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POSTING RULES

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View Poll Results: Have you ever caught a problem during pre-flight?
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Nope, never found any issues.
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20 |
6.21% |
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Yes, only minor issues
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134 |
41.61% |
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Yes, and once was an issue that could have cause major problems.
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89 |
27.64% |
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Yes, and more than once I have caught major issues.
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79 |
24.53% |

10-24-2011, 03:28 PM
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Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Canby OR
Posts: 119
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Checklist, checklist, checklist!
I thought I was religious about preflight until one day I offered to give a policeman friend a quick ride before putting the plane away... We jsut jumped in and I was more concerned about getting him set up with a head-set and seat etc. that I forgot to do even a walk arround.
When I fired up a friend came running over waving his arms, signaling to me to shut down.... I had left the tow bar on the nose-wheel!
You got to value friends like that!
Now even if I have just made a fuel stop I still do a quick walk around before getting in. And I always, always, always do a thorough pre-flight!
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10-25-2011, 06:53 PM
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Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Huntsville, AL
Posts: 89
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Problems...
Sort of off the subject, but I ran an aircraft battle damage repair team for the Air Force a thousand years ago (or so). When we weren't fixing battle damage we were working on F-4s and later, F-16s. On more than one occasion we'd do a toolbox inventory and discover a screwdriver or a wrench missing. Sure enough, we'd find it inside an access panel or, even more dramatically, once about three feet inside the left intake of an F-4. A FOD'ed out engine just waiting to happen. With RVer's doing the work on our own aircraft, just something to think about. In practice, we'd shadow the toolboxes so a visual inspection was really pretty straightforward.
__________________
Jay Staub
Lt. Col., USAF, Ret.
N6565S Reserved
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10-25-2011, 07:12 PM
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Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Sweden, 67" North
Posts: 68
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Working as a licensed Engineer on the SAAB 2000 Airliner, common things during walk around: Missing static dischargers, flat spots on wheels, leaking oleos, dents from bird strikes, fuel leaks from bad seals in drain ports, etc, most of them not serious enough to by itself cause a crash, but they might contribute to one of the holes in the Swiss cheese they always are talking about on human factor courses
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swiss_cheese_model
/Dennis
__________________
Dennis Isaksson
G?llivare, Sweden
Grew up with an RV-4, SE-XIO
Now: RV-8, Showplanes Fastback. #83218 Under construction, SE-XXO
Engine and avionic installation in progress
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10-25-2011, 08:02 PM
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Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Winnipeg, Canada
Posts: 214
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On two separate occasions:
1. I found a metal strap had come loose in the engine compartment of the rental Cherokee I was about to take up. No big deal. I showed it to the mechanic and he took care of it.
2. Mag check was showing a larger drop in RPMs than I expected at run-up so I taxiied back and shut down. The school's owner came out to check it out. It was fine. I felt a little silly but I'm still glad I came back to be sure.
On a different occasion, it was more a preflight of my own person at my PPL flight test. I had just sat down and buckled in and the examiner got in and buckled in and then I realized that in my nervousness, I left my sunglasses on the counter in the flight school. This was a Cherokee so you know that I'd have to make him get out but it was also late afternoon/early evening and the sun was getting lower and making a landing or finding key points on the horizon with the sun in your face is a pain. I thought for a moment - do I risk pissing off the examiner or do what I can to have the best flight possible? I apologized and asked him if I could run in and get my sunglasses. .... I got my sunglasses and aced my flight test.
Cheers,
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07-12-2018, 01:09 PM
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Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: North Brunswick, NJ
Posts: 165
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Quote:
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I thought for a moment - do I risk pissing off the examiner or do what I can to have the best flight possible? I apologized and asked him if I could run in and get my sunglasses. .... I got my sunglasses and aced my flight test.
