10 parts of any pre-flight check that you don’t want to miss

I don’t like to memorize long checklists, because this is a good way to forget things. Pre-flight checks are usually the longest and each aircraft type has specific items. For renting pilots – like me – it requires good discipline to check the all what is required.

However there are some common points that are part of every aircraft pre-flight checklist. You don’t want to miss them, here are the reasons why

• Ignition off - you don’t want the engine to start while you inspect the aircraft. This could cost you a hand, or more
• Oil level - you don’t want to come back because of an high oil temperature or high oil pressure indication. Even if you do, you can’t add oil in a warm engine
• Cowlings free of birds nests – you don’t want a nest on fire under your engine’s cowling
• Prop free of cracks – you don’t want to loose a blade and have an unbalanced prop make your engine fly away
• No droppings – you don’t want an aircraft that can’t break, looses oil or fuel
• Tires - you don’t want a tire to explode on landing and loose control of your aircraft
• Ailerons free and opposite – you don’t want an uncontrollable aircraft, and as you really don’t want it you’ll check that during the pre-take-off check as well
• Fuel caps – you paid enough for your fuel, you don’t want it sucked out of the tanks
• Pitot / Static free – you don’t want a blocked altimeter or an airspeed indicator acting as an altimeter
• Baggage doors latched – you don’t want to have to land back because of an unlatched baggage door, nor do you want to loose it in flight

Have you noted that for almost all aircraft type, this series is organized as a gigantic flow pattern? This list does not replace the specific one published for each aircraft type… obviously.

What are your must-do items for pre-flight check?