Owning your own small aircraft is a lot of responsibility – especially if you're used to renting aircraft for your personal use. Now that you own your own aircraft, you need to make sure that it's maintained properly. Without proper maintenance, your plane can malfunction, which can be deadly if it occurs midflight. To protect yourself, your passengers, and those who are on the ground below you, it's important that your plane is proper working order at all times. If this is your first experience owning your own aircraft, you might not be familiar with all that goes into proper maintenance. To get you started, here are a couple pre-flight inspections you should conduct each time you take your plane out.
Interior
When it comes to pre-flight inspections, you might not give much thought to the interior. However, the interior of your plane is as important as the exterior. Before you take off on each flight, you should carefully inspect the interior of your plane.
Doors
For safety purposes, your doors should shut securely. Part of your inspection should include the doors, hinges and seals. Open and close the doors. Make sure they completely engage with the locking mechanism. Inspect the hinges for missing screws, and for signs of rust or damage. Finally, check the seal for signs of damage.
Controls
You depend on your instrument panel throughout your entire flight. Before you take off, inspect each aspect of your control panel, including lights and pulleys. You should also inspect the rudder pedals and brake pedals for ease of operation.
Windshield
The last thing you want is a damaged windshield during flight. Prior to take-off, inspect your windshield for signs of damage, including chips, or cracks. It's also a good idea to give it a thorough cleaning before you leave the ground.
Exterior
No pre-flight inspection is complete without a thorough look at the exterior. The three main components of your exterior inspection should be your engine, propeller, wings.
Engine
When inspecting the exterior of the plane, your engine is the first place you should look. Warm your engine up and look for signs of wear and tear. Look for leaks in the engine and hoses. Ensure that your fuel pump is operating properly. It's also important that you conduct a thorough inspection of the belts prior to every flight.
Propeller
When inspecting your propeller, look for signs of cracks in the blades. You'll also need to ensure that the back plate is securely attached to the plane, and that there are no signs of leaks around the hub.
Wings
Once you've inspected the propeller, you'll need to move on to the wings. Look for signs of damage along the edges of the blades, especially cracks or chips. You'll also need to look for signs of loose or missing rivets.
If you're going to be flying your own aircraft, don't take chances with your safety. Conduct a thorough inspection prior to every flight. If you notice any signs of damage or defect, contact an aircraft mechanic like aircraftengineoverhauls.com immediately.
Share21 March 2017
Several months ago, my wonderful spouse decided we should sell one of our vehicles. At first I was worried about how we would both get around, but his main goal with this plan was to start utilizing more public transportation. Ultimately I agreed that this was a good plan, though I was still concerned with using public transit as I hadn't had many experiences with it in the past. This blog is all about the benefits and advantages of transportation besides your own personal vehicles. You actually might be surprised by how easy it is to use other transportation methods!