How to (Safely) Decrease Preflight Time?

If you take 6PC excellent advise and ensure you "touch the numbers" then that can add a minute or so !!

Seriously, just don't rush it, a few extra minutes on the walk around isn't going to hurt. I do a detail walk around while its still in the hanger to avoid the AZ sun and once pulled outside, a quick last review/walk around the plane - many a folks have left the tow bar on the nose wheel in the rush to get into the air.

Does anyone do an after flight inspection ?
 
Does anyone do an after flight inspection ?
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Every time, where possible. Hate to return to the plane for a trip, to find it aog when it could have been taken care of a couple days early.
 
jordane93 said:
Only if I have a bad landing which is almost every time:D
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Maybe if you're flying day VFR in clear sunny weather you can skip checking the lights and pitot heat?
Tires can be eyeballed on most piston singles, you probably don't need to put a tire gauge to it.

I do still remember as a student very carefully and deliberately going through my preflight steps while a CFI periodically asked if I was done yet. I don't take that long now.

Partly I've got my own plane and it has less steps for a pre-flight than the trainer did. Partly I'm just used to it. Realistically I check the fuel and oil first thing... quantity and sump. Then I walk around the entire aircraft, checking all the critical control surface attachment points, cowl latches, alternator belt, looking into the openings, etc. It really amounts to a quick fuel & oil check plus one slow walk around the aircraft, not sure what that is in time but not long.

Others with more experience might chime in here but the few times I've actually found an issue it has not been by staring suspiciously at one small nut for a long time. It's always just been something really obvious that anyone would see just glancing in the general direction of that component. Blue staining around a quick drain indicating a fuel leak, large crack in a wingtip, airplane leaning way over because one of the oleo struts needs aired up- those kinds of things.

Point being, do look at everything but you can probably just glance at most of it and accomplish the task.
 
Passengers add distraction and time pressure. I like to either drive separately from my passengers or (if they ride with me) have them hang out in the FBO a set amount of time (~15 minutes) before walking out to the plane. Passengers asking lots of questions will slow you down and could even cause you to forget to check something. I back the flow up with a written checklist. Take your time. I think it's easy to get in a habit where you go through the motions instead of really processing what you're observing.
 
cowman said:
Tires can be eyeballed on most piston singles, you probably don't need to put a tire gauge to it.
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Every time I check tire pressures on an airplane where I know people have been eyeballing it, I find it unacceptably low. Even after a CAP Form 71 (which means I don't trust that Form 71 for anything at all), I routinely find tires 10 PSI low, and once found both mains at ~20 PSI. They looked "normal" at half pressure.

Eyeballs just aren't that good. And it takes like 10 seconds to check the tire pressures. I allow 10%.
 
If I have passengers, I ask them if they are interested in learning or just want to sit in the plane (or car) until I am ready. If they are interested, I do a pre-flight with them, pointing out everything and answering their questions. Then they sit in the plane (or car, or hangar,etc) until I do a solo pre-flight. I am happy to teach and fuel the interest in aviation, but I don't trust that I will get everything with someone interrupting me asking questions. I would rather do 2 pre-flights and pass along some of my knowledge (such as it is) than try to remember where I left off in my flow after answering a question. Like, where is the parachute on this Warrior? 6PC has a parachute, how come you dont? :)
 
I do a mixture, sometimes I am out there 30 mins before the passengers arrive and preflight with no detractions, sometimes I ask them beforehand if they are interested in learning something, response is usually 75/25 in favour of learning something. I would ask them questions like what makes the plane turn... 90% point to the rudder, but at least they walk away having learned something.
Also have the preflight checklist in hand.
 
Before Engine Start Checklist
Checklist ... in hand
Walk ... around airplane while glancing at checklist
Checklist ... replace in pocket
Tires ... kick
Fires ... light

After Landing Checklist
Radio ... tune 121.5 to listen for own ELT
Fires ... extinguish
Tires ... kick again for good measure
 
The better you know a plane, the faster and quicker you'll be able to pre flight it. I'm also in a club with a very similar parking situation. I am between 5-10 minutes (depending on whether I find something to fix or squawk). May seem quick but I do catch more things wrong with our planes than just about anybody else. Strangely, people that spend forever preflighting in our club rarely find anything wrong..

