In a previous Forum we discussed the checks up to and including the engine start. This time, I would like to continue with checks, after the start.

After you have started the engine and set the power to 1000 rpm you can now do a ROME check. The R is for "revs" confirm set to 1000 rpm. The O is for "oil pressure" in the green arc within 30 seconds. For the M we have two checks. First check that the engine runs smoothly on both "magneto's". Then do a full dead-cut check. Checking that the engine is running smoothly on both magneto's at this early stage merely prevents you from taxying all the way to the holding point only to then discover that there is a problem with one or both magneto's. Doing a full dead-cut check ensures that the bendix releases and that the starter motor is not being constantly spun by the engine. This once happened to me in a C210 and, much to the owners chagrin, I reduced his starter motor to a pile of iron filings. Luckily for my passengers and myself there was no fire. For the other M, lean the "mixture" significantly for the taxy. Aviation fuel contains a fair amount of lead, and this lead sometimes does not fully vaporize at low power settings. This causes one or more of the spark plugs to "foul" and will almost certainly cause a rough running engine when doing the magneto check at the holding point. The E is for electrics. Check that the ammeter is showing anything between zero and positive. A negative reading is a bad thing and the flight should be abandoned at this stage. Check that the suction gauge is indicating in the green arc and that the two suction driven instruments, the A/H and the DI, are both reading correctly. Check that no circuit breakers have popped during the start and retract the flaps if you have not already done so. Now you can select lights as required, switch on the radio and turn the transponder to standby.

Now taxy the aircraft to the holding point and park facing into wind. There are a number of reasons for this. First of all you may need to take your left hand off the control column briefly to complete certain checks and with any significant wind from the rear this would not be a good idea. Also, there may be another aircraft taxiing to the holding point after you and you do not want to be drowning it in your prop wash. Engine cooling is not really a consideration unless you are flying something like a Cessna 337 where over-heating of the rear engine becomes a problem unless you have a significant amount of air flowing into the rear engine air intake. 

Once you have parked facing into wind, apply the park brake and check that the area behind you is clear. Richen the mixture, check that the engine temperature and pressure are both in the green arcs, and increase the power to 1700 rpm (C152). Check that the brakes are holding and that the aircraft is not creeping forward. Now you want to check the engine controls and the engine instruments. For the controls, first apply carb. heat and check that the rpm reduces by about 100 rpm. Do not check the carb. heat if the aircraft is parked on a loose surface as the intake air is un-filtered with the carb. heat applied. Next, lean the mixture until there is a reduction in rpm, then richen slightly until the rpm reaches its peak. This is to check the operation of the mixture control and to help remove any deposits from the spark plugs. Now check each magneto in turn. The maximum drop in rpm should not exceed 125 rpm and the difference between the two should not be more than 50 rpm. For the engine instruments, check temperature, pressure, ammeter, and suction. Set the DI to the compass. You can now reduce power to idle and check that the engine idles satisfactorily. If it idles too low there is the danger that the engine could cut out on final approach if you reduce power to idle to correct a too high approach. If it idles too high it will prolong the flare, thereby increasing the runway length required for landing. You can now re-set the power to 1000 rpm. 

The pre-take-off checks can be remembered as: Every Time Most Careful Pilots Fly High In Cloud, aka E,T,M,C,P,F,H,I,C, which stands for Electrics, Trim, Throttle friction, Mixture, Magneto's, Carb. heat, Pitch, Primer, Pump, Fuel, Flaps, Harnesses, Hatches, Instruments, Controls. Run through each of these checks slowly and carefully, being sure not to miss anything. You and your aircraft are now ready for flight. 

FROM THE LOGBOOK: Becoming A Test Pilot . . . Once Every Year

ã Jim Trusty 2006

The first flight after the annual inspection of your airplane can either be totally uneventful or a very busy flight. I have known and trusted my mechanic for years, and he seldom misses anything. This is good because live, happy, and satisfied pilot/customers can recommend you to others and then return the next time to spend more money.  Even so, you should always expect the worst and be prepared. Just think about this statement while I use my case as an example. 

Four strangers to my aircraft checked, filled, turned, tightened, touched, replaced, repaired, removed, looked, pondered and evaluated over 100 items on a factory inspection checklist and then complied with the latest Airworthiness Directives from problems encountered in the last year or so with its make and model. Two of these young men were A & P trainees with absolutely no experience as mechanics. 

Some things that fellow pilots have experienced over the years as they left from the annual include, but are not limited to, the following: engine oil not refilled, rags left in gear door wells, fuses pulled, battery disconnected, spark plugs left out on one side, screws not replaced in cowling cover, brakes not bled, fuel turned off, hydraulic fluid not refilled, gear handle in the UP position while the gear is actually DOWN, and tools left on engine, in floor under cabin, and under the seats and carpets, and the most recent; dipstick left laying on the engine after an oil change, cowling reinstalled, pilot did not check oil, flew back to home airport, oil blown out, engine gone�Who’s fault? $$$

I might also add that no pilots were injured, crashed or died because of the foregoing list of mistakes. And in testimony to the hard work that our mechanics do, I really feel that it is impossible to do what they do and combine that with what we do to the airplane during the year and not have an adventure occasionally. But we should be apprehensive . . . RIGHT?  Think PIC!

If they tell you about a problem area that required parts, time, and research and that they think the problem was caught just in time, then you have been forewarned to watch that area much more closely than you normally would.  Some would argue that the A & P should be required to fly the aircraft before they release it back to the owner and even others would say that makes as much sense as having the owner participate in the actual work of doing the annual inspection. NO THANKS!

As a Flight Instructor who does an awful lot of proficiency training, flight reviews and transition work on complex/high performance aircraft, I have found that pilots who DO NOT fly on a regular basis are generally not as ready as they should be to react to an “unexpected happening” in the air. When I review Emergency Procedures such as gear, radio, and vacuum failures and add fuel transfer mistakes, I find that most pilots are not as well versed in recovery procedures, as they should be. 

This is clearly the fault of the pilot. We get a little complacent and start comparing flying with driving and mistakenly think if something goes wrong that we will have plenty of time to just pull over to the side of the sky and call someone to come fix it. WRONG! I never cease to be amazed when reading accident reports from the NTSB and others just how much of a role pilots often play in what happened and how with just a normal amount of specific training the entire thing could have turned out differently. 

Careful selection of a mechanic based on known skill levels for your particular aircraft will not keep something from happening, but it certainly couldn’t hurt. Do not make the mistake many pilots make of mechanic selection based solely on the cost of the annual.  This is certainly inviting trouble. Bring a squawk list with you and explain the items included. Work with them, especially since it is to your benefit. 

The list of people hurt and/or killed in aviation accidents does not have to include your name. You really have a choice in this decision. Is it time for an annual inspection? Ever dream of being a Test Pilot? Let’s be careful up there. 

Jim Trusty, ATP/CFI, was named the FAA/Aviation Industry National Flight Instructor of the Year for 1997, and the FAA Southern Region Aviation Safety Counselor of the Year for 1995 & 2005.  He still works full-time as a Corporate Pilot/ “Gold Seal” Flight & Ground Instructor/ FAA Aviation Safety Counselor/ National Aviation Magazine Writer.  You have been enjoying his work since 1973 in publications worldwide.  He welcomes your comments and e-mail works best (Lrn2Fly@bellsouth.net).