Boeing 737-800 Flight Operations Checklist

Overview of the Boeing 737-800 Flight Operations Checklist

The Boeing 737-800 flight operations checklist is a structured set of procedures for running a 737-800 flight from cold and dark to fully secured. It covers preflight preparation, ATC clearance, before start, engine start, after start, before takeoff, takeoff, climb and cruise, descent, approach, final approach, short final, landing roll, runway vacated, taxi-in, gate arrival, shutdown, external power, and secure. The checklist is designed for PMDG 737 operations in a flight simulator. It walks through the flight deck as you would move around it in practice: switch positions, selector settings, flight management computer entries, control positions and communications. Each item is a specific action or confirmation, so you can work through the flight in order and record what you have checked.

Why flight operations checklists matter

Running a simulated 737-800 involves a large number of switches, selectors and settings that must be in the correct state for each phase of flight. The flight management computer needs the correct cruise and landing altitudes, communications radios must be tuned, the transponder must be correctly set, and the pitch trim must be set for takeoff before the aircraft moves. This checklist groups those items by phase so that you can confirm the aircraft is correctly configured before each major transition, from preflight preparation to engine start, taxi, takeoff, cruise, descent, landing and finally securing the aircraft. Working through a checklist also builds the discipline of setting up in the same order every time, which is the foundation of consistent results in flight simulation.

What this checklist covers

The checklist is organised by phase of flight, and each section contains the items relevant to that stage: - **Preflight:** battery, standby power, fuel pumps, APU start, APU generator, APU bleed air, emergency exit lights, window heat, recirculation fans, isolation valve, packs, engine hydraulic pumps, fuel quantity, payload and cabin lights. - **Clearance:** IRS mode selectors, FMC programming, stabiliser trim, communication radios, flight deck door, gear pin, transponder code and transponder mode, plus the speed, heading and altitude entries on the mode control panel. - **Before start:** yaw damper, cruise and landing altitudes in the FMC, flight directors, minimums reference, altimeters and anti-collision lights. - **Engine start:** parking brake, ground crew clearance, packs and recirculation fans off, then the start sequence for engine 2 and engine 1, each from start selector through start lever to stabilised idle. - **After start:** flight controls checked for full and free movement, engine generators on, packs and recirculation fans back to normal, APU bleed air off. - **Before takeoff and takeoff:** the items that must be set for the takeoff phase. - **Climb and cruise:** procedures for the climb and cruise phases. - **Descent, approach, final approach and short final:** the items that prepare the aircraft for arrival. - **Landing roll, runway vacated and taxi-in:** the actions after touching down and while moving to the gate. - **Gate arrival, shutdown, external power and secure:** the final actions to shut the aircraft down and leave it secured. Alongside the flight procedures, the checklist records the basic administrative details of the flight: the date it was conducted, who prepared it, and the location.

How to carry out the flight operations checklist

1. **Start with the administrative items.** Record the date, who prepared the checklist, and the location. These form the record for the flight. 2. **Complete preflight preparation.** Work through the switches and systems in order, from the battery and standby power through the APU start, APU generator and APU bleed air, and on to the window heat, recirculation fans, isolation valve, packs and engine hydraulic pumps. Check and verify the fuel quantity and confirm the payload is aboard. 3. **Set the clearance items.** Enter the IRS mode selectors, program and verify the FMC, set the stabiliser trim for takeoff, tune the communications radios, lock the flight deck door, store the gear pin in the cockpit, and set the transponder code and mode to standby. Set the mode control panel speed, heading and altitude, and set the initial and cruise altitudes in the FMC. 4. **Before start.** Set the yaw damper, FMC cruise altitude, landing altitude, both flight directors, minimums reference, altimeters and anti-collision lights. 5. **Start the engines.** Set the parking brake, obtain ground crew start clearance, switch the packs and recirculation fans off, start engine 2 and engine 1 in sequence, and confirm each stabilises at idle. 6. **After start.** Check the flight controls for full and free movement, set the engine generators to ON, restore the packs and recirculation fans, and set the APU bleed air to OFF. 7. **Continue through the flight.** Use the before takeoff, takeoff, climb and cruise, descent, approach and landing sections in sequence, confirming the relevant items at each stage. 8. **Finish on the ground.** After runway vacated, work through taxi-in, gate arrival, shutdown, external power and secure. The checklist uses a simple Yes / No / N/A answer for each item, so you can record the outcome of every check. If an item cannot be confirmed, mark it and return to it before continuing.

Frequently Asked Questions

The checklist is for flight simulation. It is written for the PMDG 737 and models the flight deck flows of a Boeing 737-800. It is a training tool for practicing standard operating procedures from cold aircraft to secured aircraft, not a real-world operations manual.

Start with preflight preparation, then work through clearance, before start, engine start, after start, before takeoff, takeoff, climb and cruise, descent, approach, final approach, short final, landing roll, runway vacated, taxi-in, gate arrival, shutdown, external power, and secure. At each stage, read the item, confirm the correct state on the flight deck, and record your answer.

Each item is answered on a Yes, No or N/A scale. 'Yes' means the action is done or the condition is confirmed, 'No' means it is not, and 'N/A' means the item does not apply to your current situation or configuration.

Preflight, clearance, before start, engine start, after start and before takeoff happen while the aircraft is still on the ground. The post-flight items run from landing roll through runway vacated, taxi-in, gate arrival, shutdown, external power and secure.

Yes. The procedures span preflight preparation, engine startup, taxi, takeoff, cruise, descent, landing, and complete aircraft shutdown and securing. The checklist is organised so each of those phases has its own section and items.

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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