Pre PreFlight

[aviatoreb]

Do any of you folks do your preflight say the evening before an early am start?  Since I live about a mile and a half from the airport, and I spend more time there than I care to admit, I am usually over at the hangar the day before a bigger cross county doing something or other, I suppose checking fuel integrity, and all major systems the evening before, for an airplane in a hangar might be okay and a nice time saver for a timely departure the next day.  Several people around here, including my original ppl cfi do this practice, but I have not - I don't have a good reason not specifically - I know in principle something could change in the 12 hours before departure....  I would like to hear your thoughts.

[Mooneymite]

Big difference if your airplane is locked in its own hangar, or if it is in a common hangar.

 

IMHO, if it's locked in a hangar only you have access to, you can do 90% of your preflight the night before.  In a common hangar, I wouldn't leave anything to chance....nothing.

[Rwsavory]

I live and work about 15-20 min from the airport. I usually stop by the hangar the day before a cross-country flight. Put things in their place, check gas, oil, clean windshield, etc. I don't think there is going to be a material change in 12 hours, unless a very drastic change in weather causes condensation in a partially full tank. Not a factor with us, as we keep them full. I do a final walk around on flying day. Doing the preflight ahead of time let's me concentrate on passengers and weather on flying day. Now if you are tied down, that's a whole 'nother kettle of fish.

[jnisley]

Normally I do a post flight inspection that starts with a mag check before shutdown, this includes checking lights, flaps etc. that way issues can be addressed in a non hurried manner.

Before the first flight of the day I do a preflight that focuses on safety of flight.

I also like to take side panels off and do a lower engine inspection before or after cross country flights.

When away from home even after a brief stop I always like to walk around the plane and look into the tanks before continuing flight.

We have a private hanger so having our plane messed with is unlikely but possible.

[flyboy0681]

I tried this a while back and what was strange was the morning of my trip, I just couldn't get into the plane without pre-flighting again, even though I did it some 10 hours previous. I guess it's a habit from the past 30+ years that I can't just can't shake, which is a good thing.

[aviatoreb]

I tried this a while back and what was strange was the morning of my trip, I just couldn't get into the plane without pre-flighting again, even though I did it some 10 hours previous. I guess it's a habit from the past 30+ years that I can't just can't shake, which is a good thing.

 

Agreed completely about a tie-down/group hangar, private hangar scenario - I have a private t.

 

Ok - yeah I live like 5 min from the airport.  I just loaded up my bike in the plane, dragged her out to the fuel farm and filled up - I drag by hand still but its right across from my t-hangar, ran the whole preflight list, nice and slow on a beautiful evening, and now I am home.

 

I wonder if I will do like you flyboy?  Will I walk around the airplane once, jump in and go, or will I feel compulsive and run the full preflight list again? :-)  I'm taking bets.

[M016576]

Preflight only takes a couple minutes... I normally wait until right before departure. Gives me something to do while my passengers "adjust gross weight" prior to hopping in....

[aviatoreb]

Preflight only takes a couple minutes... I normally wait until right before departure. Gives me something to do while my passengers "adjust gross weight" prior to hopping in....

 

But what if I am the one adjusting gross weight?  Can I have the passengers do the preflight for me?

[carusoam]

Load up, fill up and full pre-flight the day before... Abbreviated pre-flight and always check full level and sump again the following morning...

This way I feal better both times...

Best regards,

-a-

[David Mazer]

I'll load baggage and put fuel in but the rest I'll do in the morning, even if I've done it the night before.  I just do.  I also like to allow the fuel to sit a little while to allow the water to settle if there is any, and water is extremely rare.  For really long flights, I fill the tanks the night before and then top them off in the morning.  No matter what I do, I can always add about 5 gal more fuel in the morning.  To reduce the time, I'll sometimes put the extra 5 gal in a gas can and have it ready to pour in the tanks.  There seems to be a lot of administrative overhead in getting the fuel going from the pump (authorizing the credit card, grounding the plane, pulling out the hose, putting the hose back, putting the ground cable back, etc.).

