Quad City Challenger pre-flight, suggested preflight check list for Quad City Challenger light sport and ultralight aircraft.
|
|
|
|
|
Preflight Inspection and Checklist
This list is an outline of the process I go through preparing
the plane for departure through takeoff and climbout.
It looks like a lot of stuff but it takes a lot less time to do it than it does to read it. Many of the items are simple eyeballing to ensure that things are as they should be. |
|
An
example is the many notations to inspect the torque seal (aka red nail polish)
on fasteners. To the right of each item are notes related to what I do about
each item (unless it's obvious).
The challenge with inspections like this, particularly after one has done it for
a while, is to maintain the ability to actually see what you are looking at.
When a process becomes routine and you start doing it more quickly, it's natural
and easy to start looking at things without critically observing what you're
seeing. That's when things start to get missed. I find it helps maintain
concentration to actually put my hand or a finger on each item as I walk around
the plane whenever possible; help keep focused. As ever on this site, if you
find an error or omission, please let me know about it. Thanks.
Preflight Walk a round
Remove pitot tube cover and install pitot tube
|
|
Pitot tube is on tip of nose cone and is
removable; opening is plugged and flagged when not in use. |
| Inspect nose cone and windshield for
condition, security, cleanliness |
|
Give the nose a gentle wiggle to ensure it's
firmly attached. Check the windshield for cracks especially at the rivets.
Check for visibility through the bugs. |
| Inspect yaw string for condition and
security |
|
Securely attached and not fraying |
| Inspect nose gear shaft for play, condition |
|
Wiggle it in all directions to check for
play, inspect for visible damage or misalignment. Rotate it and listen and
feel for binding or drag in the linkage or cables. |
| Inspect rudder pedal pivot bolts, front
cables, and fittings |
|
Check the torque seal on the nuts for
movement, wiggle everything and look for looseness, inspect for wear and
chafe |
| Inspect nose gear tire for inflation,
condition |
|
Spin it and listen to the bearings; wiggle
it to check the bearings for play and inspect for leaking grease |
| Inspect VHF antenna and gap seal for
security and condition |
|
Give it the gentle wiggle test. Eyeball the
rivets for cracks starting |
| Inspect seatbelt attach bolts for security |
|
Yank on the belt attach brackets, look for
movement |
| Inspect rear seat belts for security (if not
to be used) |
|
The rear seat belts need to be securely
cinched up and tied down if you don't have doors. Otherwise they'll flail
around back there and tear stuff up. |
| Inspect VOR/LOC antenna for security |
|
Give the whole unit the wiggle test. Check
that the rods are securely screwed into the body of the antenna |
| Inspect left main gear, cables, and brakes
for security, condition, inflation |
|
This includes eyeballing the drag and cross
cables, bouncing the plane and watching for movement in any part, fitting,
or fastener, checking tire condition and inflation (by eyball or gauge if in
doubt), the bearing for play or grease leaks, the axle nut for movement at
the torque seal, and checking the hydraulic lines and fittings for chafe
and/or leakage |
| Inspect belly strobe head for condition and
security |
|
Wiggle gently, check for obscuring gook or
bugs |
| Inspect lift strut inboard brackets and
bolts for security |
|
Grab the inboard end of the struts and try
to wiggle the bracket. Look and listen for any sign of movement. Check
torque seal on nuts. |
| Inspect lift and jury struts for condition
and security |
|
Check tubing for any damage (did the line
kid back the tractor into one of the struts when he was parking it last
night?) wiggle all the jury struts and check for movement at the rivets and
joints. Check torque seal on all nuts. |
| Inspect lift strut outboard attach brackets
