As a followup to the post flight when I am walking away I turn around and take a look from 50 feet away. I check for lights on and wings not level, things you may not see from up close.

If you use Iso Propyl alcohol in your fuel, any water in your fuel will remain liquid, and therefore can be sumped. Doesn't anyone here use fuel additives in cold weather?

MTV

JDW's picture reminded me of this from Reno 2006. Maybe we should have a "beer on taildraggers" photo thread?

This plane was also missing an aileron, but that's another story.

mtv wrote:If you use Iso Propyl alcohol in your fuel, any water in your fuel will remain liquid, and therefore can be sumped. Doesn't anyone here use fuel additives in cold weather?

MTV

HEET(red bottle), don't leave home without it! There's a lot of lonely country out there

Chris

My Wallet....nothing will fly without $$$.

mtv wrote:If you use Iso Propyl alcohol in your fuel, any water in your fuel will remain liquid, and therefore can be sumped.

Nonsense.

The Isopropyl alcohol will be dissolved into the gas, and it will absorb the water. So, the water will no longer sink to the bottom of the sump. Ergo, the water cannot be sumped after you add alcohol, unless there is so much water that the alcohol becomes saturated and then the excess water will settle out and can be sumped (if it's above freezing). Any alcohol/water mix will go through your engine along with the gas.

I tried using the stuff when I had my fuel/water problems, and found that it significantly increased the incidence of carb ice.

I think it could be a useful additive for the small quantities of water that one would experience from condensation in the tanks, especially if you have fuel injection instead of a carb.

Self, Weather, Plane

Self- On the way to the aircraft hangar, I do a brief self-assessment. Am I tired? Hungry or thirsty? Distracted by non-flight related issues? Am I mentally prepared for focusing on flying the plane? If any of these issues are present, they need to be resolved before I get into the aircraft.

Weather- How is the weather looking now? What is the visibility? What is the forecast for wind and visibility? If windy or gusty, am I prepared to fly in less than ideal conditions? What are other pilots reporting? Do I really want to fly in less than ideal conditions today? If cross wind is 25 mph or greater, flight is canceled. If visibility is less than a mile and forecasted to be less than a mile, flight is canceled. If rain, hail, lightning, reported wind shear, microbursts, mini-tornadoes (like dust devil) or other poor wx conditions are reported, flight is canceled until weather clears up.

Plane - Starting from the tip of one wing, I work my way around the entire aircraft. I hand feel every AN bolt, confirm that there is a cotter pin in each castle nut, look for any tears in the fabric, shake the plane at each wing strut to test for looseness in each strut then aft to the tailfeathers. I move the tail back and forth by hand and observe any play in the tailwheel spring, open up the access compartment at the tailwheel and test the tightness of the tailwheel locknut (something I had to learn the hard way not to ignore), check tailfeather control surface linkages, rollers, cables, nuts and cotter pins, around to the other wing..then to the engine compartment, check plug wires, fan belt, air filter cleanliness, check for fluid leaks and fire hazards. Then I give the prop a good shake to check for looseness/vibration related issues, check each blade for damage, to make sure the metal leading edge tape is in the same place as it should be. Then I check the main landing gear for cracks or damage, then grab each wheel and trying to shake the plane back and forth to check for looseness or wobble on the hub (tighten if necessary), then check brake components (and recheck while taxiing).

Lastly, I take a clean rag with mild alcohol and clean the entire wing's leading edge, top part and flaps and ailerons. Then I center the stick and visually confirm that my vertical stabilizer is in line with the rudder. Then I check engine fluid levels, gas level in tanks, start the engine and let it warm up to normal low idle temp. Just prior to my first flight of the day, I will have an extra long engine rpm run-up, just to use some of the gas that has been sitting in the gas lines between what I can visually see (they're clear gas lines with clear in-line filters) and confirm that there is no air lock or material obstruction or hopefully no other issue. If there is an issue with gas, I want it to happen before take-off, not after. That's the main reason I have such a long engine run-up prior to a first flight of the day.

If all is well mechanically, then I check electronics, battery levels for radios, intercom, test comms, ignition redundancy, instruments, interior (anything loose, not tied down or un-necessary to be in the cabin?), turn on navs and strobe, check control surface movement, set flaps if wanted, advance throttle and go, testing brakes while taxiing.

ington6 wrote:I got into a bad habit of not sumping my tanks every time I take off but after hearing some stories I am going to change my habits immediately. What other things do you guys check religiously before take off? Im on a 182. Any other checks particular to a 182 that I should make an every time check?

