheet.

Being in a similar situation brain and social circle wise. I have the same difficulty keeping focused on things like, Medium jet idle blast distance versus executive jet take off blast danger distance. How long after general anesthetic should you wait to fly...

Another thing I used to do back when I knew everything, was make a reference sheet specific to each flight. Frequencies, things to be aware of, sigmets (or regular pertinant wx) and an area for noting the ATIS with things like, "wind___ degrees____ Rwy___. In orderso as I listen I just had to fillin the blanks. I still make the ATIS thing for each flight.

[Pratt X 3]

Use the technology, Luke.

Download the AIM to your computer or better yet your tablet. Know roughly where to find the info you need. Then when you want to remember something, just pull it up. Not much needs to be instant recall in aviation, except for something on fire or loss of control, etc. Just be able to know where to find it so you can reference it.

http://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/civilaviation/p ... u-3092.htm

[North Shore]

Or, better yet, buy the paper copy - then when your batteries go flat, or you fumble it out the door onto the tarmac, you can still access the information.

When I look through the kneeboard I bought while finishing my private, I've still got my photocopied airport diagram, complete with light codes, additional frequencies, and emergency transponder codes. On the other side is my cheatsheet for instructing - 152/172 weights, speeds etc..