As we’re sure you’re already aware, pilots use a great variety of different memory aids both before, during, and after landing to ensure optimum safety. There are so many acronyms, in fact, that it would likely take an entire career to have heard them all, at which point we’re sure that plenty more will have been made!
Despite this, there is a very well-known acronym that is used by pilots across the world prior to taking off, and this acronym is known as CIGAR, which stands for Controls, Instruments, Gas, Airplane Secure (or Attitude), and Run-Up. Before a pilot can even think about heading to the flight runway and soaring into the sky, they will first need to complete a series of checks outlined in the CIGAR acronym, that helps to ensure that all necessary checks have been made and that nothing critically important has been forgotten or left behind.
By following this well-known acronym, pilots will be able to first double-check that all of the controls and instruments are all working properly. After completing this step, the pilot will then go on to check whether or not there is enough fuel to be able to carry the aircraft to its intended destination. After doing this, then the pilot will be able to check that the proper pitch and trim has been set, before moving on to the runup, which is a series of last minute tests performed by the pilot or aircraft mechanic, to ensure that there are no issues to the engine or other parts of the aircraft. The final step will then be to complete all safety procedures, including closing doors, canopies and ensuring that everyone has their seatbelts fastened.