[Mike A]

I am like you where I live 5 min from the airport so if am taking off in the early morning hours or going on an extended trip I will do a thorough preflight the day before as well as get my fuel, top off the oil etc when it is in the daylight and in a more laid back atmosphere rather than trying to poke around with a flashlight during the rush of the morning while trying to get out and stay on schedule. Also, it is much better to find any potential no-go issues far enough in advance that I can change plans (aka climbing in the car for whatever trip) without a lot of headache. In my opinion, you can tell if anything has changed fairly easy even in the dark. I still do a full preflight before I leave, but knowing that I don't have to worry about the fuel, oil, and show stoppers when I arrive at the crack of dawn allows me sleep better (and normally a few minutes longer) the night before. And let's be honest, who doesn't love spending extra time with their birds anyway.

[M016576]

Load up, fill up and full pre-flight the day before... Abbreviated pre-flight and always check full level and sump again the following morning...

This way I feal better both times...

Best regards,

-a-

Out of curiosity, what's the difference between your "abbreviated pre-flight" and "full pre-flight"?

[Oscar Avalle]

I always like to do a preflight the day of my trip. Specially if I am taking a passenger. I think that it gives them a better sense of safety and relaxes them if they see me going around the plane checking oil, fuel, etc. Now having said that I always try to get to my hangar the day before the trip (I have a private hangar) to check that I am fueled up, oil level is OK, windshield is clean, the interior of the plane is clean and the cabin is prepared for my passenger (headsets, etc.). If you call that a pre-preflight then I do one too.

[Jeff_S]

So it's a consensus: we all like to spend way too much time with our birds, checking them the night before and then again before flight. I figure the peace of mind that is brought by an extra five minutes going through the pre-flight is worth every penny. And I am like that other poster that really just CAN'T fire up the engine for the first time of the day without a pre-flight...it gives me the heebie-jeebies.

 

On subsequent flights, I just make sure there is no obvious oil dripping anywhere and everything looks good. Although this bit me on Saturday, as I had pulled into Anniston AL to pick up an Angel Flight passenger. The lineman chocked my front wheel and I didn't notice it, and of course didn't catch it on my abbreviated pre-flight. So here I am with the plane all fired up and ready to go, and can't move. I HATE THAT!  Easy fix, but it looks so unprofessional.

[RJBrown]

Early morning departures. Walk around, Load luggage, fuel as needed, oil level, prepare oxygen system, preheat on if needed. No electricity at plane so a generator must be left on for preheat. Do not like early morning surprises. Normal preflight next morning. If I cant make it out the night before then I use propane preheat instead of plug in. Then I have more time than I need for a preflight.

[merrja]

I always preflight right before I fly.... mud dauber in the pitot, bird in the cowling, quick shower that lets H2O by a gas cap,  ect...... I think it's just a good habit.

[scottfromiowa]

Sump tanks. Visual walk around to confirm pitot, cowl plugs and tail towel...anti bird nest devise are removed. Check oil, clean windshield. Check prop when I pull cowl plugs. Check gear when I sump/dip tanks for quantity. This is maybe a five minute exercise. Once in plane setting clock, checking atis and setting fuel level on JPI are a minute. Post start checking brakes and flight controls another minute. I admit that I do not always drain center sump. More worried about it sticking and leaking than contaminated fuel in lines as my start up run up taxi is long enough to drain before departure. I have checked by timing how long after fuel shutoff to starvation...nice to call FBO and say plug her in and add ___ per side. I know she is clean because that is how we leave her. A flat tire will hopefully be caught by FBO when they pull out to fuel...since upgrading tubes tire pressure has been spot on.

[Super Dave]

While working through my certificates and ratings I would always use the preflight, in a Zen sort of way, as a time to clear my head of distractions and mentally prepare for the flight. Maybe this is why it doesn't feel right for some people to do the preflight the night before. It's not that we are worried that the brake pads have gotten to thin over night, it's that looking at the brake pads is one of the many steps that helps us "get in the zone" and feel like we are ready to act like a pilot.

