First flight in 7-8 weeks, anything special to do before startup?

Hi gang.

I've just had an instrument in the US for repair, so the -7 has been on the ground since the 16th of Nov.
This week, it'll FINALLY be back so I can get the bird in the air again.

Since the first flight summer -08, I've flown the plane with 1-2 weeks intervals, and sometimes every day.
This so the engine is run with short intervals.

Point is that the engine by now never has been sitting still so long before, so I'm wondering if there's anything special to do before startup?

Ofcourse I'll check both tanks for water, charge the battery if needed, check the engine oil, brake fluid etc, but I'm wondering if there's any other smart things to do? Prime the oil pressure sensor for example? (like you do before the very first engine start)

Maybe I schould pull the prop through 4-8 revolutions? Or maybe not to touch the prop at all?

Good ideas appreciated....

Make sure you are ready first

Alf,

I bet you have thought of this already, but my lesson learned is make sure you are ready first. Chair fly yourself through the steps necessary to fly and mentally exercise each phase with what could go wrong and what you would do. Not that I am saying anything will go wrong, I myself have been through several long downtimes, but I have found this a good step to ensure a confident safe flight.

Enjoy your return to the air...

I hadn't flown for about 6 weeks myself and the weather had gotten a lot cooler since my last flight. The only thing that surprised me was how quick I became airborne. At first I pushed the nose over staying in ground effect then I realized I was already going 80 knots. It seemed like a different airplane in that cool crisp air. I'll take that any day!

Alf, don't pull the prop through, it wipes the oil off the cylinders. Prime it and go for start.

Best,

Thanks for the inputs folks.

Just wanted you to know that the weather finally wanted to cooperate today and the flight went well.

Before start, I had installed the repaired instrument and ground-tested it with good results.
Also, I had recharged the battery, checked tire-pressure, brakefluid etc etc (you know the drill) and did a very through preflight.

Also, I spent an hour in the cockpit going through both normal and non-normal checklists, and it all felt ok.

The trusty 360 fired on the second blade and it sounded as happy as I was to finally be up'n running again.

I took my time with the groundchecks and finally the -7 and me where in the air.
With OAT at -6*C, we didn't use much RWY and soon we where at 2000' AGL crusing happy along, with a big RV-grin on this pilots face!

After a 30 min nav-route, some stalls, a 10 min aerobatic sequence and
5 t & go's, it was time to get back on the ground.

What I want to share, was that I felt I was surprisingly slow doing checklist, observing instruments and getting the "feel" of the plane again.

Thinking back, this 8 weeks is the longest period I've been on the ground since about 1977, so it wasn't strange that I felt alittle slow in the cockpit today.
This was a good lesson for me: this GA flying isn't "just" flying... it's serious business and it can bite you if you're not paying attention.
Even if it's "just a small plane", and even if it's "just VFR", it can bite you all the same...
Too long time beetween flights and you will be slower and more easily thrown off track. I think my limit is about two weeks. More than that and I'll need more time to get get comfy in the cockpit again.
It didn't used be that way, so I must be getting old....

If only the weather will cooperate this coming week, then I'll get some more hours on that -7...

Pierre: I did as you said: didn't pull the prop through...

pierre smith said:

Alf, don't pull the prop through, it wipes the oil off the cylinders. Prime it and go for start.

Best,

Click to expand...

Kinda slow evening..... so I will make an argument on the above statement......

At any given time on a 4 cylinder, 50% of the cylinders are exposed to the combustion side of the rings and are not oiled unless you have bad valve guides......

Pulling through before a start will not cause any more oil wiping than the first turn of the motor with the starter. The main reason to not pull it through is the danger of getting hit with the prop. Prime and pull will make it fire quicker. Don't bother if you don't have a primer...... pumping the throttle won't do it unless the motor is spinning at the same time.

If you tested your mag grounds during the last shut down, then a pull through can help you discover a low cylinder.

If your RV has sat for a long period of time... (you determine that) and you want to do something for your motor, then remove the top plugs and run the starter for 15 seconds (I don't have a key switch) with a 45 second rest for the starter till the oil pressure comes up. Now you have oiled everything (but the cam) without the combustion load. If you have a key switch, you should ground your mags.