GA pilots know that a proper preflight is always a crucial part of a safe flight. But, for many pilots the preflight inspection cliché of “kick the tires and light the fires” is a difficult one to shake. There is the strong tendency to fall victim to complacency, especially when dealing with an aircraft you fly all the time. A proper preflight check is more than using a checklist; a good preflight should test how well you know your aircraft and its systems.
In his article “Going Beyond Preflight: Tips for Perfecting Your Preflight Inspection” in the March/April FAA Safety Briefing, Tom Hoffmann provides an in-depth look at how you can hone your inspection skills and go above and beyond a routine preflight.
Going Beyond Preflight is also one of the four themes of the FAA Safety Teams (FAASTeam) 2nd Annual Safety Standdown. The FAASTeam is conducting local Standdown events around the country through the end of April. Pilots can find Standdown events in their area by searching the interactive map on the FAASTeam’s Safety Standdown Web site, www.FAASafety.gov/Standdown.Download the March/April FAA Safety Briefing at www.faa.gov/news/safety_briefing/.
