What is a Preflight Checklist?

A preflight checklist, also known as a before-takeoff checklist, is a structured compilation of essential checks conducted before a flight. These checklists help ensure that inspectors do not overlook critical tasks— from verifying fluid levels and confirming the aircraft is properly armed for takeoff to ensuring all passengers are accounted for.

What is the Purpose of a Preflight?

In the aviation industry, pre-flight checks are critical to ensuring flight safety. By performing these inspections before takeoff, staff would be able to proactively identify potential mechanical issues, among others. Additionally, a pre-flight checklist is required by many airlines as part of preparing for a flight. These checklists are important because they help pilots ensure that they have completed all the tasks necessary for a safe flight. By completing a pre-flight checklist, pilots can reduce the chances of missing something important, thus, ensuring that they are prepared for the flight.

A pre-flight checklist can also be used for documentation purposes to show trends and common issues. Using a pre-flight checklist can also ensure that the aircraft is in the right operating condition and quality to fly.

Historically, many accidents have been found to have been avoidable if only the aircraft, its parts, and its surrounding environment were assessed properly. Having a pre-flight checklist to help you with your inspections can be beneficial for your safety and the quality of your aircraft, ensuring you can conduct maintenance checks and repairs when necessary.

How to Do a Preflight Inspection?

A pre-flight inspection is usually done following this order:

1. Give a “once over” to the entire aircraft and actively look out for visible problems such as flat or damaged tires, bent or damaged wings, fuselage, or gear struts.

2. Conduct an ARROW check at the cockpit and inspect if you have the necessary documents to legally fly. ARROW stands for Airworthiness certificate, Registration, Radio station license, Operating limitation documents, and Weight and balance information.

3. Examine the aircraft’s flying log into have an insight on its maintenance, previous flights, issues, and fuel consumption.

4. Check the cockpit switches and ensure that they are all flipped in their proper positions and that all brakes are working properly.

5. Look out for possible anomalies inside the cockpit and elsewhere in the aircraft. Make sure to report any loose screws, broken vents, dirty windows, low fuel levels, and other possible concerns before taking flight.

All these tasks can be difficult to remember and keep track of, so it is recommended by many airlines and aviation professionals that a checklist should be used for conducting a pre-flight inspection.

What Should a Pre-flight Checklist Include?

Different aircraft can call for different ways of conducting a pre-flight checklist. However, common items on a pre-flight checklist to keep an eye out for include the following:

• Weather status

• General status of the aircraft

• Aircraft wheels, doors, wings, and propellers

• Necessary documentation following the ARROW mnemonic

• Necessary licenses

• Certificate of airworthiness

• Fire extinguishers

• Life jackets

• Oxygen equipment and other safety and emergency equipment

• Emergency lights and emergency exits

Here is a pre-flight checklist example report for reference:

Pre-Flight Checklist Template Sample Report | Mitti (by SafetyCulture)

Any issues found on and in the aircraft should also be ideally reported through the pre-flight checklist. While some checklists provide a portion to report problems found during the pre-flight inspection, it would be best to use a checklist that will allow you to note issues as they arise. It would be more efficient to list down your issues with each item you are inspecting so your captain and the proper maintenance personnel can better help you.