Preflight inspection

[yxcapt]

I have been asked to speak to a group of about 50 pilots on the subject of preflight inspections.

My question to you flight instructors is where do you find weakness in pilots preflight inspections?

For example I have found that about 80 to 90 percent of the pilots that come to me for training don't bother to look at any paperwork, maintance inspection, airworthiness cert. registration and the like.

Any tips or techniques that you have found that work exceptually well when coving the inspection, would be a help.

I have been a CFI for about 20 years and have my own ideas, but there is all ways a better mouse trap. Your thoughts are appreaciated!

[FormationFlyer]

Hi,

OK I'm a newly qualifed FI(A)(r) with ~550hrs frozen ATPL...this is my views..

oh apologies for being a/c type specific in places - but these are (i imagine) typical across many a/c types.

. .Paperwork - yeah - checks are non-existent. Most importantly they fail to fully examine the defects list and hours remaining on the a/c.

Other big missing points are - control checks:

o Hinges are not properly checked - particularly the 4-6 bolts which hold them on

o Control rods are also not checked much

o On the PA28 few pilots check for undue movement in the stabilator - trying to wiggle is from side to side and vertially up/down (not moving the surface - but checking its attachment). I was taught this as a PPL and always did it - recently it was brought hone to me on one a/c at a club I fly at where the side-side check produce a 2" movement - no surprise it went to engineering rather quickly having been grounded. What was worrying was that the day before it had flown three times.

o Also on a/c types such as the PA28 warrior(where fitted) & PA34 people dont operate the pitot-static system drains.

o The baggage compartments dont get checked - especially on PA34.

o alternator belts are rarely checked - especially when easily accessible.

o WORST thing about pre-flight inspec - people tightening up the oil filler way too tight - which results in the base of the filler tube becoming lose - allowing oil to seep.

o Sometimes an attitude is 'oil is low but I dont know how to do it and cant be bothered to ask - oh it will be alright...' and thus throughout the day(s) the situation just deteriorates.

And worse of ALL. And I mean WORST. Is a reluctance by clubs to let pilots LOG ALL DEFECTS NO MATTER WHAT.

A defect *is* a defect. From 2 clubs I teach at they dont like me logging deferred defects as 'this grounds the a/c'. Rubbish. Unless the defect is listed on the Mimimum equipment list or is likely to affect flight safety it does NOT affect the serviceability of the a/c - thats why 'acceptable defects' exist!

Instead the clubs prefer 'post-it notes' or lose sheets of paper - which I as a pilot find TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE.

I really do believe this practice MUST be stopped by the CAA - because sooner or later it will kill someone and that is not an attitude I am prepared to suffer - and yes the clubs find it antognistic - but tough. Its me having to fly the aircraft not them.

Anyway..sorry to end on such a sour note but I believe it is probably the most important and least solved problem.

TTFN

[FormationFlyer]

Thinking on, regarding tips...

I always keep some fuel in the drainer between drain valves - the reasoning I was given by another instructor during my BCPL is that in doing so the likelyhood of getting water from all three (or however many) drain valves is highly improbable - and thus should you get just water from one it will be instantly identifyable.

The theory works - always done it - but never found any tank provide a 'water only sample' yet.

Hope this helps,. .FF

[MJR]

I agree with much of FF's comments I would add that with some students complacency sets in quite quickly and items are over looked.

Perhaps on the human factor side, I think some students think because they have got an instructor sat next to them that any oversight in checking will be corrected by him/her before a problem manifests.

Another strange one is, the student seems to rush through checking particularly pre-start, because they are concerned by the fact that you are bored of seeing this done numerous times before!

[A and C]

Check that the student knows what they are looking at some of them cant tell the diferance between a mag and a vac pump......and whos fault is it ?

Yes its us as instructors who dont spend enough time on this stuff.

[BlueLine]

Most pilots I come accross do not know where to find the Check A listed, why you should not turn an engine backwards, or what the shut down Mag Check is for.

[tacpot]

Have to agree with A&C's comment - my instructor didn't ever consolidate the pre-flight check with me, AND the examiner didn't accompany me on the pre-flight check before my skill test. <img src="eek.gif" border="0">

I HOPE that this was due to the school's staff's knowledge of the thoroughness of my pre-flight checking, but without accompanying me on the check, how do they KNOW I'm being thorough?

Often people accept a situation when it is not wise to do so, because their instructor has accepted it in the past! If the instructor sets high standards, the majority of students will learn them and these good habits will become ingrained.

Hope your talk goes well, this is an excellent area to raise people's awareness of.

[ 28 February 2002: Message edited by: tacpot ]</p>

[A and C]

I find the worst problem is when an atractive girl is the student then the technical stuff gets totaly forgotten when you add the fact that the girl probably has very little mechanical background to start with then you are on to an uphill strugle.

this normaly means that i have to take these people to the engineering hangar as an "iron drawing" is worth a thousand words and the engineers tea is the best on the airfield.

What i have found is that once the average girl student gets a grip on the technical stuff then there is a real effort made to get into every last detail.

the best example of this was when an examiner asked a student that i had been teaching "what controls the alternator ?" expecting the answer to be "one side of the red master switch" but no she went on to give him a lecture on DC voltage control !.