BUMMMFITCHH is one form of a mnemonic

Mnemonic

A mnemonic , or mnemonic device, is any learning technique that aids memory. To improve long term memory, mnemonic systems are used to make memorization easier. Commonly encountered mnemonics are often verbal, such as a very short poem or a special word used to help a person remember something,...

 used by pilots to remember the sequence of actions required when an aeroplane is on approach to land. A shorter version for simple aircraft is BMFFH; many variations exist for different aircraft types. Coincidentally or not, sound of the acronym resembles the Cumbric word for "fifteen" which survived at least into the twentieth century in the Yan Tan Tethera

Yan Tan Tethera

Yan Tan Tethera is a sheep counting rhyme traditionally used by shepherds in Northern England. Until the Industrial Revolution, the use of traditional number systems was common among shepherds, especially in the dales of the Lake District. The Yan Tan Tethera system was also used for counting...

 counting system formerly used for sheep.

The checklist

Many of the steps in the pre-landing checklist are double-checks to eliminate the possibility of unexpected failure of the aircraft. Other steps convert the aircraft from a configuration that is optimised for economical flight to one that is safe for landing. Since landing is the most dangerous stage of a flight, it is important to be pre-warned if an engine failure may be likely to occur or to deal with any problem at this point.

The checklist of actions is given below in its most complete possible form.

O-B-U-M-M-M-P-F-F-I-T-C-H-H

• O - Open carburettor heater
• B - Brake
  Brake
  A brake is a mechanical device which inhibits motion. Its opposite component is a clutch. The rest of this article is dedicated to various types of vehicular brakes....
  
  s free
• U - Undercarriage
  Undercarriage
  The undercarriage or landing gear in aviation, is the structure that supports an aircraft on the ground and allows it to taxi, takeoff and land...
  
   down and locked
• M - Mixtures
• M - Magneto
  Magneto (electrical)
  A magneto is an electrical generator that uses permanent magnets to produce alternating current.Magnetos adapted to produce pulses of high voltage are used in the ignition systems of some gasoline-powered internal combustion engines to provide power to the spark plugs...
  
  s
• M - Master switch
• P - Propeller
  Propeller (aircraft)
  Aircraft propellers or airscrews convert rotary motion from piston engines or turboprops to provide propulsive force. They may be fixed or variable pitch. Early aircraft propellers were carved by hand from solid or laminated wood with later propellers being constructed from metal...
  
   Pitch
  Blade pitch
  Blade pitch or simply pitch refers to turning the angle of attack of the blades of a propeller or helicopter rotor into or out of the wind to control the production or absorption of power. Wind turbines use this to adjust the rotation speed and the generated power...
  
  
• F - Fuel
  Fuel
  Fuel is any material that stores energy that can later be extracted to perform mechanical work in a controlled manner. Most fuels used by humans undergo combustion, a redox reaction in which a combustible substance releases energy after it ignites and reacts with the oxygen in the air...
  
  
• F - Flaps
  Flap (aircraft)
  Flaps are normally hinged surfaces mounted on the trailing edges of the wings of a fixed-wing aircraft to reduce the speed an aircraft can be safely flown at and to increase the angle of descent for landing without increasing air speed. They shorten takeoff and landing distances as well as...
  
  
• I - Instruments
• T - Temperatures and Pressures
• C - Close carburettor heat
• H - Hatches or doors
• H - Harnesses

Aircraft type examples

The pre-landing checks for the Supermarine Spitfire V

Supermarine Spitfire

The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s...

, or 'Drill of Vital Actions' as the check was officially known was "U,M,P and Flaps". The check for the Piper PA-38 Tomahawk

Piper PA-38 Tomahawk

|-References:*Taylor, John W.R. Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1982-83. London:Jane's Yearbooks, 1982. ISBN 0-7106-0748-2.-External links:**-Related content:Comparable aircraft:* Aerotec Tangará* Alpha 2000 * Beechcraft Skipper...

, a simple fixed undercarriage training and general aviation aircraft, is given as BUMFFPICHH, noting that the publisher warns pilots to consult the aircraft operating handbook for full procedures.