Checklists

Checklists are used throughout aviation because they provide a systematic approach for safe and efficient operation. RookiePilot is providing you with some checklists to make sure you have what you need in order to start your flying adventure on the right foot.

Getting Started Checklist

  • Complete a discovery flight – call a local flight school or CFI and ask for a discovery flight
  • Take a personality test (if thinking about flying as a career)
  • Medical Certificate
    • If there is any possibility that you would want to be a career pilot, apply for your 1st Class Medical Certificate
      • Why? Airline captains are required to have a 1st Class Medical Certificate and if you’re unable to qualify for one it’s best to know sooner than later (after having invested a significant amount of time and money)
    • If there is no possibility that you would want to be a career pilot and want to only fly for personal use (as a private pilot), apply for your 3rd Class Medical Certificate
      • Why? A 3rd Class Medical Certificate is all that is needed when flying as a private pilot and if you’re unable to pass a 1st Class Medical exam you will need to reapply for 3rd Class, which will extend the time until you are able to start your flight training
  • Student pilot certificate
  • Determine what type of career pilot you want to become
  • Investigate flight training options (local CFI, local flight school, airline program, university program, etc.) and determine which route is best for you
  • Make sure you are able to factor flight training into your budget. Check out our Budget Calculator to see if it would be helpful in your financial planning
    • If you’re paying out-of-pocket for part-time training it is important that your training be consistent. Flying skills tend to go away when practiced inconsistently and can actually leave you paying more for training in the long run
    • If you’re attending a full-time program that you are paying with a loan, make sure you factor in living expenses plus additional expenses (ex. additional flights, additional checkrides, additional living expenses while waiting for checkrides, etc.) that can appear down the road.
  • If interested in becoming a career pilot, the airline pilot programs are a great way to get there in as little time as possible
    • Apply to airline program(s) of choice
    • Prepare for an assessment test (many airline programs will test your knowledge of physics, chemistry, math, etc., so be sure to study using their recommended computer-based training course if available)
    • Prepare for your interview(s) – reference our list of sample interview questions and prepare responses for them
    • If accepted, apply for a loan with the airline’s/company’s banking partner
  • Speak with a representative/CFI at the flight school you will be attending (or simply the local CFI from whom you’ll be learning from) to understand:
    • What tools (if any) they will be providing to you. See our Pilot Tools section to reference the list of possible tools
      • For example, some schools will provide you with an online ground school course, iPad, a subscription to Foreflight, logbook, headset, kneeboard, etc.
    • If they approve of you attending an online ground school course that can provide you with the required endorsement to take your written exam
      • If so, is there an online ground school course they require/highly recommend?
      • If not, would they approve of you attending an online ground school course that does not provide an endorsement and having your future CFI endorse you at the appropriate time?
        • We find it helpful to start your flight training with a base level understanding of essential topics. Plus, by completing your written exam earlier, you are better able to focus on flying skills and the oral exam portion of your checkride
  • Purchase tools and FAA Resources if you want a paper version (otherwise FAA Resources are available online for free)
  • If completing your flight training under 14 CFR Part 61 or if attending a 14 CFR Part 141 flight school but want to supplement the flight school’s ground (knowledge) school, investigate online ground courses for the Private Pilot Certificate and purchase the course that you believe will benefit you the best
    • Study for the written exam
    • Receive your endorsement to take the written exam
      • Some online ground school courses can provide you with this required endorsement
      • If you attend an online ground school course that does not provide you with this required endorsement, you will get this required endorsement from your future CFI at a later time (this typically occurs after you show them satisfactory scores on practice exams)
    • Take the written exam
  • Start Flight Training!

Airworthiness Checklist

RookiePilot developed a simple checklist to make sure your aircraft has the required documents and completed inspections. This can be used for everyday training flights as well as for checkrides.

