What's your preflight routine?

jhoyt

jhoyt

Pre-Flight
Joined
Jun 29, 2014
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46
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Yakima
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Display name:
Jim
Trying to finish training and get my ticket. Getting more comfortable with preflight etc.. and thinking about my checkride preflight. I'm wondering what you all do for your preflight, if you have any important "extras" that you do or check in addition to the generic POH or manufactured checklists (I usually use Checkmate for C172 and 182)? As you walk around the plane, what are some important things that you feel are not on the generic lists? I've been reading Kas THomas' "Fly the ENgine" and he really does a preflight--opens cowling; rotates prop to check cylinder compressions. Re the engine, I check the oil; belts; look for leaking fluids; drain sump; wiggle exhaust, etc...

Curious what many of you have added to your routines.
 
I use a checklist as well, probably one of the best things for catching final screw ups is the final walk around. No tow bar, no fuel strainer, no chocks or other things where they shouldn't be.
 
The POH is pretty exhaustive, but the manufactured checklists aren't always.

The only thing I've added is to test the alternator in run-up. Turn the ALT side of the master off, verify discharge (ammeter or annunciation), turn it back on, verify discharge gone.
 
MAKG1 said:
The POH is pretty exhaustive,
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My experience is otherwise. I watched a Private Pilot going up for an instrument training flight conduct a by-the-POH-checklist preflight of a Cessna 172 one morning, and completely miss the big bird-strike splat about halfway up the leading edge of the vertical stab because the checklist did not specifically call for inspection of the leading edge of the vertical stab. The crew that had flown the plane the night before (another student and me :redface:) had missed it in the dark on postfllight, and there was no cockpit indication that it had happened. Wasn't until we walked out for the first flight the next morning that I saw it, and I waited to see if my trainee would catch it -- which he didn't. :sad:

As I said -- don't use the checklist during the walkaround, and instead, check everything. You should certainly review the checklist before and after the walkaround to remind yourself of critical items and then see if there's anything you forget, but leave it in the cockpit while you actually walk around the plane. That keeps both hands free for things like checking oil and holding the aileron with one hand while sticking your fingers in there to check the movement of the pushrods (so you still have fingers to fly with if a gust blows up). It also reduces the incidence of diamond-shaped forehead impressions around Cessnas. ;)
 
At the end of the preflight, I usually do a final walk around the entire plane from a few feet back to visually scan the entire plane (which would hopefully catch something like Ron mentioned if I somehow missed it).

My intent isn't to do or touch anything, just get a big picture look at the plane. I'm not expecting to catch some mechanical issue, but instead spot anything dumb I did or didn't do: baggage/oil door open, chocks still in, towbar, fuel cap not on right (for the cessnas I fly you can see whether they are lined up from 15 feet behind the plane), etc...
 
Do a checklist,and visual overall walk around.
 
Ron Levy said:
As I said -- don't use the checklist during the walkaround, and instead, check everything
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This is what I do.I also take a few steps back to see if I missed anything obvious like a tiedown or chock.
 
One item I added that isn't specified is pushing the plane about a foot to check the underside of the tires for any flat spots. I also perform one final visual check from a distance to make sure I didn't miss anything. If I preflight too soon before my departure I'll usually leave the tie downs secure and this just ensures I didn't forget anything.
 
I am working towards my check-ride (C-152) as well and use the checklist. In the end I look at the tires from the front as well to see if pressure is enough or not. Most of the times it has been good but recently we noticed the nose-wheel was way low.
 
Use the checklist and then quick prayer:

"Lord, please don't let me f*ck up."
 
I used a fairly exhaustive checklist in the beginning that was broken down by area of the plane. After 25 or so flights with that I had a good understanding of what needed to be looked at without having the checklist in hand. I also reordered some things such as checking fluids first so I can continue if I have to wait on a truck. The only things I have added are;

- Wipe down windshield
- 10 second Sanity check... This is where I stand in front of the plane and just look for anything that's not right.
 
No POH for my plane, no real preflight procedure checklist in the manual. I've made my own. General procedure:

1. Sump the fuel tanks and gascolator.
2. Check the oil and hydraulic fluid levels, inspect inside the cowl.
3. General walk around checking tires, gear, control surfaces, etc...

The checklist gets more adherence once I get inside the cockpit. Lots of things that need to be checked prior to even engine start. Don't want to be caught cranking the engine with the gear handle not down (that one is in the checklist a few times). After engine start there's fuel flow meter and other electronics to init, autopilot to check, gyros and compasses to verify, etc...
 
RalphInCA said:
Use the checklist and then quick prayer:

"Lord, please don't let me [screw] up."
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That's the Shepard's Prayer -- RADM Alan B. Shepard, to be exact, recited by him just before liftoff of his Mercury mission in 1961.
 
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flyingron said:
No POH for my plane, no real preflight procedure checklist in the manual. I've made my own.
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I'm on the 2nd version of my self made checklist. My first set was 3 6x9 color printed and laminated sheets held together with a ring. This was very in depth and a conglomeration of several online checklists people had made. The issue was in flight fumbling through the various sheets to find what I was looking for. Also getting a copy printed and laminated was around $15... which is about the price of the premade ones.

When I moved to a different airplane (152) I bought a SureCheck version and used that and liked the 1 page format... but then the 152 broke and I moved back to a 172 but an N version instead of the M which meant my homemade checklist set now needed to be changed.

