Renting a Piper Dakota for the first time usually means a checkout at the FBO, a walk-around with the rental paperwork in your pocket and a quick look at whatever checklist is hanging in the airplane. Rental checklists are often well used, and occasionally they’re written for a slightly different version of the airplane than the one on the ramp.
Bringing your own Dakota checklist, read against the rental airplane’s POH before you go, gives you a clean, familiar page to fly from. The POH in the airplane remains the authority, and your checklist should match that airplane’s year and engine before you trust it.
Quick answer: The CheckMate Piper Dakota PA-28-236 Checklist is a cockpit checklist for pilots who fly the Piper Dakota (PA-28-236). It comes as CheckMate, CheckMate+ or CheckMate Pro in Standard (6.5″ x 9″) or Compact (5″ x 7″) sizes. It’s meant to supplement the airplane’s POH/AFM, not replace it, so confirm it matches your exact model, year, engine and handbook before relying on it. You can find it on Skyfarer and order it at Skyfarer Shop.
Which Dakota checklist format fits you
- CheckMate. The design that started it all, with the familiar legacy look, in Standard (6.5″ x 9″) or Compact (5″ x 7″).
- CheckMate+. An updated design aimed at better readability and safety, with passenger and crew briefing prompts, abort plan prompts and ATC communications prompts. It includes an instant low-resolution, black-and-white temporary digital download, so you have a copy to use right away. Standard (6.5″ x 9″) or Compact (5″ x 7″).
- CheckMate Pro. A personalized CheckMate+: add your tail number, name or phone number, your empty weight and useful load, and details for up to five airports you visit often. Typical production time is within 48 hours. Standard (6.5″ x 9″) or Compact (5″ x 7″).
Using it in the cockpit
- Do one side-by-side read. At home or in the hangar, read the checklist next to the POH/AFM and its supplements, and mark anything your airplane’s equipment changes. The handbook wins every disagreement.
- Check it against the rental airplane. Before your first flight in a rental Dakota, compare your checklist with that airplane’s POH and ask the FBO about any equipment or supplements specific to it.
- Choose a size that stays put. Standard is 6.5″ x 9″ and Compact is 5″ x 7″. Pick the one that fits where you’ll keep it in flight, whether that’s a kneeboard, a door pocket or your lap.
Before you rely on it
This checklist is a supplement to the POH/AFM, not a replacement for it. Treat every speed, limit and procedure on the page as something to confirm against your airplane’s own handbook and supplements, which govern.
Model year, engine and equipment can all change what applies to a given airplane. Confirm the checklist matches your exact model, year and engine, and that it agrees with your airplane’s handbook, before you rely on it in flight.
Pilot tip: On a rental checkout, ask where the airplane’s POH is kept and look at the weight-and-balance pages for that specific airplane. Two Dakotas can have different empty weights.
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Where to buy
CheckMate Piper Dakota PA-28-236 Checklist is sold by Skyfarer Shop. Find it on the Skyfarer marketplace or order directly from Skyfarer Shop. Either link shows the current price, shipping options and return terms.
Frequently asked questions
Can I bring my own checklist into a rental airplane?
Generally, yes, but confirm it matches that airplane’s year, engine and equipment, and follow the airplane’s POH and the operator’s rules.
Does this checklist replace the POH/AFM?
No. It supplements the airplane’s POH/AFM. The handbook and its supplements govern every procedure, speed and limitation, so confirm the checklist against them before you rely on it.
What is the temporary digital download?
CheckMate+ includes an instant low-resolution, black-and-white temporary digital download, so you have something to use while the printed checklist is on its way.
How is CheckMate+ different from the original CheckMate?
CheckMate+ uses an updated design aimed at better readability and safety and adds passenger and crew briefing prompts, abort plan prompts and ATC communications prompts. The original CheckMate keeps the familiar legacy look.
