Preflighting my plane - Video

Today's flight, figured to video how I preflight my plane. Comments
here or on the video most welcomed. Always nice to hear input to make
me a safer pilot!

Preflighting an airplane Part 1
Walking to the airplane - Preflight inside the cockpit
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Jnz8ikkAlA

Preflighting an airplane Part 2
Preflighting the airplane walk around.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SAhF-x1kvpQ

Preflighting an airplane Part 3
Inside the plane after preflight.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4mkhUFHWa0

" wrote in news:baaaeed8-05e4-498d-
:

Today's flight, figured to video how I preflight my plane. Comments
here or on the video most welcomed. Always nice to hear input to make
me a safer pilot!


Very Good. i didn;t watch all of it, but it's thorough and you use the
checklist.

Two thins I'd add to it if they're not already in there.

One, as you walk around, stand back every so often and look at the
airframe. You're looking for wrinkles in the skin or anything else that
might look strange.
Second, you should grab the wingtip and give the airplane a good shaking (
after the tiedowns are removed)
this does two things. Reveals some kinds of damage, like elongated wing
mounting holes and such, and perhaps more importantly, it will get any fuel
that might be hiding in the fuel tank away from the sump out of it's
depression and into the sump.




Bertie

On Sep 19, 3:28*pm, Bertie the Bunyip wrote:

One, as you walk around, stand back every so often and look at the
airframe. You're looking for wrinkles in the skin or anything else that
might look strange.

Definately good one for the checklist. Never thought of this and
while I always step back after doing the entire check list for a last
once over (long video - part 2, you will see me do this at the very
end) I never thought about skin wrinkles.

mounting holes and such, and perhaps more importantly, it will get any fuel
that might be hiding in the fuel tank away from the sump out of it's
depression and into the sump.

Not quite sure I understand the above??

Obviously has something to do with the sump jiggies, and mine are
"spring loaded" and pressed in using the outer edge of the fuel sump
diddy rather then a center piece like a Cessna.

Does the style of sump make any difference?

" wrote in
:

On Sep 19, 3:28*pm, Bertie the Bunyip wrote:

One, as you walk around, stand back every so often and look at the
airframe. You're looking for wrinkles in the skin or anything else
that might look strange.

Definately good one for the checklist. Never thought of this and
while I always step back after doing the entire check list for a last
once over (long video - part 2, you will see me do this at the very
end) I never thought about skin wrinkles.

mounting holes and such, and perhaps more importantly, it will get
any fu
el
that might be hiding in the fuel tank away from the sump out of it's
depression and into the sump.

Not quite sure I understand the above??

Obviously has something to do with the sump jiggies, and mine are
"spring loaded" and pressed in using the outer edge of the fuel sump
diddy rather then a center piece like a Cessna.

Does the style of sump make any difference?


No, nothing to do with the sump drains themselves. The sump area is a
small depession at the bottom of the tank. All water in the tank should
go there by design. However most tanks have small imperfections in them
where water can get into and stick there. You do a nice calm walkaround
and drain your fuel and then when you start taxying, the water becomes
dislodged and gets into a feed port. With some designs, this can add up
to a lot of water...



Bertie

On Sep 19, 3:47*pm, Bertie the Bunyip wrote:

No, nothing to do with the sump drains themselves. The sump area is a
small depession at the bottom of the tank. All water in the tank should
go there by design. However most tanks have small imperfections in them
where water can get into and stick there. You do a nice calm walkaround
and drain your fuel and then when you start taxying, the water becomes
dislodged and gets into a feed port. With some designs, this can add up
to a lot of water...

Gotchya, gotchya and gotchya, never thought of what you say, and makes
perfect sense.

Tanks I have are "stainless steel" and not bladders, so I **think**I
have a lesser risk of water settling where it shouldn't be but like
you say, a good shake would be prudent to better assure the water
indeed does settle down to the sumps so it gets sumped out.

" wrote in news:7b0f558c-1f70-462f-
:

On Sep 19, 3:47*pm, Bertie the Bunyip wrote:

No, nothing to do with the sump drains themselves. The sump area is a
small depession at the bottom of the tank. All water in the tank should
go there by design. However most tanks have small imperfections in them
where water can get into and stick there. You do a nice calm walkaround
and drain your fuel and then when you start taxying, the water becomes
dislodged and gets into a feed port. With some designs, this can add up
to a lot of water...

Gotchya, gotchya and gotchya, never thought of what you say, and makes
perfect sense.

Tanks I have are "stainless steel" and not bladders, so I **think**I
have a lesser risk of water settling where it shouldn't be but like
you say, a good shake would be prudent to better assure the water
indeed does settle down to the sumps so it gets sumped out.

Depends on the type, but tin tanks are no kind of insurance against it. Try
it sometime. Drain some fuel, if there's some water, drain it all out and
then shake the airplane. Pretty sure you;ll get some more.

BTW, you're tanks are more than likely aluminum. I could be wrong, but I've
never seen stainless tanks in any airplane.