Liking the single page format and knowing I was only going to use the 172N through checkride I spent hours and hours creating a format very similar to the SureCheck but made it specific to the plane I was flying. So I went through the POH, made some changes to the specific item and went and printed it off and laminated it for about $2.
 
Does flipping the alternator field off and back on while it's running cause any harmful transients, or is that an OWT?

MAKG1 said:
The only thing I've added is to test the alternator in run-up. Turn the ALT side of the master off, verify discharge (ammeter or annunciation), turn it back on, verify discharge gone.
Click to expand...
 
I've used te same checklist for every flight since the flight school where I trained gave me one. I have it in a page protector and it never fails me. I'm a little surprised some people are suggesting don't use a checklist. That seems like bad advice especially since the op asked about his check ride pre-flight. I don't think the DPE wants to hear that you are just " going to check everything," but then again my DPE was inside the nice warm hanger while I pre-flighted in 25 degree ice covered run-up so....

As far as any tricks, I do the by the checklist stuff but I get really close up to the plane and check for cracks and what not in the surfaces. I also make sure to check any cable I can see and any bolts or screws I can see too. I do one final walk around before getting in.
 
I don't use, carry, a checklist on my preflight. The process has been engrained in my head after all this time. I will do the hands on every surface full preflight including fuel check and sump. last checks will be lights then roll the plane out of the hangar. I also like to give it that 'stand off' once over making sure things look as they should.

After every flight I clean all leading edges with water and microfiber cloth so 08Romeo gets a post flight check for leaks, dings or dents. I then place nose plugs, pitot tube cover, tailcone cover and double check locks before giving her a pat on the cowl and closing the doors.


Question- if interrupted do you start over, drop back to the last completed check, or do you ask the person interrupting to wait until you're finished with the preflight?
 
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GeorgeC said:
Does flipping the alternator field off and back on while it's running cause any harmful transients, or is that an OWT?
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I've never heard that, and it's not in the POH. I'd expect a bigger transient from extending or retracting the flaps.

All alternators have associated rectifiers and voltage regulators, whose job is to smooth that out.
 
OkieAviator said:
...
- 10 second Sanity check... This is where I stand in front of the plane and just look for anything that's not right.
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+1 on the sanity check ... left the pitot tube cover on a couple of months ago simply because I heard the engine of another bo taking off and I knew the morning flog had burned off enough to take another look at the runway environment... but not the aircraft...



Actually, I start the next preflight with a good post flight. Every thing has a place and a good look at the aircraft before closing the hangar door. . . .
 
See this thread...

MAKG1 said:
I've never heard that, and it's not in the POH. I'd expect a bigger transient from extending or retracting the flaps.

All alternators have associated rectifiers and voltage regulators, whose job is to smooth that out.
Click to expand...
 
My wife works in education, getting things laminated isn't even an issue.
One thing I put on the top of the first page of the checklist is the date of the annual, transponder check and both our medicals.
 
I use Checklist Wrangler. I have all my lists on iPhone and iPad. They are customized exactly the way I like them.
 
I stick pretty much to the published checklist for the PA-28 that I fly most regularly, although I change the order of operations a bit for efficiency's sake. I always check the fuel and oil first, for a couple of reasons:
  1. If low on oil, you can add it at the beginning of preflight and then by the end of the preflight, it'll have had enough time to settle so you can check the level again
  2. If low on fuel, you find out before the rest of the preflight, so you can order up a fuel truck while you do the rest of the inspection
  3. Likewise, if the fuel's got a bunch of junk in it, you know before you spend a bunch of time checking out a plane that can't go anywhere anyway
  4. I check all the sumps and gascolator drain at once so I don't have to juggle the GATS jar while doing the rest of the preflight
Otherwise, I usually keep the wing tie-downs attached until just before departure, a) because taking them off together at a consistent time helps me remember to do it and b) because I usually go and wash my hands after the in-depth inspection, so there's no point in taking them off just to put them back on again when you leave the immediate vicinity of the plane.
 
I use a variation of the standard routine for pre flight. I always do only my fluids first (Check oil/fuel), put the fuel tester back in it's spot, then do a slow walkaround, touching everything, (fan belts, leading edges, ailerons, etc.). Because I am not holding the fuel tester, I can use both hands.

I then walk back about 20 ft, to look at the airplane for the big picture, and silently ask myself, "Is the plane ready? Is the pilot ready?"

Works for me.
 
eaglepilot said:
I use a variation of the standard routine for pre flight. I always do only my fluids first (Check oil/fuel), put the fuel tester back in it's spot, then do a slow walkaround, touching everything, (fan belts, leading edges, ailerons, etc.). Because I am not holding the fuel tester, I can use both hands.

I then walk back about 20 ft, to look at the airplane for the big picture, and silently ask myself, "Is the plane ready? Is the pilot ready?"

Works for me.
Click to expand...

You don't check anything inside? Like AROW, fuel gauges, lights, database currency, autopilot, flaps, etc.?
 
All the above. I''m sure everyone does what I'm about to say here but I am extra sensitive to making certain all bolts are secure. A while back I found a loose nut securing the horizontal stabilizer. I also make sure to verify tire pressure AT LEAST once a week even if they look good to me when I do the walk around.
 
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