Aviation Rules of Thumb

These memory aid sentences make many things a lot easier to remember:

Aviate, Navigate, Communicate
Very famous and very important "rule". When flying, do things in this order.

Climb, Communicate, Comply
In-flight emergencies, what to do.

East is Least, West is Best
Compass variation - subtract easterly variation, add westerly variation.

High to Low, look out below. Low to high, clear blue sky.
Changing weather conditions: If the temperature or barimetric pressure drops you will be lower than the instruments indicate, if you do not correct the change.

Neodd and Sweven
Altitude for direction of flight. Lawrence says, "Correct altitude for direction of flight is given by the two scandinavians Neodd and Sweven: N and E, odd altitudes, South and West, even altitudes. This works up to FL290 (29,000') where the separation increases to 2000', so FL310 is westbound, FL330 east,... etc."

True Virgins Make Dull Company
Computing true course: True heading minus Variation plus or minus Magnetic variation plus or minus Deviation equals Course.