I fly places often for work and time is often an issue (the only reason we are flying is because it's faster) when I know I will be rushed to get somewhere or if I know I am going to have a passenger I will go to the airport early, before work begins, remove the cover, preflight, etc. when I get there I just pull it out of its park, do a quick walk around, and go. Passengers appreciate that and it helps cut out a preflight error due to rushing.
 
I have had my father do pre flight for me since he was there and I was en route.
Other than that it's just go through checklist
 
Several people have already touched on this, but I'll add my two cents.

It sounds ironic, but to speed up your pre-flight try to slow down a bit. If I'm organized and methodical, I'm effective and quick. If I'm rushing and/or disorganized, it takes me longer. YMMV.
 
iamtheari said:
Before Engine Start Checklist
Checklist ... in hand
Walk ... around airplane while glancing at checklist
Checklist ... replace in pocket
Tires ... kick
Fires ... light

After Landing Checklist
Radio ... tune 121.5 to listen for own ELT
Fires ... extinguish
Tires ... kick again for good measure
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Just a trivia thing... You may know, but I'm curious how many here know why we "kick the tires". There's actually a specific reason. I'm guessing many here know seeing as though this is a well educated group.
 
I believe old-timey tires used to be fastened to the rims with clamps, so you kicked them to see if the clamps were loose.
 
to check the quality of the rubber, if it was thin you had cheap tires. Also to check for poor quality retreads.
 
Well, both quality guesses, but not the answer.

Hint: it makes no difference on most small GA airplanes.
 
hmmm.... that is what my dad told me years ago when educating me on the old 41 Chevy we were fixing up. Depression era fella....

I would say kicking can also determine if the bead is set on a tubeless tire.
 
Okay...all good. This is the way it was explained to me..

On a large dual main gear airplane, the only way to know if the tire is flat.... The other wheel will mask the visual inspection.

So, I give you major points on your answer. Essentially the same thing.
 
Makes sense just like on a big rig or one of our MRAPs. Smack it and get a thud, look closer. I do this on my tank as well. Tap the end connector and listen for a ping but if you get a thud, your track might just fall off....
 
Kritchlow said:
Just a trivia thing... You may know, but I'm curious how many here know why we "kick the tires". There's actually a specific reason. I'm guessing many here know seeing as though this is a well educated group.
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To see if the wheel bearings are loose. On my private checkride, I put my foot on the right main to tie my shoe and found the wheel bearings were so far gone the wheel was about to fall off. Since it was very late in the day, I had to wait another night before we could go fly.
 
Zeldman said:
To see if the wheel bearings are loose. On my private checkride, I put my foot on the right main to tie my shoe and found the wheel bearings were so far gone the wheel was about to fall off. Since it was very late in the day, I had to wait another night before we could go fly.
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This is a GREAT answer, but in my opinion should have been caught well before a preflight.

Not by you per se, but if they were that gone on an annual??
 
Anyway... I'll bow out. Didn't mean to hijack the thread.
 
Kritchlow said:
This is a GREAT answer, but in my opinion should have been caught well before a preflight.

Not by you per se, but if they were that gone on an annual??
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Yes, I totally agree with you, it should have been found long before I got to it. IIRC the trainers went through a 100 hour about every 5-6 weeks so I am thinking someone might have passed it on without checking the wheel bearings. It was a fire hose school, the planes were scheduled from 6am until 10pm, and the instructors only got paid by flight hours, and not much at that. Not that I am trying to place blame, but money can over ride a close inspection.

And yes, being the right side I would think an instructor should have caught it.

