I once watched a pilot perform a quickie preflight inspection of a Skyhawk at a flight school and then hop in the airplane and try to taxi out — with the tail still tied down. The red-faced pilot shut down and untied the rope as those of us on the ramp offered words of encouragement.
That’s the kind of error that will lead to some momentary embarrassment and probably nothing else. But if you overlook more vital preflight items or try to rush through this important phase of flight, you might being putting yourself and your passengers in grave danger.
