---
title: Checklists
description: "## Startup checklists ### Before engine start 1. Oxygen switch: ON 2. Guns: OFF 3. Fuel control panel 1. External tank jettison switch: NORMAL 2. Buddy fill switch: STOP FILL 3. Internal wing transfer switch: NORMAL 4. Refuel selection switch:…"
url: "https://simworksstudios.com/docs/f-4bn-phantom-ii-manuals/checklists/"
updated: "2025-05-12"
category: "F-4B/N Phantom II Manuals"
---

# Checklists

## Startup checklists

### Before engine start

1. Oxygen switch: ON
2. Guns: OFF
3. Fuel control panel
   1. External tank jettison switch: NORMAL
   2. Buddy fill switch: STOP FILL
   3. Internal wing transfer switch: NORMAL
   4. Refuel selection switch: AS DESIRED
   5. Refuel probe switch: RETRACT
   6. Boost pump check switches: NORMAL
   7. External transfer switch: OUTBD or CENTER
   8. Internal wing dump switch: NORMAL
   9. Wing transfer pressure switch: NORMAL
4. smoke abate switch: OFF
5. RAT handle: RETRACT
6. Wing flap switch coincides with flap position
7. Wing flap emergency pull handle: UP
8. Engine anti-icing switch: NORMAL
9. Throttles: OFF
10. Engine start switch: NEUTRAL
11. APCS switch: OFF
12. Drag chute lever: DOWN
13. Landing gear handle: DOWN
14. Missile jettison selector switch (MSP): OFF
15. FCS power switch: OFF
16. Missile arm switch: SAFE
17. Missile select switch: RADAR
18. Missile interlock switch: IN
19. Centerline station safety switch: SAFE and guard down
20. LABS switch: OFF
21. Nose & tail arming switch: SAFE
22. Accelerometer: SET
23. Altimeter: SET
24. Clock wind and set
25. Navigation function selector panel: SET
26. Manual canopy unlock handle: FWD
27. Arresting hook handle: UP
28. Generator control switches: OFF
29. AWW-1 power knob: OFF
30. Rain removal switch: OFF/LOW
31. Pitot heat switch: OFF
32. Bleed air switch: NORM
33. Communications function selector switch: STBY
34. Compass system controller:
    1. Latitude compensator: SET
    2. Mode switch: SLAVE
    3. Circuit breakers in
35. Temperature control switch: AUTO
36. Cockpit lights: OFF
37. Exterior lights: AS DESIRED
38. Wing fold switch coincides with wing position

### Engine start

#### Right engine startup

1. Parking brake: SET
2. Start cart air and power connected to the aircraft ( see chapter: payload manager)
3. Generator switches: both to EXT
4. Cockpit lights: AS DESIRED
5. Engine master switches: L & R ON
6. Throttle: IDLE (right click to move from cut)
7. Starter switch: Right right click and hold
8. When RPM reaches approx. 14%, move throttle to 40-50% and wait for ignition
9. Throttle IDLE after ignition is achieved
10. Starter switch: RELEASE above 45% RPM

#### Left engine startup

Repeat above steps

### Before taxi

1. Radios: ON
2. TACAN: ON
3. Transponder and IFF: Mode 4 set and ON
4. Stability augmentation: ON
5. AFCS: DISENGAGE
6. Wings spread and locked
7. Speed brakes: cycle and check
8. Flaps: cycle and check
9. Flight control surfaces: cycle and check travel
   - check ARI is 10 degrees with yaw SAS off, 15 degrees with yaw SAS on
10. flaps: UP
11. Arresting hook: cycle and check
12. Canopy: closed and locked

### Takeoff-All cases

1. engine anti-ice: AS DESIRED
2. Pitch SAS: ENGAGED
3. Pitot heat: ON
4. Compass control panel: check sync
5. Controls checked
6. Wings locked. Verify pin unlock handle down and wing pin unlock lights out

### Airfield takeoff

1. Flaps: AS DESIRED
2. Brakes: HOLD
3. Engines: run up to 80%
4. Brakes: Release
5. Stick half way aft
6. Throttle: MIL or MAX
7. Upon nosewheel lift off relax back pressure on the stick to avoid exceeding 10 to 12 degrees of pitch

### Carrier launch

1. Verify sufficient pneumatic pressure for nosewheel strut extension
2. When nosewheel is past catapult shuttle
   - extend nose gear strut (SHIFT+U) . Verify proper extension
   - Attach to catapult (SHIFT+I)
3. Flaps: FULL
4. Throttle: MIL or MAX
5. Stick: AFT
6. At high gross weights beware of over-rotation immediately after leaving the deck.

### Climb

1. Raise landing gear when definitely airborne
2. Raise flaps at 300 feet or 200 knots CAS while maintaining 10 to 12 degrees nose-up
3. Maintain 10 to 12 degrees nose-up until reaching 400 knots CAS
4. Vary pitch to maintain 400 knots CAS until reaching final cruise mach. Then vary the pitch attitude to maintain mach until reaching cruise altitude

### Stall recovery

Upon indication of stall:

1. Neutralize ailerons
2. Establish 5-10 units angle of attack
3. Make judicious use of rudder to avoid inducing excessive yaw
4. Allow aircraft to recover

### Spin recovery

Upon indication of an upright spin:

1. Stick forward
2. Ailerons in the direction of the spin
3. When aircraft is unloaded (5-10 units angle of attack) center the ailerons
4. If out of control and below 10 000ft AGL: EJECT

Upon indication of an inverted spin:

1. Apply full rudder opposite to the direction of the spin
2. Stick and ailerons neutral
3. When the yaw rate stops neutralize all controls and fly out of the unusual attitude

### Landing

When the airspeed is below 250 knots CAS lower the landing gear and extend the flaps. Using the angle of attack indexer maintain an on speed indication amber light. When on final approach maintain power setting of 84-88% RPM depending on gross weight. This provides an on speed angle of attack light with a 3 degree glideslope and 700-800fpm descent rate.

Landing speeds can be calculated using the following rule-of-thumb:

- At 38,000lbs gross weight approach speed is 145 knots (early F-4B)/138 knots (late F-4B and F-4N).
- For every 1 000lbs below 38,000 subtract 2 knots.

#### Airfield approach

Maximum runway landing gross weight: 38,000lbs

1. Gear
2. Flaps
3. Hook
4. upon touchdown deploy drag chute (use the toggle cabin seat belt lights key)
5. Brakes: APPLY
6. drag chute: release in designated area

#### Carrier approach

Maximum carrier landing gross weight: 34,000lbs

1. Downwind leg
   - wings level at 600ft MSL
   - 139-149 knots CAS
   - Commence 180 degree turn
2. Abeam the LSO:
   - 139-144 knots CAS
   - On speed indication
   - Maintain 30 degrees of bank during turn to final.
   - At 45 degrees from final altitude should be 450ft MSL.
3. At 1-1.2nm from the carrier the FLOLS should become visible
4. Time on glideslope: 30-35 seconds
5. Upon arrest: throttles to MIL or MAX #upon stopping
   - Tailhook: RETRACT
   - Evacuate landing area
   - Flaps: RETRACT
   - When flaps retracted fold the wings

### Shutdown

1. Flaps: UP
2. Speed brakes: IN
3. Stab aug: OFF
4. FCS power: OFF
5. Pitot heat: OFF
6. Transponder: OFF
7. Throttles: CUT
8. All switches and levers: OFF