BOEING 737-700/800 Normal Checklist

What this normal checklist is

This checklist is a normal procedures template for operating the Boeing 737-700 and 737-800. It sets out the routine checks a flight crew performs across an entire flight, from the pre flight checks on the ground through to securing the aircraft after shutdown. It is organised into 16 sections and 193 items. The sections run in the order a flight actually happens: flight operations, pre flight, before start, engine start, before taxi, taxi, before take-off, after take-off, climb-out, cruise and descent preparation, approach, landing, after landing, parking and shutdown, post-flight operations, and securing aircraft. Each item is a single setting, action, or configuration to confirm, and each is recorded as Yes, No, or N/A. The checklist is not a training manual or a substitute for the aircraft flight manual. It is a structured record that the normal procedures for the aircraft have been carried out in the right order at the right time.

Why it matters

Flying a transport aircraft is a sequence of many small, interdependent actions. Fuel pumps, hydraulic pumps, electrical generators, pressurisation packs, anti-ice systems, flight directors, and the flight management computer all have to be set correctly, and several of them have to be set in a particular order. A normal checklist exists because human memory is unreliable across a long day and multiple sectors. Using a checklist does three things. It makes sure every required item is covered, it puts those items in the order the aircraft needs them, and it leaves a record that the checks were done. When something is not as expected, the response scale lets you record a No so the item can be resolved before flight, and an N/A where a step genuinely does not apply to the operation.

What a good normal checklist covers

A complete normal checklist follows the flight from the parking position back to the parking position. This template covers the following phases and representative items: - **Pre flight**: parking brake set, battery and standby power guards closed, fuel pump selections, APU start and generator, position and logo lights, cabin and emergency exit lights, passenger signs, packs, IRS mode selectors, FMC setup, transponder, speed, heading and take-off runway, initial altitude, yaw damper, window heat, flight and landing altitudes, flight directors, LNAV and VNAV, minimums and altimeter reference, auto brake RTO, COM radios, and doors. - **Before start and engine start**: autothrottle arm, fuel pumps, electric hydraulic pumps, anti-collision light, parking brake set, ground equipment removed, engine area clear, secondary display unit engine, packs off, engine start switches and fuel control levers, generators, probe heat, wing and engine anti-ice, packs auto, isolation valve, APU bleed off, APU off, and engine start switches to continuous. - **Taxi and take-off**: before taxi, taxi, and before take-off items, followed by after take-off and climb-out. - **Cruise and descent**: cruise and descent preparation, then approach and landing. - **After landing through securing**: after landing, parking and shutdown, post-flight operations, and securing aircraft.

How to carry it out

Use the checklist as a live document during the flight, not as a form to fill in afterwards. 1. At the start of the flight, enter the date, the person preparing the checklist, and the location. 2. Work through the pre flight section and confirm each item, recording Yes, No, or N/A. 3. Move to before start and engine start, following the items in the order shown. Engine start switches, fuel control levers, generators, probe heat, anti-ice, packs, and the isolation valve are all covered here. 4. Continue through before taxi, taxi, and before take-off. 5. After take-off, work through climb-out, then cruise and descent preparation, approach, and landing. 6. Complete after landing, parking and shutdown, post-flight operations, and securing aircraft. Where an item is not correct, record No and resolve it before continuing. Where an item genuinely does not apply, record N/A and move on. Keep the completed checklist as a record of the flight's normal procedures.

Frequently Asked Questions

The checklist is used by the flight crew during normal operations of the aircraft. Tasks are grouped into phases such as pre flight, before start, engine start, before taxi, taxi, before take-off, after take-off, climb-out, cruise and descent preparation, approach, landing, after landing, parking and shutdown, post-flight operations, and securing the aircraft. Each item is recorded as Yes, No, or N/A, and the form is completed with the date, the person preparing it, and the location.

The checklist covers 193 items across 16 sections, from pre flight checks through securing the aircraft. It includes items such as parking brake set, battery and standby power guards closed, fuel pumps, APU start and generator, position and logo lights, cabin and emergency exit lights, passenger signs, packs, IRS mode selectors, FMC setup, transponder, speed, heading and take-off runway, initial and flight altitudes, landing altitude, flight directors, LNAV and VNAV, minimums reference and setting, altimeter reference, auto brake RTO, COM radios, doors, autothrottle arm, hydraulic and fuel pumps, anti-collision light, ground equipment removal, engine area clearance, engine start switches and fuel control levers, generators, probe heat, wing and engine anti-ice, isolation valve, APU bleed and APU off, and engine start switches to continuous.

The checklist is organised into sections for flight operations, pre flight, before start, engine start, before taxi, taxi, before take-off, after take-off, climb-out, cruise and descent preparation, approach, landing, after landing, parking and shutdown, post-flight operations, and securing the aircraft. Within each section the crew confirms items and records the result as Yes, No, or N/A, along with the date, preparer, and location.

The checklist uses a simple response scale of Yes, No, or N/A for each item. This allows the crew to confirm that a setting or action is complete, note when it is not, or record that it does not apply to the current operation.

Written by

Arne Reis

Founder

Process optimizer with 25 years of expertise, focused on operational excellence in quality, maintenance, EHS, and commissioning. Emphasizes innovative solutions and top-quality standards.

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