Pilot Acronym Reference

Essential — checkride day and every flight after

Day VFR · 14 CFR 91.205

ATOMATOFLAMES

Required instruments & equipment for day VFR flight

A Airspeed indicator
T Tachometer (each engine)
O Oil pressure gauge (each engine)
M Manifold pressure gauge (altitude engines)
A Altimeter
T Temperature gauge (liquid-cooled engines)
O Oil temperature gauge
F Fuel gauge (each tank)
L Landing gear position indicator
A Anti-collision lights
M Magnetic compass
E ELT (Emergency Locator Transmitter)
S Safety belts (shoulder harness for front seats)

Night VFR · 14 CFR 91.205

FLAPS

Additional equipment required for night VFR (on top of ATOMATOFLAMES)

F Fuses — one spare set (or circuit breakers)
L Landing light (if for hire)
A Anti-collision lights (already in day list)
P Position lights (nav lights — red, green, white)
S Source of electrical power (alternator/generator)

Documents · 14 CFR 91.9 / 91.203

ARROW

Required documents that must be on board the aircraft

A Airworthiness certificate
R Registration certificate
R Radio station license (required for international flights)
O Operating limitations (AFM/POH, placards)
W Weight & balance data

Pre-Landing · Cockpit Flow

GUMPS

Pre-landing checklist flow — run before entering the pattern or final

G Gas — fuel selector to proper tank, pump on if required
U Undercarriage — gear down and locked (retractable)
M Mixture — rich (unless high-altitude field)
P Propeller — full forward (constant-speed)
S Seatbelts — secured and shoulder harnesses locked

Cross-Country Planning

NWKRAFT

Pre-flight cross-country planning checklist — beyond just checking weather

N NOTAMs — airports, navaids, airspace along route
W Weather — forecasts, winds, SIGMETs, AIRMETs
K Known ATC delays — Ground Delay Programs, Slot Control
R Runway lengths — confirm adequate for your aircraft
A Alternates — do conditions require one? Plan it anyway
F Fuel — plan + reserve + taxi; total required vs. on board
T Takeoff / landing performance — density altitude, weight

Density Altitude · Performance

DAME

Effects of high density altitude on aircraft performance

D Decreased thrust from the propeller
A Accelerated stall speed (TAS higher, wings less effective)
M More runway needed — both for takeoff and landing
E Engine power reduced — less dense air, less O₂

High elevation + high temperature + high humidity = DA disaster

Pre-Taxi Flow

TOMCAT

Memory flow for just before calling ground — ensures you're truly ready to move

T Transponder — set code, to ALT
O Oil — pressure and temperature in green
M Magnetic compass — check and note deviation card
C Controls — free check, ailerons and elevator correct
A ATIS / Altimeter — confirmed and set
T Taxi clearance — copied and read back correctly

Essential — every approach, every clearance

IFR Equipment · 14 CFR 91.205(d)

GRABCARD

Required instruments for IFR flight (in addition to basic VFR equipment)

G Generator or alternator
R Radios — navigation and communications suitable for the route
A Altimeter — sensitive (adjustable)
B Ball — inclinometer / slip-skid indicator
C Clock — with sweep second hand or digital seconds
A Attitude indicator
R Rate-of-turn indicator
D Directional gyro (heading indicator)

DME also required at and above FL240 unless using RNAV

Clearance Readback · ATC Comms

CRAFT

Structure for copying and reading back an IFR clearance

C Clearance limit (usually destination airport)
R Route — SID, airways, direct segments, transitions
A Altitude — initial, and altitude to expect
F Frequency — departure control contact frequency
T Transponder — squawk code assigned

Fix Crossing · Holding · Procedure

5 T's

Actions at every fix, waypoint, and procedure turn

T Turn — turn to the next heading / outbound course
T Time — note time over the fix; start timing if on a timed leg
T Twist — set the OBS / course on the CDI for the next segment
T Throttle — adjust power for the next phase (descent, hold, final)
T Talk — report to ATC if required, or cancel IFR

Approach Brief · IFR Discipline

MARTHA

Full approach briefing structure — brief this before reaching the IAF

M Missed approach — procedure, point, altitude, heading/fix
A Approach — type (ILS/RNAV/VOR), runway, lighting category
R Radio frequencies — IAF, final approach, tower, ATIS
T Time — timing from FAF to MAP (if non-precision)
H Heading — final approach course / localizer inbound
A Altitude — DH or MDA; stepdown fixes if applicable

Lost Comms · 14 CFR 91.185

AVEF

IFR altitude to fly when two-way radio communication is lost — fly the highest of:

A Assigned — the last altitude ATC told you to fly
V Vectored — the altitude ATC last vectored you to
E Expected — the altitude ATC told you to expect in the future
F Filed — the altitude in your IFR flight plan

Remember: squawk 7600 immediately. Full lost-comms route procedure also in 91.185

Approach Procedure · Sequence

TIMED

Steps to execute a timed non-precision approach from the FAF

T Time — start the stopwatch at the FAF
I Intercept — intercept and maintain the final approach course
M MDA — descend to the published MDA at or before the MAP
E Eyes — transition outside; look for the runway environment
D Decision — land if runway in sight; execute missed if not

Alternate Planning · 14 CFR 91.169

1-2-3 Rule / WATT

When you need an alternate and what weather is required there

W Within — if destination is forecast within 1 hr before and after ETA...
A At or above — ceiling at least 2,000 ft and visibility 3 SM...
T Then — no alternate is required
T The alternate — requires precision 600-2 or non-precision 800-2

The "1-2-3 rule": 1 hour window, 2,000 ft ceiling, 3 SM visibility = no alternate needed

Core frameworks — apply before and during every flight

Pilot Fitness · ADM

IMSAFE

Personal fitness self-assessment — complete before every flight

I Illness — any symptom affecting performance?
M Medication — prescription or OTC with side effects?
S Stress — mental load from work, family, finances?
A Alcohol — 8 hours bottle-to-throttle; 0.04% BAC limit
F Fatigue — rested enough for the planned flight?
E Emotion — unexpected emotional events affect judgment

Risk Assessment · ADM

PAVE

Four-element risk framework for go/no-go decisions

P Pilot — experience, currency, fitness (see IMSAFE)
A Aircraft — equipment, airworthiness, limitations
V enVironment — weather, terrain, airport, NOTAMs
E External pressures — schedule, passengers, get-home-itis

Decision Making · ADM

DECIDE

Six-step aeronautical decision-making model (FAA AC 60-22)

D Detect — a change has occurred or a problem exists
E Estimate — severity and need to react
C Choose — a desirable outcome
I Identify — actions needed to achieve that outcome
D Do — take the necessary action
E Evaluate — the effect; loop back if needed

In-flight Risk · ADM

5 P's

Ongoing decision-making model — reassess at each phase of flight

P Plan — is the plan still valid?
P Pilot — am I still fit?
P Plane — is the aircraft still airworthy?
P Programming — avionics and automation set correctly?
P Passengers — needs, distractions, pressures

Decision Making · Deliberate

PACED

Structured decision-making model — useful when time permits more deliberate reasoning

P Problem — define the problem concisely
A Alternatives — list all available options
C Criteria — establish what a good outcome looks like
E Evaluate — score each alternative against criteria
D Decide — select the best alternative and act

Private Pilot (PPL)