Maneuver Checklist: CREACS
A good way to make sure you set your maneuvers up cleanly is to have a mnemonic that forces you to get everything right. Especially for advanced ratings, you need to be on top of this to avoid busting a maneuver on something avoidable.
Clear and Call: make a set of clearing turns, a call on the practice freq, and check your traffic map.
References: pick your outside references and set your altitude and heading bugs.
Emergency outs: brief where you're going if an engine quits. If it's hokey, pick a new spot.
Altitudes: where are we starting and concluding the maneuver? Where are the nearby Bravo shelves? How far AGL do we need to be? This is especially important for accelerated stalls (ASEL) and Vmc demos (AMEL). It's an easy way for an evaluator to bring out the hammer if you get this wrong.
Checklist: complete any required items before proceeding.
Setup and Standards: brief your energy settings and run your floor-to-door check to make sure you get your gear, cowl flaps, and any other configuration items set how you want them. Explain any energy-box parameters and how you plan to stay inside them.
Clear and Call: make a set of clearing turns, a call on the practice freq, and check your traffic map.
References: pick your outside references and set your altitude and heading bugs.
Emergency outs: brief where you're going if an engine quits. If it's hokey, pick a new spot.
Altitudes: where are we starting and concluding the maneuver? Where are the nearby Bravo shelves? How far AGL do we need to be? This is especially important for accelerated stalls (ASEL) and Vmc demos (AMEL). It's an easy way for an evaluator to bring out the hammer if you get this wrong.
Checklist: complete any required items before proceeding.
Setup and Standards: brief your energy settings and run your floor-to-door check to make sure you get your gear, cowl flaps, and any other configuration items set how you want them. Explain any energy-box parameters and how you plan to stay inside them.