and bolts for security |
|
Same deal as inboard, grab strut, wiggle,
check for movement. Check torque seal. |
| Inspect wing, wingtip, and nav light for
condition |
|
A visual once-over for signs of damage since
last use (did the line kid smack the wing with the Navion's tiptank cause he
was too lazy to walk over and check the clearance?) |
| Inspect left aileron and hinges for
condition and play |
|
Look at each hinge as you wiggle the aileron
up and down gently. See if anything moves that shouldn't. |
| Inspect airleron pushrods for condition,
security, and play |
|
Push, pull, and wiggle. Look for movement
that shouldn't be there. Make sure the pin clips are in place and secure. |
| Inspect rear gap seal for security |
|
Just a visual once over. The corners are
riveted; any cracks starting? The edges are secured with velcro; check that
it's still sticking and holding things together. |
| Inspect engine mounts and bolts for
condition and security |
|
Push, pull, wiggle, look for movement. Check
the torque seal on the bolts. |
| Inspect starter, cables, and wiring
harnesses for security and condition |
|
Push, pull, wiggle; check torque seal. Wire
bundles chafing on anything? Some GPL starter housings have developed cracks
at the mounting bolts; check there. |
| Remove cover and inspect air cleaner for
condition and security |
|
Clamps tight, safeties in place |
| Inspect carburetor mounting and boots for
condition and security |
|
Push, pull, wiggle. Clamps tight. Boots in
good shape (no cracks). Torque seal on cap screws. |
| Inspect cooling shroud sheet metal screws
for security |
|
Eyeball the torque seal |
| Inspect redrive pulleys and belt for
security, condition, and tension |
|
Visual inspection looking for any sign of
wear, cracking, abrasion (black dust collecting in the area) Torque seal on
lower pulley bolt. Check lower pulley flanges for security. Grab the big nut
and the spinner - push, pull, wiggle, and twist looking and feeling for
movement or play. Pull the prop through a couple of compressions. Look,
listen, and feel for anything new or unusual. |
| Inspect rear crank seal for condition
(leaks) |
|
Eyeball behind the lower pulley on the
underside of the crank. Some grease squeezing out is normal in the first 25
hours or so. If you find much after that or if it starts dripping wet stuff,
that's a leak. |
| Inspect propeller for security and condition |
|
Run fingers along leading edge, feel for
nicks, chips. Eyeball the whole thing looking for nicks, scratches, gouges,
delamination. Wiggle gently fore and aft at the tips, feel for play in the
bolts or bearings. |
| Inspect spinner for security |
|
Wiggle and check the torque seal. |
| Inspect dorsal fin for security |
|
Push, pull, and wiggle. Torque seal on
bolts. Look for movement of the brackets. Check fabric in this area. It gets
blasted by the propwash (and anything picked up by the propwash) pretty
good. |
| Inspect xponder antenna for security
|
|
Wiggle gently. See if it's clean or if it's
gotten bent. |
| Inspect elevator bellcrank and pushrods for
security and condition |
|
Push, pull, wiggle, check the torque seal.
Look down inside at the lower pivots too. Check the rivets on the push rods. |
| Inspect stabilizer struts, brackets and
bolts for security and condition |
|
Push, pull, wiggle. Check torque seal, look
for loose rivets, movement of the tube or the brackets. |
| Inspect elevator hinges, control horns, and
balljoints for security and condition |
|
Push, pull, and wiggle. Check the pins,
safeties, and the rivets. If bolted, check the torque seal. |
| Inspect rudder hinges, control horns, and
cables for security and condition |
|
Same deal as the elevators |
| Inspect strobe head for condition and
security |
|
Wiggle gently, check for obscuring gook or
bugs |
| Inspect exhaust manifold, pipe, springs,
bolts, and muffler for security and condition |
|
Push, pull, and wiggle. Eyeball the springs
for breaks and check the safety wire. Eyeball the bracket bolts for wear.
