Newsgroups: rec.aviation.student
Subject: Ergonomic Checklists
From: jbolinger@lintek.com (J L Bolinger)
Organization: AeroFlex Lintek
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Date: 28 Sep 1998 09:06:43 -0500
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Is there such a thing?

Seems to me that the checklists that come with the planes are just copies of
the POH pages.  In that case they are concerned with getting everything inside
the book, and not wasting paper.  They are not very well designed as far
as human factors are concerned.

What I would like to see is:

1.  Compact and easy to use with one hand.  This would mean perhaps no
more than 3 inches wide.

2.  One checklist per page---makes it easy to find what you are looking
for.  If a particular sequence takes only 3 lines, then start the next one
on the next page.

3.  Index tabs that can be worked with your thumb for one-handed page flipping.
Color coded, too!

4.  Text font and format so that your eyes naturally flow from one line
to the next.  This will help prevent skipped items. (Also see #5)

5.  Individual items should be brief and to the point.  Perhaps no more than
2 or 3 words.  They are to be reminders on what to do, not a treatise on
aviation.  I find that if I have to read too much I miss something.
I one spent 5 minutes trying to get a noise out of the radios.  Turns out I
had missed 'Avionics Master On' because it was wedged between two wordy lines.


6.  Pages in the front for usefull info like local area CTAFs, Tower and 
approach frequencies, local VORS, bearing to/from local airports, etc.

Anyone else out there with similar complaints?

Jim

