Preflight Gloves

cgrab

cgrab

Pattern Altitude
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May 2, 2014
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Huntsville AL
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cgrab
What a great day to fly this morning in the southeast. When I got to the airport I immediately went to the baggage compartment, unplugged the charger, put on my gloves and grabbed the fuel tester and dip stick and put them in the pouch in my step ladder to start my preflight.

It got me thinking "does anyone else use gloves in their preflight?" I use them because it protects my hands as I glide them over the plane, to keep fuel off my hands when I tap the tanks et al and because they have rubber finger tips which seal the dip stick when I'm checking the fuel level.

I know there are lots of folks out there with shoes fetishes but I was wondering if anyone also wore gloves.
 
I wear mechanic’s gloves when checking things in the engine compartment if the engine is hot (flying a rental) but not for the rest.
 
Glad to know I’m not the only one who does this! I usually (but not always) wear a pair of rubber nitrile gloves only while fueling, to prevent any fuel from getting onto my hands.
 
Don’t use gloves,but I always have a rag in my hand.
 
I know someone who uses those purple nitrile gloves to keep oil, grease and fuel off his hands.
 
Yes, I use the same type as GeorgeC. Very valuable. I also physically touch the leading edge when I preflight, and los of touching to make sure everything is working okay. Since I rent, most planes are dirty or have unknown diseases from other pilots.

I like the idea of disposable gloves for fueling. 100ll is not good for skin.
 
I have never used gloves! I fly since 2010 and I have been as a flight instructor for the last 4 years, I do not care if the engine is hot or not always do the pre-flight the same way, and as I put my hand in the engine and engine's oil, I drain fuel to see if it is contaminated, and before putting it back into the tank, I wash my dirty hands by oil with fuel. No problems at all.
 
I have a pair of beat up leather gloves for just about everything preflight and filling fuel. Nitrile gloves for oil changes and hydraulic fluids (brakes). I also have gloves in the car for filling the gas tank.
 
My AF issue nomex gloves were pretty useless; not very warm, not very tough, and not all that comfortable (seams oddly placed) - use tight fitting stretchy gloves now.
 
No gloves, just a rag.

Even in winter. But I might wrap the rags around my hands....

Also a pair of pliers in case the person that just finished with the plane torqued the dipstick way too tight.
 
Just more evidence of the Wussifacation of America!

Just kidding guys. I've never used ithem myself, but I completely understand, especially if the nearest place to wash fuel and oil off your hands is a couple hundred yards away.
 
After working on many of my own cars, trucks, and farm machinery both for fun and because I have to I'm pretty used to getting oil/fuel on my hands so it doesn't really bother me if it happens. That said I don't really get any on me during a normal preflight unless I have to add oil... I suppose there's some trace amount from the rag I use on the dipstick but hardly enough to notice for me. I don't have a clue how you'd get gas on yourself unless you messed up and spilled some out of the cup.

OTOH on some of these cold days I thought about gloves for warmth but I'd probably take them off. IDK if I have short fingers or what the deal is but gloves never fit me right and I loose a lot of dexterity for doing things like unscrewing caps or other fine mechanical work. I'd probably end up just taking them off anyway.
 
When I worked for a living I wore gloves any time I was working on equipment. It transferred over to pulling wrenches on cars. After moving on to being a ‘professional’ I pretty much stopped wearing gloves except when cleaning the aircraft. I use nitrile or vinyl gloves to wipe the belly with mineral spirits or gojo. Gloves for preflight or fueling only when it’s cold.
 
Is the surface of your aircraft in such condition that you need gloves to touch it? Also after about 5hrs of flight time most of my students were able to sump a plane without getting fuel all over themselves.

I get wearing gloves while turning wrenches, but for a preflight, seems a little odd.
 
I recently started wearing Mechanix gloves (well, the Harbor Freight knock-off) when I preflight my twin, as it tends to leak oil like a radial and I got tired of tracking oil into the airplane.
 
I know at least in the Army, pilots are required to use preflight gloves which are different from flight gloves as any contamination of the nomex makes it pretty useless. I usually only use them if it's cold.
 
Clark1961 said:
When I worked for a living I wore gloves any time I was working on equipment. It transferred over to pulling wrenches on cars. After moving on to being a ‘professional’ I pretty much stopped wearing gloves except when cleaning the aircraft. I use nitrile or vinyl gloves to wipe the belly with mineral spirits or gojo. Gloves for preflight or fueling only when it’s cold.
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I am exactly the opposite. I worked as a mechanic all through school and did it as a side hustle for another 10 years and never wore gloves. Now that I'm "respectable", I always wear HD nitrile when I get to wrench on something. It took years to sluff-off the stains caused by years of good-enough mechanic hand washing and I hate spending 15 minutes scrubbing my hands to keep them from looking "unprofessional" now. I respect a man with stained callouses, but not everyone does.
 
I keep a set of Mechanix gloves in my T-craft. I use them for prop starting, and that's about it.

If it's cold out, I'll wear gloves. But just like when it's warm out, I won't put them on or take them off just for the preflight.
 
In WV, I wore my leather thinsulate winter gloves to preflight, but took them off before sumping the tanks to keep them clean. I also wore the gloves to fly, to drive to the airport and home again (and also to work). When it's not cold, I don't wear gloves. I have a pair of cheap mechanics gloves that have lived in the back of the plane for years. Don't think I've ever put them on . . . .
 
Never have worn gloves around aeromachines! Shoot, whatya talkin' about Willis. Even when I worked on boilers and furnaces, pumps, in cold ass weather too. Just felt better grabbing pipe wrench or whatever tool barehanded, and that was with #2 heating oil I think it was called. Nasty shet. When I did ATC we never got dirty so no worry there. A couple USAF bases used coal and I think we wore gloves then. But a ****ing airplane! Nahhhhhh.
 
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I only wear gloves in the winter. Preheating, taking wing, cabin and tail covers off, brushing snow off and shoveling snow out of tie down all takes time. I also wear a jacket with a hood and a hat. After start up, when the heater starts to work I take the gloves off.
 
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