And don't forget that students are really good at landing with a side load.....;)
 
30 minutes seems about right, so I think you're doing fine. Other people had good suggestions. What helps me are two things:

Flow. Pick a spot to start and set up your flow around the plane to be consistent and efficient every time. My flow for a 172:
  1. Pop the oil door. (My signal I haven't checked fluids yet, as it's my last step.)
  2. Grab the pitot cover, unlock the pilot's door, take out the control lock and pull down the window shade.
  3. Unlock the passenger's door, double check the Hobbs and tach against the book. Done with book, so stow it with the shade, cover, and lock.
  4. Pop all the lights on and pitot heat, turn on the master, first notch of flaps, check fuel gauges. Call for fuel, if needed.
  5. Quickly circle the plane, checking each light. Touch the pitot tube at the end and snap the master and lights and heat off. (Except beacon, I always leave that on.)
  6. Starting at the static port, work rearward and around back to the starting point. Static port, leading edge, pitot tube, strut, wing, stall horn, aileron, flaps, tire, tiedown off.
  7. Autopilot static, antennas, horizontal, elevator, rudder, vertical, trim tab, other rudder, tiedown off.
  8. Antennas, flap, aileron, wing, leading edge, strut, tire, tiedown off, check the windshield.
  9. Cowling, exhaust, nosegear, propeller, belt, engine visual.
  10. Grab the Gatts jar, fuel stick. Left wing, right wing, cowl. Check the oil, clean the windshield, close the oil door.
  11. Set up cabin, pull the chock, pull it out, load up, fire it up!
My order has reasons. Oil door is my checklist-complete flag. Electrical first, since I'm there to turn it on anyway when I'm pulling the control lock, but quick to avoid draining the battery. And it let's me know if I need fuel so I can call immediately at the start. (I'll stick the tanks early if it turns out I need fuel. I stick later in the flow usually, which is where I'll catch if the fuel gauges are off.) Fluids go last, since I often have to wait until after the plane is fueled. Only the first notch of flaps, since that's enough to check that they work, but won't kill me if I forget to raise them prior to takeoff.

The other item is to use your hands and finger as well as your eyes. I can feel a covered or blocked port faster and more accurately than my eyes can. Only my fingers can feel small notches in the propeller, but they can sure feel it fast. I also find having my hands out and touching everything guides my eyes and mind and keeps me in the flow.

That's what works for me. You just have to figure out what works for you.
 
My C-50 in a hangar, no other fliers but me, took 18 minutes. So, 30 min for an outside, shared 172 sounds about right.

A preflight not only prepares the plane, but also the pilot for the transition from earthbound to skybound. I enjoyed getting ready to put my mind in the right state.
 
I do fluids first, letting the oil drain and having a fuel truck come top you off take time, might as well do something else. I post flight check so pre flight is almost redundant. Hangared saves dealing with covers, gust lock, etc
If I don't have to add air, oil, clean windshield...takes 10 minutes to pull it out and preflight. If outside and a x-country (i have to pack the plane as well, plus last minute wx check), then it's closer to an hour.
 
steingar said:
Buy your airplane and hangar it. Preflight goes way faster.
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This.

No one but me flies it.

5 min including sumping two tanks. If it's been sitting more than a week or just came out of some maintenance a much more thorough look-over, but that's maybe another 5 min.

Rentals would get a serious hairy eyeball for sure.
 
For all the items you've listed, 30 minutes does not sound excessive. I belong to a club. Our planes are in hangars. The book to write down the Hobbs and tach times before leaving is on the desk in the hangar with the plane. It's still 20 minutes or so from the time I open the hangar door until engine start, maybe a bit longer. Don't rush it, do the complete pre-flight inspection every time. I've grounded planes during pre-flight, planes that had been flown the day before. I'd much rather call the maintenance officer for the plane and have it fixed than find out about the problem while airborne. And I still use the same checklist that I got as a student pilot 16 years ago. Well, I have tweaked it a bit, but it is still the same basic checklist.

Weather briefings can be done before you leave home. I log onto DUATS, get the briefing and, maybe, print it out. At the very least there is now a record of a current briefing for the plane I'm flying in my name. I did print it out yesterday, but I had a flight review and there were some interesting items in the briefing (NOTAMs I had never seen before) that were worthy of discussion with the CFI.

Oh, and I pre-flight in the hangar. Unless it passes, it doesn't even get pulled out. Old age and treachery (and all that). :)
 
GA- About 10 to walkaround and about 15 to fuel.

Work- Eh, depends on the weather. :D Cold and rainy, "Yep, I have two wings, six tires, and two engines". Obviously from the terminal window.
 