Torque seal on manifold cap screws. |
| Inspect fuel filter sump for water or other
contamination |
|
And do something about it if you find it.... |
| Inspect ground cables, sensors, and wiring
for condition and security |
|
Push, pull, wiggle, check torque seal, look
for chafe |
| Visually inspect fuel level |
|
And while you've got the door open, eyeball
the cables and wiring that you can see |
| Inspect fuel filler cap and breather for
condition and security |
|
Like making sure you put it back on after
fueling. |
| Inspect fire extinguisher for condition and
security |
|
Eyeball the gauge, check the velcro
fasteners |
| Inspect right wing, aileron, hinges, lights,
struts, bolts and brackets, main gear, brakes, rudder pedal bolts, fittings,
and cables. |
|
Just like on the other side |
| Remove ballistic chute safety pin |
|
And eyeball the bracket and handle for
security. DON'T push pull and/or wiggle after the pin is out! |
Prestart
| Brief passenger |
|
How to get in and out, what to expect, what
to touch, push on, or pull on (and not) |
| Belts and harnesses secure |
|
Double check the passenger's belts before
you get in especially if pax is a child. Show them how to tighten and how to
release |
| Cockpit (loose objects) secure |
|
Check for anything that could get loose and
especially anything that could get out and get into the prop. Brief
passenger on the importance of this. |
| Intercom function (if carrying passenger) |
|
Talk to me, Goose |
| Flight controls free and correct |
|
Look, listen, and feel for anything out of
the ordinary |
| Boost pump on |
|
|
| Strobes on |
|
|
| Master switch on |
|
Confirm function of boost pump and strobes |
| Check system voltage |
|
12.5V + or - and fluctuating as strobes
cycle |
| Throttle closed |
|
|
| Choke as needed |
|
|
| Clear prop |
|
|
After Starting
Brakes set
|
|
If on pavement. On grass, the plane usually
won't roll below 3000-3500. |
| Avionics master on |
|
Since this switch turns on the EIS among
other things, it can't be turned on until the engine is running or the tach
function on the EIS won't work |
| 2400 until 100° + CHT |
|
2400 or any similiar RPM that results in
smooth idle |
| Confirm postive rate of charge |
|
The ability to do this is one reason I like
to have an ammeter on the panel |
| Confirm system voltage |
|
13.8 to 14.5V peak with engine running,
depending on load. |
| X ponder to standby |
|
|
| Confirm Turn coordinator power up |
|
|
| GPS on, confirm function |
|
|
| Radio on |
|
|
| Altimeter set |
|
To field elevation or by AWOS, ATIS etc. If
by ATIS, confirm field elevation after setting as check on instrument
calibration. |
| 3000 RPM till 5 min and/or CHT 190° + |
|
In cold weather, CHT temps may not come up
fully; in that case, maintain 3000 for 5 min |
| 3500 RPM for ignition check |
|
EIS tach may not function on one ignition
module. Do it by ear. |
| Confirm temps, sound, and feel of engine
normal and within parameters |
|
This is your final awareness check, by
instruments and feel, that everything's good to go. |
| Lights as needed |
|
|
Taxi Checks
| Compass, confirm function |
|
Confirm free movement in turns, alignment
with runway heading and taxiways perpendicular to it |
| Turn coordinator, confirm function |
|
Shallow 'S' turns. Also useful to monitor
nosewheel and steering linkage function and condition. |
Pre-TakeoffTakeoff Roll
| Full Throttle, Confirm full power RPM |
|
Smoothly, to avoid shock loads on the belt.
|
| ASI, confirm function |
|
|
Climb out
| To 500' AGL |
|
Monitor temps and power. In event of abort,
MAINTAIN AIRSPEED; land straight ahead on remaining runway if possible; or
shallow turns ONLY for off-airport landing. NO TURNS TO RETURN TO FIELD
UNTIL AT LEAST 500' AGL |
Click here for other tips
|
|
|
|
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
14
Index for this section. Main Index |
|
|
 |
|
Ultralight Aircraft News Web Magazine EMAIL for l Information.
No part of this
publication may be copied or distributed, transmitted, transcribed,
stored in a retrieval system, or translated into any human or computer
language, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical,
manual, or otherwise, without written permission of Ultralight Aircraft News.
By copying or paraphrasing the intellectual
property on this site, you're automatically signing a binding contract
and agreeing to be billed $10,000 payable immediately. Copyright Ultralight News
|
|