You Can’t Rush Things

Elaine Kauh

Monday, December 19, 2022 at 10:58 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

Comprehensive preflight action, as mandated by regulations like §91.103, often requires going beyond basic checks and navigating dispersed information sources to ensure all "must-haves" are covered.
Critical flight information, particularly NOTAMs and TFRs, may not be explicitly listed in primary regulations and often requires consulting multiple, specialized electronic sources to avoid unexpected hazards.
Pilots should anticipate encountering unforeseen issues during preflight, such as fuel discrepancies or hidden TFRs, necessitating careful, compliant adjustments to flight plans and thorough decision-making for safety.

See a mistake? Contact us.

Flying in the system is about, well, flying, and not so much about checking the boxes of 14 CFR Part 91-fill-in-the-blank. Yet the rules are always in the background, directing your tasks. You (usually) don’t check the regulations; moreover, they’re in different places in the rulebook, or in a different book altogether. And, they’re in different places in the rulebook, or in a different book. Wording may vary. Still, you do know how to cover the must-haves off the top of your head—you think.

Getting Started