Man I seem to spend time making checklists, but I think it is totally worth it. In the beginning I would try to use the built-in checklists, but some planes don't have them. Then I started downloading checklists (from flightsim.to), but many of those were either missing critical areas (like how to program the FMS), or they just didn't have enough details to be 100% useful. Of course I would watch YouTube videos, but that is a very long way to try to remember exactly how to start, fly and land a study level aircraft. I ended up having multiple checklists and then I cherry picked from them. This made switching planes sort of a grind, especially if I hadn't flown the plane in a while. Most of the GA planes weren't a problem, but the more complex planes were challenging, especially considering that I start Cold and Dark almost 100% of the time. And that "refreshing" process kind of turned me off jumping into a plane for one or two flights. I am planning on doing an around the world adventure, and this means using different planes. It didn't sound like fun. What has worked really well for me is custom checklists, and I have created a Google Sheet that has a tab for each plane. This way all the nuances and quirks of each plane, including where a weird switch I tend to forget is located, or when/how to descend properly, and tons of other issues, are all documented. I even turned this into a flight log, so I can record each flight, the data, and then check each item as i complete them. It is an upfront investment in time so I am able to enjoy the maximum number of planes. I am saving a ton of time jumping back into a plane I hadn't flown in a while, and all the steps are listed in the right order. It just makes every plane way more accessible. My checklists are built around the way I do it, so I don't run the procedures exactly by the book, but I find it works for me.  

I am assuming I am not the only lunatic doing this? 

Here's an example...

 

I do something similar,but because I am old school,I write them out on paper.

You aren't alone in this. I believe it’s the best way to learn the details of how to handle a plane. It's very frustrating when, after spending a significant amount of money on an addon, the checklist is very basic (without any mention of the flows, the real deal!) or even lacks a checklist entirely. On those situations, the only way is investigate and create your own checkflowlist.

3 minutes ago, Brammer said:

I do something similar,but because I am old school,I write them out on paper.

I started that way, but I found that I was refining them a little bit each time. Digital was just easier.

What I do is over the years for airplanes that fly often I purchase laminated checklists from checkmate aviation.  This is only for general aviation though, which is what I fly.

 

Mike

Yep I make my own, saved .txt format, it's part of the way I learn the plane.

I used to rely on paper but a few years ago I switched to text files.  

Even planes that have a "built-in" checklist, I find those tedious and often incomplete.  What I make for myself is complete and over time sometimes I refine my checklist(s) as I learn new things from either real-world vids or some procedure(s) I find online.

Not quite checklists, but I used some of all that AI money that's being siphoned from me and told IT to make the logbok for me. Including formulas and format. It took a while for ChatGPT to get it right, but finally it has and on Google Docs. Next? There have been some liveries I've always wanted and the AI said it could do it so that's my next project.

A few key lines for a few aircraft saved as a word doc in Google Drive. Nothing fancy. 

10 hours ago, RobJC said:

I am assuming I am not the only lunatic doing this? 

When I got the PMDG 737 back in FS9 days, I pasted the checklists into a spreadsheet so I could add notes.

Over the years this simple checklist has turned into a knowledge base for the aircraft with diagrams, tables, pictures spread across 7 tabs. Every time I pick up a tip from the forum or elsewhere, it goes into the spreadsheet.

Comparitively, you are quite sane 😁

CReating custom prodedure lists was something I used to do everytime I got a new aircraft. Now there is a german Gentleman (Jaydee) who does the checklist making as a business - they are very good - so I save much time and can immediately jump into the pilot s seat.

Even as a GA flyer, I do create my own custom checklists at times.  I get some people might want to practice every step, but I don't need to check my shoulder harness or brief my passengers, so I just want the stuff that matters in sim.  I also like to have any cruise power charts handy, so basically checklists + everything else useful.  

I am paperless now, I used to have binders full of charts and checklists.  What I do is copy/paste everything into a single document, then "print" to PDF.  Then it can be viewed on a phone, tablet, or anything else easily.  (you can also use this trick to get important parts out of long manuals, just print the pages you want to pdf).  I don't want to open some 100+ page manual just to look up my cruise power every time.  

I use SayIntentions and have created a checklist for each plane that I fly. I can use them within the program or print them as a PDF.

Nope you're not alone.  I tried some of the stuff on flightsim.to.  Yes, there are some very complete ones out there, but I was unhappy with some of the layouts and overall readability as I found I kept consistently missing items.  Integrated checklists seemed to cause more problems than they solved, including a lot of unwanted "mousing around". 

Eventually I created a personalized template designed the way I want to see things presented.  I print these and put them in plastic sleeves with loose rings.  Sure it's a little bit of work when I get a new plane, but it's well worth it and works great for me!

 

Scott

I guess I am not as crazy as I think I am. Well, at least not with checklists. 

Yeah I think most people started that way, but by now it's all in my head. I only need do actual real checklist and even that one is already in my head (at least the Airbus one)