Preflight Inspections

Aircraft manufacturers would have us perform a recommended preflight inspection before every flight. Sometimes, that’s necessary and appropriate, especially when we’re unfamiliar with the airplane, it’s a rental and/or we find something on a cursory examination making us want to dive down deeper into determining whether the airplane really is airworthy. On the other side of the coin, you may want to go far beyond the handbook’s recommendations. One example is when the airplane is just out of the maintenance shop. The trick is knowing how close a look the aircraft really needs One answer is experience, but that’s not something all of us have in abundance.

Key Takeaways:

• Pre-flight inspections should be adapted to circumstances, requiring more rigor for unfamiliar aircraft, post-maintenance flights, or specific aircraft types, and potentially less for quick turnarounds after a recent flight.
• A comprehensive pre-flight extends beyond external checks to include a "big picture" view, consideration of operational history, and a detailed examination of the cockpit, instruments, and safety equipment.
• Pilots should exercise increased vigilance, especially after maintenance, and conduct the pre-flight inspection alone to avoid distractions and ensure personal accountability for thoroughness.

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