Post-Maintenance Preflight Tips

brakes and control locks for example. But after mechanics have been pawing around in it

Tuesday, May 22, 2018 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

Pilots hold final responsibility for airworthiness and must conduct exceptionally thorough preflight inspections after maintenance, as aircraft just out of the shop, especially after complex work like annuals, have a higher risk of safety issues.
A critical step is reviewing maintenance records to understand what was done, followed by meticulously checking all affected systems—including flight controls, fuel, hydraulics, electrical, and seating—for proper installation and function.
The first flight post-maintenance should be planned for good VFR weather, involve careful operational checks during taxi, run-up, and flight to verify normal behavior, and prioritize safety over extensive maneuvering, with readiness to abort if problems arise.

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When discussing preflight inspections, I sometimes hear pilots remark, “I don’t know what I am looking for.” That’s unfortunate, because the pilot is the final authority regarding the aircraft’s airworthiness. As a pilot, you have the responsibility to accept the aircraft as-is and be on your merry way or reject it as unsuitable if something isn’t right. Since it’s up to you to determine if something isn’t right, you probably should at least know a few things to look for.