BJ and Pete are ready to begin their expedition to the various stops. Grace Johnson has identified a pilot, Dave, who is willing to fly them. BJ and Pete will take turns acting as co-pilots on various legs of the trip. They have exchanged e-mail with Dave, and he has agreed to meet them in 5 hours at the strip. In the meantime, BJ and Pete decide to do a preflight check to make sure the airplanes are ready for flight.

During the preflight check, a variety of things are checked. They must get in the cabin and make sure the plane has the proper documentation on board, remove the control locks, and make sure that the fuel gauges are working correctly. They must also go around the entire plane checking the flight control surfaces, the wings, the fuselage, and the landing gear. A visual check of the fuel level and oil level is also required. After they start the engine and taxi out to the runway, they will also go over a pre-takeoff check list. This check list is to make sure that the engine, various instruments, and the flight controls are working properly.

FORWARD

Please send any comments to:
Curator: Tom.Benson@grc.nasa.gov
Responsible Official: Kathy.Zona@grc.nasa.gov