The 172 I used to fly was hangared and almost exclusively flown by me. I got to the point where preflight, pull out and set-up (headsets, charts, ipad and anything else I would need after climbing in and engine start) took me 15-20 minutes. As others have said the fewer the people that fly it and having a hangar are keys to knowing and trusting the aircrafts condition. The only issues I found with the C172M that I was flying was every once in a while the tires would be low and I would have to fill them (I royally hate wheel pants now) and one time after someone else flew it I opened the hangar and there was a big blue spot on the floor below the sump out of the engine compartment. A closer look revealed that it was 100% empty of fuel since no more fuel would come out and the wings were dry and that there was a blue streak down the bottom of the plane. They got lucky on that flight.

If I was going to be flying when I would need to pre-heat I would go out and do that the night before to ensure it's condition since I am there anyway. Hell I would do that even if I didn't need to pre-heat, just check on it then so if something is wrong you have time to fix or cancel before you are all out there ready to go and excited to fly. Plus it is a good excuse to go to the airport and be with your plane :). Granted I was about a 5 minute drive away at that point so that made it easier.
 
For me, since I rent, post flight takes almost as long as pre flight. Cleaning up, gathering my stuff, repacking the flight bag, writing down tach/Hobbs times, installing gust locks, tieing down, etc, etc.
 
Kritchlow said:
30 minutes seems just fine. Rushing will be the enemy in aviation.
Some can do it in much less, but I would bet (no proof) statistically they miss more stuff.
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Totally agree with this! Why "streamline" the most important part of your flight?
 
Personally, I like to take my time in pre-flight. Helps me feel more centered. Besides bad mags, I had three separate issues in my few hours of flying:
1. Water being sumped out rather than fuel. Was able to drain enough out that it was a non-issue. Spent a little longer at high power during the run up.
2. Bug stuck in the pitot tube. Didn't know it of course until the take-off roll. Aborted and called it a day.
3. Completely compressed Oleo strut, and there wasn't a puddle of fluid to give it away. The plane was visibly sitting different than normal on the tarmac, so I gave the tires extra attention during the walk-around.

If you fly rentals definitely don't rush things. Of course, you will have a flow and memorize your pre-flight checklist, and ideally you ought to do the exterior pre-flight without referring to it, then come back and run down the list to verify you got it all. Same thing with the interior stuff.
 
Ps: regarding fluids, any fuel that needs adding gets done first before I begin the walk-around, any oil that needs adding gets added first. Then I re-check the levels before hopping in. I'm also super nervous about fuel caps. Sometimes I check those three times. During my PPL training ATC vectored a V-tail Bonanza underneath us as we were returning to KSLC. The guy had declared a fuel emergency, and we could see the stream of fuel coming from one wing.
 
woodchucker said:
Ps: regarding fluids, any fuel that needs adding gets done first before I begin the walk-around, any oil that needs adding gets added first. Then I re-check the levels before hopping in. I'm also super nervous about fuel caps. Sometimes I check those three times. During my PPL training ATC vectored a V-tail Bonanza underneath us as we were returning to KSLC. The guy had declared a fuel emergency, and we could see the stream of fuel coming from one wing.
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You should also sump the fuel after fueling up. You have no other way of knowing whether you just pumped in some water, Jet-A, or other contaminants that don't play well with your airplane's engine. Condensation forms in airport fuel tanks and trucks, too, and humans can make errors when they fill up the FBO tanks. Fueling up first, then doing your preflight, and then doing a final fuel sump check will also give the water or dirt a chance to settle down to the sump before you check it, further increasing your overall chances of powering your engine with pure 100LL instead of a blend with Jet-A or H2O.
 
iamtheari said:
You should also sump the fuel after fueling up. You have no other way of knowing whether you just pumped in some water, Jet-A, or other contaminants that don't play well with your airplane's engine. Condensation forms in airport fuel tanks and trucks, too, and humans can make errors when they fill up the FBO tanks. Fueling up first, then doing your preflight, and then doing a final fuel sump check will also give the water or dirt a chance to settle down to the sump before you check it, further increasing your overall chances of powering your engine with pure 100LL instead of a blend with Jet-A or H2O.
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Oh yeah, absolutely. I did mention that I don't even begin my walk-around until after fuel/oil are added as needed, and that includes sumping.
 
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