After doing a full walk around I like to step back about fifty feet at four places around the airplane to check the big picture.. Sometimes you can miss things doing up close inspections that you fan see easier with a vig pic view.

In addition to all the other stuff people have mentioned on pre-flight, check the tires (for inflation - at least visually, bald spots, nails, anything that might cause a flat).

I do all that every preflight (now).

One time on taxi out to the runway I had a flat ... plane was durn near impossible to steer on the ground with a fully-flat tire; would hate to have that yaw factor working on the plane during takeoff roll - or during the landing roll either! Turned out it was a bald spot that I didn't catch during the pre-flight.

Before preflighting, as I'm walking up to the plane, I ask myself one simple question. How is this Eff'in thing going to try and kill me today? Then I do a through preflight. Putting the question in my head changes the game so I look it over a lot more closely than I would otherwise.

Like others have posted, I also post-flight when putting it away so I have time to fix items before needing the plane again.

Good info on this thread. I'll add one I haven't seen yet: If I'm parked outside for a few days I now check for wasp nests in my fresh air vent tubes. I almost had a bad experience after leaving my plane on the ramp for a three day weekend at Dillon Mt. The little buggers moved in fast and I didn't see the fairly obvious nest even though I checked the pitot a few feet away. I flew it home on a cold day without opening the vent but on a warm day or or a sweaty aproach I normally yank the vent open, which is just above eye level. A herd of hornets in the mush on short final would suck!

Nosedragger wrote:Good info on this thread. I'll add one I haven't seen yet: If I'm parked outside for a few days I now check for wasp nests in my fresh air vent tubes. I almost had a bad experience after leaving my plane on the ramp for a three day weekend at Dillon Mt. The little buggers moved in fast and I didn't see the fairly obvious nest even though I checked the pitot a few feet away. I flew it home on a cold day without opening the vent but on a warm day or or a sweaty aproach I normally yank the vent open, which is just above eye level. A herd of hornets in the mush on short final would suck!

I can only imagine what it could have been like. I've wound up with a couple of yellow jackets in the cabin because I didn't notice them until it was too late. What a nasty surprise but a whole swarm - YIKES.

Last year landing at Cabin Creek with Bobby, CU, and DeadStick Steve. There must have been 200 mosquitoes in the Cabin when I took off. What a distraction; but what in the hell do you to get red of them? Opening the windows in flight helped a little. Next time, the windows stay shut when on the ground:!:

Nosedragger wrote:Good info on this thread. I'll add one I haven't seen yet: If I'm parked outside for a few days I now check for wasp nests in my fresh air vent tubes. I almost had a bad experience after leaving my plane on the ramp for a three day weekend at Dillon Mt. The little buggers moved in fast and I didn't see the fairly obvious nest even though I checked the pitot a few feet away. I flew it home on a cold day without opening the vent but on a warm day or or a sweaty aproach I normally yank the vent open, which is just above eye level. A herd of hornets in the mush on short final would suck!

I was leaving Covelo having stopped in on my way back from Shelter Cove......Right at rotation had a hornet come in through the air vent, hit the windshield as I had the vent pointed that way, and doink me right in the chest. I immediately convinced myself I was gonna let the little bastard sting me to his heart's content rather than start thrashing around trying to kill him. Fortunately he took off flying again off my shirt, and once I leveled off and he landed I whacked him against the headliner with my sectional. See, they are useful for something in this age of moving map electronics!!!!

Flynengr

blackrock wrote:Last year landing at Cabin Creek with Bobby, CU, and DeadStick Steve. There must have been 200 mosquitoes in the Cabin when I took off. What a distraction; but what in the hell do you to get red of them? Opening the windows in flight helped a little. Next time, the windows stay shut when on the ground:!:

Maybe something like this?

Ridge Runner wrote:Self, Weather, Plane

Self- On the way to the aircraft hangar, I do a brief self-assessment. Am I tired? Hungry or thirsty? Distracted by non-flight related issues? Am I mentally prepared for focusing on flying the plane? If any of these issues are present, they need to be resolved before I get into the aircraft.

