Subscriber question:
"What's a preflight tip that is often overlooked?" — Molly T.
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Rick:
“Before you get up close and personal on your detailed preflight, get the big picture of the airplane.
Look the airplane over from a distance. Is it sitting level? If not, why not? And is that a risk to your intended flight? Is there anything hanging off of it, dripping, torn, or missing? Antennas are a common culprit.
It only takes a few seconds to take that mental snapshot. Besides, the airplane is attractive if everything is where it should be. Enjoy the view as you approach it and look forward to your upcoming flight.
After you finish the close-up exam, step back and take another overall eyeball snapshot. There’s always the chance that you got distracted during the preflight and left something undone.
One of the most common ones that I see is when a pilot checks the oil and notices that it needs another quart. They leave the oil door open to remind them that the task needs to be completed, get distracted, and don’t add the oil. A post-preflight global overview will help you catch that—and other such things that can prove a bit embarrassing. Like starting up without pulling the chocks. “