A Good Checklist Happens By Design
Over the last few weeks, we've been
wangling our way through the intricacies of the Garmin GNS 430, the
Avidyne Entegra and our new (and already much beloved) Cirrus G3
Turbo... it's a lot to comprehend and even harder to digest all at
once. Incredibly capable devices all, trying to learn and maintain
proper knowledge of each, often on short notice, means having good
reference material at the ready. One of the truly inspired aids
that has come our way are the Qref checklists that we have for each
of these amazing products... and while each unit has been
engineered to be as easy to use as is possible, overall, the
complexities inherent in their immense capabilities means that
there is a lot to absorb. The Qref checklists we've been using
have, therefore, been godsends. No kidding... its the best stuff
we've seen so far for GA's most capable products, and they are
exquisitely designed, manufactured, and presented.
Apparently; we're not the only ones that think so highly of
Qref, as they have just been accepted as FAA/Industry Training
Standard (FITS) supporting materials, which Qref explains that they
were found to be 'more convenient, more accessible, and more
relevant to today's pilots.' Qref checklists are reportedly the
only checklists to achieve this FAA endorsement.
The FITS program is a partnership between the FAA, industry, and
academia designed to help pilots of Technically Advanced Aircraft
develop risk management skills and in-depth system knowledge needed
to safely operate and maximize the utility of their aircraft. The
FITS program uses a Scenario-Based Training (SBT) training system
with highly structured scripts of real-world experiences,
consistent with the concept of "train the way you fly, fly the way
you train."
"FITS acceptance recognizes the rigorous and structured
standards we have designed into our materials to ensure high
quality and consistent, accurate information", says Jason Clemens,
President and Publisher for Qref Quick Reference Media. "This
highlights the difference in thinking that goes into our
products."
Qref checklists are designed to be used in everyday flight, not
just as a ground-based reference, and put relevant procedures and
techniques at the pilot's fingertips. The Qref team of Master CFIs
have decades of active flight instruction and flying experience at
all levels of industry. They have taken advantage of the past 20
years of checklist design research. Qref's team incorporates
industry-best practices into these checklists and forthcoming
publications. The consistent quality and accuracy of Qref
checklists has been proven by the FITS program acceptance.
Qref joins some great companies with this distinction, a lit
that includes Garmin, Avidyne, Cessna and Cirrus, who have adopted
FITS-based, FAA-accepted pilot training. John French of the ERAU
human factors department conducted a study that compared several
performance factors between FITS and non-FITS-trained pilots. His
results indicate a consistently higher level of performance by
those FITS-trained pilots.The FAA has recognized Qref checklists as
maximizing effectiveness and ease of use while utilizing the
principles of aviation human factors to support the FITS
curriculum.