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Thats ok. On my private pilot exam, during the pre-flight, the audio from the DPE's headset was low. We could have managed to get through the exam, but I decided I didn't want the extra stress on top of the usual private pilot exam.. I decided to shut down and get a different C150. The FBO happily charged me the 0.1 hours of rental time .. but it meant less chance of needing another $300 exam with the DPE.
I found a leaking wing tank in my old RV-6A.. very slow leak, but enough to cause blue streaks. It was just the inspection panel's cork gasket..
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07-12-2018, 01:45 PM
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Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Boulder, CO
Posts: 4,435
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Once I was visiting friends, a flying couple, and the guy followed me around while I was preflighting for our departure, talking. Annoying but I didn't say anything. Then after I'd closed a large cowl access door, he opened it to talk about something.
I lit into him about opening panels after I've closed them on preflight. The amazing thing was he was an instructor pilot at a major airline.
Dave
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07-12-2018, 01:59 PM
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Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Mansfield TX
Posts: 339
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New Plane Stored Outside
In the 90's I got a lead on a Cessna Hawk XP II up in Michigan that was for sale; low hours and in great condition. It would be my first airplane purchase so I was pretty excited. I coordinated with a reputable on-field A&P shop to do a pre-purchase which went fine; several squawks were noted and fixed. I received a report that the airplane flew very well! I flew up commercially, hot check in hand. The airplane had been stored outside during the Michigan winter but was now inside a nice warm executive hangar for my inspection. Prior to moving it outside for my inaugural flight I did my newly-minted-pilot walk-around with Cessna checklist in hand. Eventually I sumped the tanks but the liquid was clear and did not smell much like fuel. That's strange I thought. The mechanic had a look and we both agreed, that is strange. Sumped again, and again, and again, and again. Nothing but clear water. The quick drains were removed and over a gallon of water was removed from each tank. That's what we caught in the bucket, the rest on the floor. The wing tank bladders were both replaced at some cost to the owner and I purchased it and flew it home. During the VFR flight home the AI and VSI went TU.
1st note to self: Remember, ice has a hard time getting through a quick drain.
2nd note to self: Reputable A&P shops are not always.
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07-12-2018, 03:15 PM
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Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Anacortes, WA
Posts: 823
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pre flight
Pre-Flight is not merely an exercise. In the past I have found:
Baby birds chirping on top of the oil cooler.
Brake fluid leak on the floor.
Fuel leak on floor from wing port.
Unlatched cowl fastener.
__________________
Steve Lynn
RV-7A
Flying Phase I
Anacortes, WA
www.mykitlog.com/sglynn
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07-12-2018, 04:19 PM
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Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Baton Rouge, LA
Posts: 671
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Tie downs and wasps
I told a pax to wait in the FBO once so I could preflight without distractions. Left the wing tiedowns connected while I went to fetch my friend because a jet was warming up in front of me. I looked pretty silly when the slack in those chains ran out and we came to a sudden stop. Flailing linemen were coming at me from several directions, but I noticed too late.
Recently completed the annual on my 6a and found a pretty good sized wasp nest under the stabilizer/fuse fairing. Told a ramp mate about it and he said he had recently found one in the air vent inlet of his 152. Don't think my wasps would have gotten into the cabin, but he might have had a real problem on takeoff had he not discovered the nest. So, I've started checking the cabin air vents on preflight during those hot spring and summer months. John
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07-12-2018, 04:41 PM
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Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Anchorage, Alaska
Posts: 457
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Oh Yeah
1. Leaking fuel tank, 172
2. Cracked Spinner, 172
3. Rental Plane following inspection, half of the cowling fasteners not installed.
4. Trailing edge of left wing bent upwards 5 inches, aileron bent following Moose rubbing velvet off antlers (my plane, $14,000 to fix)
5. Fuel dripping from engine, bowl loose on carb, failure to install correct washer following maintenance
6. Hole in float
List goes on and on...
__________________
Burke Wick
Flying RV 8
Anchorage, Alaska
VAF Dues Paid for 2020
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