  • Supplements
  • Placards
  • Airworthiness Certificate
  • Registration
  • Radio permit
  • Operating Limitations
  • Weight & Balance
Inspections completed:
  • Airworthiness Directives (AD’s)
  • Annual (past 12 calendar months) & 100 Hour (unless on a Progressive Inspection)
  • VOR (past 30 days if operating under IFR)
  • Altimeter/Static (past 24 calendar months)
  • Transponder (past 24 calendar months)
  • ELT (past 12 calendar months)
  • ELT Battery (less than 1 hour of cumulative use or half its battery life)
  • Check for new AD’s since last inspection
  • POH Pre-Flight Checklist

  • Checkrides can sometimes feel like a daunting challenge, but approaching them with a solid idea of what needs to be reviewed and breaking that down day-by-day makes it feel far less daunting and, hopefully, more like a Sunday drive.

  • We’ve put together two Checkride checklists that will help you prepare for any checkride: one for full-time students who typically know their exact Checkride date and which DPE it is with about 1 week in advance and another for part-time students who typically know about 4 weeks in advance.

Check-Ride Checklist (Full-Time Students)

Monday – 1 Week Before Checkride (if you know sooner when and who your checkride is with, do the first steps as soon as possible)

  • Ask DPE for his/her weight and baggage weight, where to flight plan to and if there is any other information you should know ahead of time to flight plan
  • Flight Plan – complete everything in the NavLog except those impacted by weather. Make sure to draw flight plan on a current paper sectional
  • Complete Weight & Balance if you know which airplane you will be flying (if not, complete as soon as you know)
  • Take pictures of airworthiness certificate, registration, supplements, placards if you know which airplane you will be flying (if not, complete as soon as you know)
  • Review gouge(s) for DPE
  • Review ACS
  • RookiePilot Flashcards
  • Weather
  • Aerodynamics
  • Types of airspeeds/altitudes
  • Aeromedical Factors
  • FARs

Tuesday

  • Emergency checklists
  • Review sectional legend
  • Review weather legends
  • POH
  • Systems
  • RookiePilot Flashcards
  • Weather
  • Aerodynamics
  • Types of airspeeds/altitudes
  • Aeromedical Factors
  • FARs
  • Write out (whiteboard is preferable) detailed PAVE Checklist as if teaching someone (preferable if you’re able to actually teach a classmate, friend, partner, family member)

Wednesday

  • POH
  • Systems
  • RookiePilot Flashcards
  • Weather
  • Aerodynamics
  • Types of airspeeds/altitudes
  • Aeromedical Factors
  • FARs
  • Review map (sectional/IFR) legend
  • Review weather legends
  • Chair fly

Thursday

  • Review ACS
  • Personal minimums are up-to-date
  • ‘Binder’ is up-to-date and has everything you need
  • Review maintenance documents
  • Review how to use paper E6B flight computer
  • Chair fly
  • Write out (whiteboard is preferable) detailed PAVE Checklist as if teaching someone (preferable if you’re able to actually teach a classmate, friend, partner, family member)

Friday

  • POH
  • Systems
  • RookiePilot Flashcards
  • Weather
  • Aerodynamics
  • Types of airspeeds/altitudes
  • Aeromedical Factors
  • FARs
  • Review map (sectional/IFR) legend
  • Review weather legends
  • Chair fly

Saturday

  • POH
  • Systems
  • RookiePilot Flashcards
  • Weather
  • Aerodynamics
  • Types of airspeeds/altitudes
  • Aeromedical Factors
  • FARs
  • Review map (sectional/IFR) legend
  • Review weather legends
  • Review how to use paper E6B flight computer

Sunday

  • Review ACS
  • Review emergency checklists
  • Review map (sectional/IFR) legend
  • Review weather legends
  • Review maintenance documents to ensure aircraft airworthiness
  • Chair fly
  • Write out (whiteboard is preferable) detailed PAVE Checklist as if teaching someone (preferable if you’re able to actually teach a classmate, friend, partner, family member)
  • Get plenty of sleep

