Check List and Preflight Inspection

AKBill

AKBill

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AKBill
Thinking about checklist and preflight inspections for my plane. Who has modified or personalized their checklist or preflight inspections? What items have you added or modified from the manufactures published list?

One item that I have added to mine is checking the fuel system after start. I have a two selector fuel switch left or right tank. During engine warm up I select one tank and let engine run long enough to satisfy good fuel flow to the engine then switch to the other tank and do the same thing.

A couple of days ago I was going to take a flight over the Juneau Ice Fields to take some winter pictures. After starting engine I selected right tank ran good with good fuel pressure. Then I selected the left tank and fuel pressure started to drop and engine died. S**t there was an ice blockage in the left side fuel lines.

Waiting to get into a heated hanger to thaw out. Could have been disastrous I would have switch tanks and would not have been able to use fuel in tank
 
My checklist predates the installation of a bunch of STCs so I had to merge the preflight requirements of those installations (fuel tanks, autopilot) with the one in the book. Further, my engine and fuel system is completely different from the one that came with the plane originally, so I've taken those from an A36 checklist (which my engine came out of).

I've added a few practical things, an extra "make sure the gear handle is down" and some reminder to check door latches (and take my keys out of my pocket before strapping in).

The one major change I did is print the following dates:

Annual.
Transponder/IFR certs
My medical/BFR
Margy's Medical/BFR

to the front page.
 
Late model 182 checklists don't have you drop flaps in preflight. I do that.

FWIW, I like to write my own checklist as part of a checkout in a new type. It's a way to learn systems.
 
the guy that sold the mooney to me had some personalized checklists made. They are pretty thorough, so I haven't seen much need to change them. About the only thing missing would be verifying foreflight and 430 databases; and possibly testing autopilot with heading bug.
 
rbridges said:
the guy that sold the mooney to me had some personalized checklists made. They are pretty thorough, so I haven't seen much need to change them. About the only thing missing would be verifying foreflight and 430 databases; and possibly testing autopilot with heading bug.
Click to expand...

Depending on your autopilot, there may be some additional steps than just seeing if it tracks the bug. My STEC has a rather extensive preflight checklist in the (obligatory) manual. They've revised the manual to make it even more involved (but since that appears NOT to be obligatory to update, I have declined to do so).
 
I've been very happy with the ProPilot (commercially produced) checklists. In addition to pre-flight, they also include emergency procedures, weight-and-balance data, performance charts, and so on. They're about ~$30 each.
 
One of the first times I flew with a yolk mount the mount wasn't on completely tight. Shortly after takeoff I go to punch something on the iPad to check a chart and the mount is slipping all over. Now I double check that any mounts are extra tight before engine start.
 
I have customized checklists for each plane in the club. A generic 172 checklist doesn't work if the different planes are far enough apart in models. And, of course, the 182 is different than the 172s. However, having checklists that have much the same flow helps with you are swapping between 3 different aircraft (used to be 4, but we're selling the Arrow, so I can save a few bytes on the hard drive and delete that checklist).
 
I use the Checklist Wrangler app and copied all my checklists onto it with extra items plus notes and details for certain items.

I am going to add the fuel selector check. That's a good idea.
 
Jimgrouch said:
I added --->. Transponder 1200 Alt & Start Foreflight Recording.
Click to expand...

Isn't Foreflight recording automatic now with the latest version, if enabled? I inherited my checklist from my CFI and modified a few things such as adding on "turn on active noise reduction" and changing "transponder standby" on the ground to "transponder alt".
 
CrimsonFlyer said:
Isn't Foreflight recording automatic now with the latest version, if enabled? I inherited my checklist from my CFI and modified a few things such as adding on "turn on active noise reduction" and changing "transponder standby" on the ground to "transponder alt".
Click to expand...

I saw that automatic recording recently. I have yet to try it out. That would be great if it works like that because there have been a few times I've forgot turn it on. I rely on that data for my log book.
 
nj-pilot said:
I've been very happy with the ProPilot (commercially produced) checklists. In addition to pre-flight, they also include emergency procedures, weight-and-balance data, performance charts, and so on. They're about ~$30 each.
Click to expand...

Our favorite, too.
 
Jimgrouch said:
I saw that automatic recording recently. I have yet to try it out. That would be great if it works like that because there have been a few times I've forgot turn it on. I rely on that data for my log book.
Click to expand...


It does work as advertised. I turn that feature off, however, because my Stratus already records automatically.


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I have yet to but my airplane had about four different checklist in it when we bought it. All of them suprisingly different. The one which I have found to be most useful, in the "engine startup" column, tells you to turn on the strobe light but never mentions anything about the beacon. This is funny because the airplane is not equipped with a strobe at all!

The lighting is one thing I know for sure I'll have take a closer look at and alter on my checklist since it also never mentions the landing/taxi light.
 
I've been using customized checklists since I was a student and have them for all the airplanes I fly.

But they all start with the before start routine after the preflight inspection. Even early on, I simply used a flow to touch/move everything I could as I went around the airplane. With a new-to-me model, I would use the manufacturer's preflight checklist to check if I missed anything. And any specific "gotchas" end up in a
Handling Notes" section on an information reference page I put at the end of my custom checklists.

On the before start, at this point, most everything I do is SOP for me regardless of aircraft so even that section is beginning to be pared down to the essentials.
 
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