Bertie

On Sep 19, 6:00*pm, Bertie the Bunyip wrote:
" wrote in news:7b0f558c-1f70-462f-
:



On Sep 19, 3:47*pm, Bertie the Bunyip wrote:

No, nothing to do with the sump drains themselves. The sump area is a
small depession at the bottom of the tank. All water in the tank should
go there by design. However most tanks have small imperfections in them
where water can get into and stick there. You do a nice calm walkaround
and drain your fuel and then when you start taxying, the water becomes
dislodged and gets into a feed port. With some designs, this can add up
to a lot of water...

Gotchya, gotchya and gotchya, never thought of what you say, and makes
perfect sense.

Tanks I have are "stainless steel" and not bladders, so I **think**I
have a lesser risk of water settling where it shouldn't be but like
you say, a good shake would be prudent to better assure the water
indeed does settle down to the sumps so it gets sumped out.

Depends on the type, but tin tanks are no kind of insurance against it. Try
it sometime. Drain some fuel, if there's some water, drain it all out and
then shake the airplane. Pretty sure you;ll get some more.

BTW, you're tanks are more than likely aluminum. I could be wrong, but I've
never seen stainless tanks in any airplane.

Bertie



Big design flaw on the early M20J (Mooney 201) was the fuel tanks were
wet wing, and the seam sealant failed. If one smells gas in flight it
is NOT good, and we did. Huge pain in the ass to reseal. The other
thing about those tanks is the fuel caps were a little tricky to put
back right (this was back in the old days when the fuel truck would
come to the airplane) and if they were not put on right rain got in
big time. Nothing like draining a tank in a rain storm while wearing a
suit!

It was a lot of years ago but I was at a meeting in Rochester NY, got
to the airplane late, heavy rain, and got lots of water in the fuel
because the fuel caps were not on right. I wrote a letter of complaint
to the FBO, they kept it in mind and the next I I stopped there they
fueled the airplane for free. I should have taken a rain check on the
free refueling!

BTW, preflight checks don't end when you start the engine. A couple of
times in my couple of thousand hours I was approaching rotation speed
and a last look at the panel showed something not quite right. You're
not committed to the flight until there is not enough runway left to
stop! I approach every takeoff with the expectation I'll have to about
it, and every landing with the expectation I'll have to go around.
That mind set makes it a LOT easier to make the safe decision when you
have to.

This advice is worth exactly what you paid for it!

a wrote in
:

On Sep 19, 6:00*pm, Bertie the Bunyip wrote:
" wrote in
news:7b0f558c-1f70-462f-
:



On Sep 19, 3:47*pm, Bertie the Bunyip wrote:

No, nothing to do with the sump drains themselves. The sump area
is a small depession at the bottom of the tank. All water in the
tank shoul
d
go there by design. However most tanks have small imperfections in
the
m
where water can get into and stick there. You do a nice calm
walkaroun
d
and drain your fuel and then when you start taxying, the water
becomes dislodged and gets into a feed port. With some designs,
this can add u
p
to a lot of water...

Gotchya, gotchya and gotchya, never thought of what you say, and
makes perfect sense.

Tanks I have are "stainless steel" and not bladders, so I
**think**I have a lesser risk of water settling where it shouldn't
be but like you say, a good shake would be prudent to better assure
the water indeed does settle down to the sumps so it gets sumped
out.

Depends on the type, but tin tanks are no kind of insurance against
it. T
ry
it sometime. Drain some fuel, if there's some water, drain it all out
and then shake the airplane. Pretty sure you;ll get some more.

BTW, you're tanks are more than likely aluminum. I could be wrong,
but I'
ve
never seen stainless tanks in any airplane.

Bertie



Big design flaw on the early M20J (Mooney 201) was the fuel tanks were
wet wing, and the seam sealant failed. If one smells gas in flight it
is NOT good, and we did. Huge pain in the ass to reseal. The other
thing about those tanks is the fuel caps were a little tricky to put
back right (this was back in the old days when the fuel truck would
come to the airplane) and if they were not put on right rain got in
big time. Nothing like draining a tank in a rain storm while wearing a
suit!


Yeah, I know the caps you're talking about. They were a bitch to get on.
I sem to remember a lot of Mooneys having bladders, though. Earlier ones
maybe? Maybe wood wing airplanes?


Bertie

On Sep 19, 5:00*pm, Bertie the Bunyip wrote:
" wrote in news:7b0f558c-

epends on the type, but tin tanks are no kind of insurance against it.
Try
it sometime. Drain some fuel, if there's some water, drain it all out and
then shake the airplane. Pretty sure you;ll get some more.

BTW, you're tanks are more than likely aluminum. I could be wrong, but I've
never seen stainless tanks in any airplane.

Bertie

Surprisingly, I can count on one hand getting water in the fuel and my
bet how it got in there is my carelessness on taking the caps off
after a rain and the residual rain underneath the lever sneaks into
the tank. But I will give what you say above a try, nothing gain,
nothing loss but the adventure.

AND YES, you are right, it's aluminum and I knew that, why stainless
steel came out of my keyboard is beyond my belief :-))

On Sep 19, 7:40*pm, a wrote:
I approach every takeoff with the expectation I'll have to about
it, and every landing with the expectation I'll have to go around.
That mind set makes it a LOT easier to make the safe decision when you
have to.

I do the same :-) as well as set physical parameters that I expect
certain things to happen. I.E wheels up by midfield or designated
1000 foot marker or abort, or if my wheels are not down by a certain
point, go around.