Monday – Checkride

  • Pack water and food
  • Bring pilot documents and test results sheet (including FTN number and IACRA login information)
  • Bring foggles/hood
  • Bring paper E6B flight computer and, if you have one, an electronic E6B flight computer
  • Bring current paper sectional with flight plan drawn on it
  • Obtain standard weather briefing from weather briefer
  • Performance calculations
  • Complete Flight Plan/NavLog
  • Ensure 14 CFR 91.103 (Preflight Action aka “NWKFAFT”) has been completed

Checkride Checklist (Part-Time Students)

Week 1 – 4 Weeks Before Checkride (if you know sooner when and who your checkride is with, do the first steps as soon as possible)

  • Ask DPE for his/her weight and baggage weight, where to flight plan to and if there is any other information you should know ahead of time to flight plan
  • Flight Plan – complete everything in the NavLog except those impacted by weather. Make sure to draw flight plan on a current paper sectional
  • Complete Weight & Balance if you know which airplane you will be flying (if not, complete as soon as you know)
  • Take pictures of airworthiness certificate, registration, supplements, placards if you know which airplane you will be flying (if not, complete as soon as you know)
  • Review gouge(s) for DPE
  • Review ACS
  • RookiePilot Flashcards
  • Weather
  • Aerodynamics
  • Types of airspeeds/altitudes
  • Aeromedical Factors
  • FARs
  • Emergency checklists
  • Review map (sectional/IFR) legend
  • Review weather legends
  • POH
  • Systems
  • Write out (whiteboard is preferable) detailed PAVE Checklist as if teaching someone (preferable if you’re able to actually teach a classmate, friend, partner, family member)
  • Chair fly

Week 2

  • Review gouge(s) for DPE
  • Review ACS
  • RookiePilot Flashcards
  • Weather
  • Aerodynamics
  • Types of airspeeds/altitudes
  • Aeromedical Factors
  • FARs
  • Emergency checklists
  • Review map (sectional/IFR) legend
  • Review weather legends
  • POH
  • Systems
  • Personal minimums are up-to-date
  • ‘Binder’ is up-to-date and has everything you need
  • Review maintenance documents
  • Review how to use paper E6B flight computer
  • Write out (whiteboard is preferable) detailed PAVE Checklist as if teaching someone (preferable if you’re able to actually teach a classmate, friend, partner, family member)

Week 3

  • Review gouge(s) for DPE
  • Review ACS
  • RookiePilot Flashcards
  • Weather
  • Aerodynamics
  • Types of airspeeds/altitudes
  • Aeromedical Factors
  • FARs
  • Emergency checklists
  • Review map (sectional/IFR) legend
  • Review weather legends
  • POH
  • Systems
  • Personal minimums are up-to-date
  • ‘Binder’ is up-to-date and has everything you need
  • Review maintenance documents
  • Review how to use paper E6B flight computer
  • Write out (whiteboard is preferable) detailed PAVE Checklist as if teaching someone (preferable if you’re able to actually teach a classmate, friend, partner, family member)

Week 4

  • Review gouge(s) for DPE
  • Review ACS
  • RookiePilot Flashcards
  • Weather
  • Aerodynamics
  • Types of airspeeds/altitudes
  • Aeromedical Factors
  • FARs
  • Emergency checklists
  • Review map (sectional/IFR) legend
  • Review weather legends
  • POH
  • Systems
  • Review maintenance documents to ensure aircraft airworthiness
  • Review how to use paper E6B flight computer
  • Review Flight Plan/NavLog you started in Week 1 and edit if needed. Make sure the paper sectional you use is current and includes your flight plan drawn on it
  • Write out (whiteboard is preferable) detailed PAVE Checklist as if teaching someone (preferable if you’re able to actually teach a classmate, friend, partner, family member)

Checkride Day

  • Pack water and food
  • Bring pilot documents and test results sheet (including FTN number and IACRA login information)
  • Bring foggles/hood
  • Bring paper E6B flight computer and, if you have one, an electronic E6B flight computer
  • Bring current paper sectional with flight plan drawn on it
  • Obtain standard weather briefing from weather briefer
  • Performance calculations
  • Complete Flight Plan/NavLog
  • Ensure 14 CFR 91.103 (Preflight Action aka “NWKFAFT”) has been completed