FAA guidance on custom checklists for practical tests

The FAA does not approve checklists for general aviation pilots, according to agency guidance. Pilots are expected to fly in line with the operating limitations in the approved Airplane Flight Manual or Rotorcraft Flight Manual, along with markings and placards.

That distinction came up in a question from a pilot working toward a multiengine commercial certificate at a Part 61 school. The pilot had replaced a worn checklist for a 1959 Beech Travel Air with a laminated version copied from the owner's manual and the serial-number-specific flight manual, with larger print and a section for basic maneuvers.

The pilot's instructor said the checklist could not be used because it lacked FAA approval. A designated pilot examiner would fail the applicant for using it on a check ride, the instructor said.

The FAA's guidance says otherwise. For practical tests, the Airman Certification Standards or Practical Test Standards require applicants to use an appropriate checklist. Under Part 91, applicants may use manufacturer-supplied checklists, commercial off-the-shelf checklists, or personally developed ones, provided they accurately reflect the operating limitations and procedures in the aircraft's flight manual.

The approval requirement is narrower than the instructor suggested. Part 121 and Part 135 operators must submit cockpit checklists to the FAA for approval as part of their operating manual.