Weather- How is the weather looking now? What is the visibility? What is the forecast for wind and visibility? If windy or gusty, am I prepared to fly in less than ideal conditions? What are other pilots reporting? Do I really want to fly in less than ideal conditions today? If cross wind is 25 mph or greater, flight is canceled. If visibility is less than a mile and forecasted to be less than a mile, flight is canceled. If rain, hail, lightning, reported wind shear, microbursts, mini-tornadoes (like dust devil) or other poor wx conditions are reported, flight is canceled until weather clears up.

Plane - Starting from the tip of one wing, I work my way around the entire aircraft. I hand feel every AN bolt, confirm that there is a cotter pin in each castle nut, look for any tears in the fabric, shake the plane at each wing strut to test for looseness in each strut then aft to the tailfeathers. I move the tail back and forth by hand and observe any play in the tailwheel spring, open up the access compartment at the tailwheel and test the tightness of the tailwheel locknut (something I had to learn the hard way not to ignore), check tailfeather control surface linkages, rollers, cables, nuts and cotter pins, around to the other wing..then to the engine compartment, check plug wires, fan belt, air filter cleanliness, check for fluid leaks and fire hazards. Then I give the prop a good shake to check for looseness/vibration related issues, check each blade for damage, to make sure the metal leading edge tape is in the same place as it should be. Then I check the main landing gear for cracks or damage, then grab each wheel and trying to shake the plane back and forth to check for looseness or wobble on the hub (tighten if necessary), then check brake components (and recheck while taxiing).

Lastly, I take a clean rag with mild alcohol and clean the entire wing's leading edge, top part and flaps and ailerons. Then I center the stick and visually confirm that my vertical stabilizer is in line with the rudder. Then I check engine fluid levels, gas level in tanks, start the engine and let it warm up to normal low idle temp. Just prior to my first flight of the day, I will have an extra long engine rpm run-up, just to use some of the gas that has been sitting in the gas lines between what I can visually see (they're clear gas lines with clear in-line filters) and confirm that there is no air lock or material obstruction or hopefully no other issue. If there is an issue with gas, I want it to happen before take-off, not after. That's the main reason I have such a long engine run-up prior to a first flight of the day.

If all is well mechanically, then I check electronics, battery levels for radios, intercom, test comms, ignition redundancy, instruments, interior (anything loose, not tied down or un-necessary to be in the cabin?), turn on navs and strobe, check control surface movement, set flaps if wanted, advance throttle and go, testing brakes while taxiing.

Submit this post to the FSDO. You'll get a wings sign off AND a gold star.

Say, do you ever actually make it to the flying part?

Pump out the floats. The step compartments are usually the ones with most water. Check water rudder cables and pulleys. Jump up and down at rear of floats to check for any wiggle. Prime a cold engine as required before pushing away from the dock lest the wind turns you into a direction you don't want to go while you are giving it three strokes of primer. The rest of the stuff on a floatplane is the same as a land plane except if you want to inspect the stuff on the wing away from the dock you have to turn the plane around by hand...not recommended on a windy day.

Check the pitot for mud dauber nest. Learned this the hard way. If there is mud you have to take the pitot apart and blow the mud out from the backside.

GLASSPILOT said "Submit this post to the FSDO. You'll get a wings sign off AND a gold star. Say, do you ever actually make it to the flying part?"

Not interested in a wings sign off or gold star. I just want to fly in a bird that's thoroughly checked out. My pre-flight takes maybe 20 minutes, max. To me, it's a short price to pay for knowing my plane is at 100% flight readiness. After flying the rest of the morning practicing short landings and take-offs, I'll land for lunch for an hour or so. Then do another pre-flight, as thorough as before. Once accomplished, I spend the rest of the day enjoying my plane, and at 2.5 gph, that's a nice long day!

NOFATE said "Check the pitot for mud dauber nest. Learned this the hard way. If there is mud you have to take the pitot apart and blow the mud out from the backside."

I use these self-closing/self-opening pitot tube protectors. They work great.




http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/i ... tector.php

NOFATE said "Check the pitot for mud dauber nest. Learned this the hard way. If there is mud you have to take the pitot apart and blow the mud out from the backside."

I use these self-closing/self-opening pitot tube protectors. They work great.




I had one of those pitot covers on my C170B, but the C180 has a heated pitot and the OD is too big for those gizmos. I now usually slip the red flagged pitot cover on when I dock on the port side.

Beer cooler

Maybe something like this?

That is a neat trick! I'll have to take along some hose to try that out next time!!!