Dodged a bullet

FastEddieB said:
Which you're free to do, truncating or eliminating the preflight on all subsequent legs on a given day.

Personally, the logic escapes me. Why, exactly, is something significant that needs attention less likely to develop on flights on a given day, as opposed to the last leg, to be caught on the next day's preflight?

I still recommend a full preflight every time one is out of the plane and in a position to do so. I don't buy "It's too much trouble", "It takes too much time" or "It's just not necessary" as convincing reasons not to.
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Most of us don't fly every day. And theft, vandalism, and critters are much more likely to occur overnight than during an hour you're eating a $100 burger. If the plane sits for weeks on a crowded ramp, you're much more likely to have damage occur during those weeks than while you're taking a leak.

For the CAP plane, if I just flew the damn thing into base, I'm not spending 20 minutes on another full preflight before flying a sortie. That's time I could be searching, so it gets a walk around and mag check.

Following your rules, the AFROTC flights I did last month would have spent almost as much time preflighting than flying the cadets (they are very short flights).
 
Ryanb said:
Yikes! Glad it didn't catch the prop!

I remember back when I was doing my PP training, I had attached the tow bar to the airplane post flight and was about to push it back into the hangar, when I wanted to go behind the airplane and make sure everything was clear inside the hangar. I set the tow bar down, still attached to the nose wheel and my CFI said "Ryan, this is one thing I don't ever want to see you do again. Never leave the tow bar attached to the airplane without it being in your hands."

And still to this day, I have never forgotten this valuable piece of advice!
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As a Machinist, early in my learning how to make stuff, I learned that you NEVER take your hand off a Chuck Key... Lathe, Drill press, Milling machine, or any other Chuck Key... having seen another student using a Mill fling a key across the classroom and through the glass window, it was forever embedded into my mind.. I think of the towbar as a Chuck Key, it never leaves my hand unless its is in the back of the plane...
 
MAKG1 said:
Following your rules, the AFROTC flights I did last month would have spent almost as much time preflighting than flying the cadets (they are very short flights).
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That's fine if everyone is comfortable with it.

But...

On Young Eagle flights I do a preflight before every flight. To not do so sends a message to budding pilots: preflights are optional. Given the Law of Primacy, I'd rather not send that message.
 
arnoha said:
One of the things that I've often seen, and am considering...

If you have a two-part tow-bar, keep the pin on the keyring. That way, you can't start the engine with the pin still in the towbar.
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I was about to type that exact suggestion. Tow bar pin on the key ring prevents amateurish idiocy from ensuing.
 
Squirrelfury said:
I sure think so. I'm an advocate of the "... towbar isn't attached to the strut unless my hand is on it" school of thought.
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I'm an advocate of the "towbar isn't attached to the strut outside the hangar unless my hand is on it" school of thought. ;) When I had a private hangar back in Michigan, I (or my mechanic) frequently left the towbar attached after pushing the plane into the hangar. Much easier to pull it back out that way.

After all, it isn't as if I'm likely to turn the engine on inside the hangar!
 
I can't take off with the tow still attached. I don't think the plane would lift the tug off the ground....:nonod:
 
Glad to hear nothing bad came of it. My CFI has been adamant about safety, as he should be. As I complete the preflight I stand behind the airplane check one last time that the towbar, chocks, and tie downs are removed and gas caps fared into the wind, then ask myself if she looks ready to fly today. When I get back in the airplane I scan over the preflight checklist again before beginning the start engine check. I can understand not doing a full preflight when you land for a restroom break, but just pulling up to the airport and opening the hangar door and jumping in is beyond me. We have a few that do this at our field. I obviously trust my airplane, but don't see a reason in risking my life or expensive property to save a few minutes.
 
ejensen said:
A friend has does that if she can't get help pulling out the plane. Can't do it by herself. Nothing in the hangar to blow around.
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With our door systems on ours, there's a pretty high chance an aircraft blowing into the hangar would pop the locks loose and drop the overhead door on the aircraft.
 
denverpilot said:
With our door systems on ours, there's a pretty high chance an aircraft blowing into the hangar would pop the locks loose and drop the overhead door on the aircraft.
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Don't think our would do that but I'll give her your warning. She has a significant other now so it won't happen very often.
 
azure said:
I'm an advocate of the "towbar isn't attached to the strut outside the hangar unless my hand is on it" school of thought. ;) When I had a private hangar back in Michigan, I (or my mechanic) frequently left the towbar attached after pushing the plane into the hangar. Much easier to pull it back out that way.

After all, it isn't as if I'm likely to turn the engine on inside the hangar!
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I thought I'd never try and back my car out with the sunshade up in the windshield, but i did the other day.. My almost 3 year old had me very distracted and i started to back out of my spot.... Thankfully i caught it when i turned to look over the other shoulder
 
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