After Starting Engines Checklist

- James Albright (a former G450 driver)

Updated: 2012-01-02

Let the hate mail begin . . . 

I think if you are doing this checklist by flow, you are doing it wrong.

I was once in a flight department where it was considered the highest act of manhood for the left seat pilot to do this by memory quickly and then have the right seat pilot call it out. Invariably the left seater forgot something, the right seater called it and the left seater responded without checking.

I argued for treating this checklist as a, well, checklist. One guy reads, the other guy does. After I timed both methods and proved it is actually faster doing it methodically, I finally convinced them to do it my way — challenge, accomplish, response. And you are less prone to missing something.

Everything here is from the references shown below, with a few comments in an alternate color.

 AFM Procedure

[G450 AFM §2-04-10]

  1. START MASTER . . . OFF

  2. ELECTRICAL POWER CONTROL Panel . . . SET

    If you did a proper preflight — "Five in, five out" — all you need to do here is ensure all the lights are green except the APU light which will be amber, since it is available but not on line.

  3. EMERGENCY POWER . . . ARM

  4. DOORS . . . CLOSED

  5. APU . . . STOP / AS REQUIRED

  6. BLEED AIR Control Panel . . . APU-OFF / ENG-ON

  7. FUEL SYSTEM Panel . . . SET

  8. COWL ANTI-ICE (2) / WING ANTI-ICE (2) . . . AS REQUIRED

    If you are in conditions conducive to icing, you will need to select the cowl anti-ice to on. Don't turn on the wing anti-ice if you plan on deice/anti-ice procedures.

  9. ANTI-ICE HTR (4) . . . ON

  10. WINDSHIELD HEAT (2) . . . ON

  11. CABIN PRESSURE AUTO / SEMI . . . AUTO

  12. Flight Controls Synoptic Page . . . SELECT

  13. Ground Spoilers (First Flight of Day) . . . CHECKED

    Here’s what that looks like from outside the airplane: Ground Spoiler Check.

  14. Stall Barrier (First Flight of Day)...TEST

  15. Flight Controls / Bungee . . . CHECKED

    Check flight controls for freedom and correct movement over full range of motion while observing marshaller or FLIGHT CONTROLS synoptic page.

    NOTE: While performing the elevator control checks, pull the yoke aft and then release. The yoke should slowly fall forward until the elevator surface reaches its stop. A failed bungee has shown that when the yoke reaches the forward stop, there is a slight hesitation and the yoke cycles approximately one inch aft then forward. For a normal bungee, there should not be any hesitation or aft movement after the yoke is released. Any windy conditions may invalidate the yoke cycling test.

    NOTE: Do not perform a rapid movement on the aileron surface. This could lead to an inadvertent HOPS activation.

  16. NOSE WHEEL STEERING POWER . . . ON

  17. YAW DAMP . . . ENG

  18. Standby Electrical Power System (HMG) (Prior to extended overwater flight) . . . CHECK

    We also check this during the first flight of the month.

 References:

Gulfstream G450 Airplane Flight Manual, Revision 35, April 18, 2013