UNICOM—February 2025

Aviation Safety

Monday, February 03, 2025 at 05:00 AM ET

Verified

Edited By: Omar Filipovic

Key Takeaways:

Post-flight inspections should be expanded to include detailed checks like fluid levels, cabin organization, and crucial aircraft securing measures (parking brake, gust locks, tie-downs) to ensure safety and readiness for future flights.
Combating pilot complacency is vital, as lessons learned through errors or unsafe situations are acknowledged as the most impactful for reinforcing safety practices.
VFR flight following is a highly recommended and free tool for pilots to enhance situational awareness, simplify entry into complex airspace, and gain invaluable experience in communicating and listening to Air Traffic Control.

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Expanded Preflights

Thanks for Ryan Motte’s January 2024 article on pre-flight inspections, “Expanding Your Preflights.” I especially appreciate the sidebar on post-flight inspections, which I think are under utilized.

I’d expand your list of items to check after a flight. Of course, the extent of a post-flight we perform has a lot to do with any problems or anomalies we experienced on the way in, but a little extra attention can make getting out again a lot simpler and quicker.