When flight instructing, and now as a corporate pilot, I'm almost always getting into an airplane that someone else has pre-flighted, so i've found other rituals that get me ready to fly. Now, when taking the family on a trip, I'll frequently do a complete preflight in our locked hanger the evening before departure. I think that I'm more methodical, and my routine is less likely to be interrupted if my family isn't sitting there waiting for me.

[aviatoreb]

While working through my certificates and ratings I would always use the preflight, in a Zen sort of way, as a time to clear my head of distractions and mentally prepare for the flight. Maybe this is why it doesn't feel right for some people to do the preflight the night before. It's not that we are worried that the brake pads have gotten to thin over night, it's that looking at the brake pads is one of the many steps that helps us "get in the zone" and feel like we are ready to act like a pilot.

 

Hello from Michigan!  Good flight today.

 

I am slower in preflight checking everything at a certain pace than just about anyone I know...oh well...I'm good with that.  Dave, I love the way you said that.  Turns out....I preflighted the airplane anyway, even though I did it last night.  I was calling it compulsive habit to recheck, but I love the way you said it Dave.  Getting into the Zen zone.

[Jamie]

I don't see how you can NOT do a pre-pre flight IF you only fly once a week or so.

 

Dunno about the rest of you, but I have covers on my wheels that pretty much prevent checking air pressure without removing them. So just to check the tire pressure is a 10 minute job (get the creeper, get on the creeper, pull up to the tire, unscrew three screws, check. And we haven't gotten the air compressor out yet, because we're just, you know, checking at this point.) I'm not saying this happens every time I go flying, but I check before a long trip if I haven't flown in a while.

 

It takes me 5 minutes just to clean the windows (ok, they're new and I'm cautious, but still... 5 windows, 1 minute per window, avg).

 

A pre-preflight allows time to correct the unexpected. It also should allow the actual preflight to go faster (assuming the plane is kept in a locked hangar, which I have).

 

In fact, pre-preflight is a lousy term. It's like pre-meeting meeting. How about "assurance check" or the "fix-it-now-before-your-pax-have-to-wait-while-you-fix-it" inspection.

 

and yes, aviatoreb... My preflights take foreever too. I try to treat each pre-flight like my airplane was sabotaged and I have to find the problem. I also happen to like looking at my plane.

[carusoam]

M,

There essentially the same, done twice. The advantage, I can sleep well the night before, knowing things are ready to go. Then pre-flight prior to the flight expecting no issues.

More work, better sleep.

Best regards,

-a-

[bd32322]

I have arrived at the airport for an evening flight with the landing light out and no access to a spare bulb. Disappointing when that happens. Definitely have started doing a post-flight by checking mags, lights, alternator etc. Also clean leading edges and glass.

 

This is technically a pre-pre-pre-flight   During the winter months only, I do a pre-pre-flight when I show up to turn on the pre-heater - fuel, look around, fill air if necessary etc. During warmer months - I just do a normal pre-flight if I have done a post-flight already.

[Hank]

I always clean bugs off the leading edges before putting her to sleep at night. They're easier to get off before they harden up, and a smooth, clean laminar wing flies much better. This is a warm-weather-only requirement. Sometimes I even get motivated to clean the side windows after doing the front.

 

Now that I have a cell switch, I don't drive to the airport the day before anymore. Preflight inside a cold hangar isn't fun no matter when it is done. I do monitor snowfall so I know if I need to report early to shovel out the hangar door to reach the taxiway or not.

 

So I guess I'm anal about putting her into the hangar ready-to-go, which keeps me from needing to go out the night before to make sure she's ready. Very little happens inside the hangar with noone around but the elves. Also, now that we have a 24-hour fuel pump, I don't need to visit during working hours to fill up either. I conduct a pre-flight before flying each day, give it a walk-around before other departures, sumping fuel when needed; I do a runup before every departure, every time.