- work in a “C” pattern when setting the bleeds for a bleeds off takeoff. Draw a reverse “C” pattern when reestablishing bleeds on, on climb out.
- don’t be that guy who deploys the TRs by opening the cans and immediately tries to go to reverse thrust, without giving the pin on the TR handles the second or so it needs to retract out of the way so the TRs handles can be lifted past idle reverse. Fanning the TRs open on main gear touchdown, and nicely lowering the nosewheel to the runway before engaging reverse thrust, covers this issue. Also, fly the nose to the runway, don’t just let it slam down.
- penetrating rain or such, set both engine ignition switches to FLT instead of just LOW IGN (Cont), like some pilots do. May as well use all your igniters for flameout prevention rather than just the selected side:
- NGs and lower, speed brakes in the air are a waste of time and do not much more than shake the airframe. Never plan on depending on them to help you. In the terminal area, better to get slowed and get the first set of flaps out before beginning a descent, or you might not get the chance to speed-wise without throwing out the landing gear early.
- Flaps 40 is quite useful, but use it for idle descent rate final approaches, rather than selecting it and flying a dragged-in normal approach at a high power setting.
- know your EPR settings or N1 settings for a given phase of flight, you may need to know that for things like a go around rather than only depending on the settings to automatically set. Full TOGA isn’t always needed for a go around in VMC
- descents. Trust but verify with VNAV. Understand why is does what it does and how it chooses a descent point, which may not be the exact point displayed on your map page. V/S descent works fine too. In the terminal area, level change is your friend
- climbs: be careful using V/S for high climb rates, can get you in trouble at higher altitudes as the jet tries to maintain the VSI you commanded.
- dual channel autopilot autoland……sucks. Monitor it diligently.
- use last position when setting the aircraft position in the box after a leg has been flown and the Nav box is being recycled off and back to on. Doesn’t matter that its not the official airport last/longs, as the jet will do an update when the TOGA is selected during takeoff