Always check your flight controls BEFORE starting your engine

[Ron Garret]

I dutifully followed the checklist, which called for checking flight
controls free and correct after starting the engine. After fifteen
years of flying never having had any problems with the flight controls,
today I was in the runup area and found that my right rudder pedal
didn't have full travel. I had to taxi back to the FBO and shut down
before I could extract what turned out to be a flashlight (someone
else's) from underneath the copilot's right rudder pedal.

Oh well, at least I got a nice flashlight out of it.

rg

[C J Campbell[_1_]]

On 2008-09-23 17:14:17 -0700, Ron Garret > said:

> I dutifully followed the checklist, which called for checking flight
> controls free and correct after starting the engine. After fifteen
> years of flying never having had any problems with the flight controls,
> today I was in the runup area and found that my right rudder pedal
> didn't have full travel. I had to taxi back to the FBO and shut down
> before I could extract what turned out to be a flashlight (someone
> else's) from underneath the copilot's right rudder pedal.
>
> Oh well, at least I got a nice flashlight out of it.
>
> rg

Gee. I would have tried to return the flashlight to its rightful owner.
--
Waddling Eagle
World Famous Flight Instructor

[BT]

"C J Campbell" > wrote in message
news:2008092319160043658-christophercampbell@hotmailcom...
> On 2008-09-23 17:14:17 -0700, Ron Garret > said:
>
>> I dutifully followed the checklist, which called for checking flight
>> controls free and correct after starting the engine. After fifteen
>> years of flying never having had any problems with the flight controls,
>> today I was in the runup area and found that my right rudder pedal
>> didn't have full travel. I had to taxi back to the FBO and shut down
>> before I could extract what turned out to be a flashlight (someone
>> else's) from underneath the copilot's right rudder pedal.
>>
>> Oh well, at least I got a nice flashlight out of it.
>>
>> rg
>
> Gee. I would have tried to return the flashlight to its rightful owner.
> --
> Waddling Eagle
> World Famous Flight Instructor
>

I would not ask where you would deliver it too... LOL
BT

[Ron Garret]

In article <2008092319160043658-christophercampbell@hotmailcom>,
C J Campbell > wrote:

> On 2008-09-23 17:14:17 -0700, Ron Garret > said:
>
> > I dutifully followed the checklist, which called for checking flight
> > controls free and correct after starting the engine. After fifteen
> > years of flying never having had any problems with the flight controls,
> > today I was in the runup area and found that my right rudder pedal
> > didn't have full travel. I had to taxi back to the FBO and shut down
> > before I could extract what turned out to be a flashlight (someone
> > else's) from underneath the copilot's right rudder pedal.
> >
> > Oh well, at least I got a nice flashlight out of it.
> >
> > rg
>
> Gee. I would have tried to return the flashlight to its rightful owner.

I figured that the owner must not care too much about it if he was
willing to leave it under the rudder pedal.

rg

[Tman]

And why do you say *BEFORE* ? ( Methinks you would have caught this in
the normal checklist sequence without hazard).

Well, I always check the controls before starting the engine, out of c/l
sequence, cause I like to _listen_ as well as observe and feel the travel...
T



Ron Garret wrote:
> I dutifully followed the checklist, which called for checking flight
> controls free and correct after starting the engine. After fifteen
> years of flying never having had any problems with the flight controls,
> today I was in the runup area and found that my right rudder pedal
> didn't have full travel. I had to taxi back to the FBO and shut down
> before I could extract what turned out to be a flashlight (someone
> else's) from underneath the copilot's right rudder pedal.
>
> Oh well, at least I got a nice flashlight out of it.
>
> rg

[Dan Luke[_2_]]

Better check 'em again right before takeoff.


One morning in Baton Rouge, a TV cameraman I was flying shifted his camera
rig just as we left the hold short line and blocked his yoke's aft travel,
unbeknownst to me.

At rotation time on a short runway, I couldn't. That led to an unplanned
off-pavement excursion. No damage done besides the loss of 10 years off my
life, but the experience does teach that a lot of **** can happen between
the ramp and rotation.


--
Dan
T-182T at 4R4

[JGalban via AviationKB.com]

Ron Garret wrote:
>I dutifully followed the checklist, which called for checking flight
>controls free and correct after starting the engine.

You must not be flying a Cherokee. I can't move the rudder on the ground in
mine. It's firmly attached to the nosewheel. I always check for foreign
objects on the floor during preflight. Beyond that, all I can do is make
some full deflection turns as I'm rolling on taxi.

John Galban=====>N4BQ (PA28-180)

--
Message posted via AviationKB.com
http://www.aviationkb.com/Uwe/Forums.aspx/aviation/200809/1

[john smith]

I always check my brakes, right then left, immediately upon rolling
forward to taxi.
I once had a non-functional right brake and could only make left turns
to get back to the parking spot. Had I been a little quicker on the
uptake, I would have parked it right away and had the tug push it back
into its spot.

[Orval Fairbairn[_2_]]

In article >,
John Smith > wrote:

> I always check my brakes, right then left, immediately upon rolling
> forward to taxi.
> I once had a non-functional right brake and could only make left turns
> to get back to the parking spot. Had I been a little quicker on the
> uptake, I would have parked it right away and had the tug push it back
> into its spot.

You should be able to detect a bad brake when the pedal goes all the way
forward.

--
Remove _'s from email address to talk to me.

[Wizard of Draws[_5_]]

On 9/23/08 10:16 PM, in article
2008092319160043658-christophercampbell@hotmailcom, "C J Campbell"
> wrote:

> On 2008-09-23 17:14:17 -0700, Ron Garret > said:
>
>> I dutifully followed the checklist, which called for checking flight
>> controls free and correct after starting the engine. After fifteen
>> years of flying never having had any problems with the flight controls,
>> today I was in the runup area and found that my right rudder pedal
>> didn't have full travel. I had to taxi back to the FBO and shut down
>> before I could extract what turned out to be a flashlight (someone
>> else's) from underneath the copilot's right rudder pedal.
>>
>> Oh well, at least I got a nice flashlight out of it.
>>
>> rg
>
> Gee. I would have tried to return the flashlight to its rightful owner.

Hey..I'm missing a Fleshlight! ...oh, wait, never mind.
--
Jeff 'The Wizard of Draws' Bucchino
Cartoons with a Touch of Magic �

http://www.wizardofdraws.com
http://www.cartoonclipart.com

[Viperdoc[_6_]]

The worst thing I've found is after an annual, where the mechanic left an
engine hoist chain attached to my engine, but cowled it up! Yes, I checked
the oil and filler prior to departing, but there was no way to see the chain
through the inspection door.

Considering it is an aerobatic plane, I did not roll it inverted on the way
home, which would have been my normal practice to see if anything shook
loose. It was the last time I went to them for anything.

[john smith]

In article
>,
Orval Fairbairn > wrote:

> In article >,
> John Smith > wrote:
>
> > I always check my brakes, right then left, immediately upon rolling
> > forward to taxi.
> > I once had a non-functional right brake and could only make left turns
> > to get back to the parking spot. Had I been a little quicker on the
> > uptake, I would have parked it right away and had the tug push it back
> > into its spot.
>
> You should be able to detect a bad brake when the pedal goes all the way
> forward.

It was solid until the first hard push for the right turn out of the
parking spot. It then went to the floor as the airplane was 45-degrees
into the turn.