John Hafen wrote: ...
  
  If you have it figured out and are willing to share, please send me a copy
  of your "right" checklist to j.hafen@comcast.net.

I must admit that I haven't made the checklist for my IV-P, even though I
hope to fly this summer. BUT like most LML readers, I have an opinion.

Having flown military fighters for 20+ years, I can tell you without
reservation that the original checklists provided by the
manufacturers--Lockheed, General Dynamics and McDonald Douglass in my
case--were "starting points" for what we came to use over the years. Every
one was constantly refined, adjusted and (in the case of the F-4 spin
recovery procedure, completely rewritten), based on experience during actual
operations. The emergency procedures sections were especially volatile, and
changed frequently because of "lessons learned," many the hard way.

I expect that Joe Bartels would have at least two concerns about trying to
update such checklists: cost and liability. At one time I considered poling
the LML as you are proposing to try to include some of our collective
"lessons learned" that could be published for all to use, but one of my more
cynical (and very practical) friends pointed out that few would appreciate
the effort involved, and some one might hold me liable for doing so...so I
have a rather large file of emails and other data that I some day intend to
turn into my own "improved" checklist. I believe we're in a sad state of
affairs with respect to product liability, but that's the way it is!

Bob Pastusek