The importance of having and following checklists as a pilot cannot be emphasized enough. However, a written checklist is not always the easiest tool to use or memorize if you are more of a visual person and have difficulty with translating the written checklist into a set of actions in the cockpit. In such cases, a visual image in the form of a flow pattern or flow chart would be of great assistance to help memorize all the required actions or steps.
Hence, Vincent of Plastic Pilot has recently posted a detailed entry about the subject of flow charts or patterns in general and his entry includes two sample flow charts while Sam of Blogging at FL250 (who is also a regional airline pilot) covered the topic in an entry back in 2007. His blog entry also includes a sample Before Start flow chart that he put together for the Cessna 150.
Oddly however, although there are plenty of sample checklists for aircraft available on the internet, a quick google search for flow charts does not come up with many such examples other than what Vincent and Sam have done. However, having a simple photographic printout of your cockpit will allow you to create your own flow chart for whatever checklist you deem a visual aide would be of great assistance to help you memorize it.
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