Final Touches to Preflight
Start Up
Engine Run Up
Taxi

Final Touches to Preflight

The flight plan was filed via telephone with Halifax Radio, the FIC responsible for most of the airports in Moncton area. Now he completes his weight and balance, according to the aircraft operator's manual, and once the paperwork is done, it's out to the plane he trots.

The walkaround is an essential part of any safe flight. It is here that some minor issues can be caught before they turn into large issues. Major issues can be caught here, too, and dealt with before the aircraft becomes airborne. A walkaround consists of checking that all moving parts on the exterior are free to move but not fall off, such as ailerons, elevators and rudder, as well as the flaps. All of those red banners that say, "Remove before flight" are taken off the aircraft's pitot tubes and other such features, should the aircraft have them. Some owners also attach "tail feathers" and other such gust locks to various external parts of the aircraft to help prevent the wind damaging the aircraft's control surfaces, and now is the time to take these off. Fuel tanks are strained at the sumps to ensure there is no water in the tanks from condensation, and the fuel levels are checked visually, normally by dipping a graduated stick to confirm the levels. Fuel gauges are never to be trusted when they say full, though always to be trusted when they say empty. Chocks are also removed at this point. Depending on where the aircraft is, the pilot may have to move the aircraft by hand to get it out of the way of other aircraft, or away from fuel pumps or other vehicles before starting the engine.

Start Up

Now that everything appears to be in order, our pilot jumps into the cockpit and grabs the checklist. Strapping himself in, locking the doors, securing loose objects and so forth, he proceeds along the checklists items. A good check all around to make sure the propeller area is clear, and the engine is primed and started. All things running smoothly, it's time for the run up. At most airports, a pilot doesn't need any formal approval or clearance to start engines. Especially at general aviation parking areas.

Engine Run Up

Since it's not as easy to just pull over and park if you experience engine trouble in a plane, a pilot of a piston engine aircraft will generally do a "run up" before each flight. This checks the basic systems in the engine at more than an idle throttle setting, but less than cruise power, to make sure everything is good. For example, magnetos are used to generate the sparks in all but the newest aircraft instead of electronic ignition. Aircraft normally have two sets of magnetos, and each set is grounded out individually to ensure they are both supplying spark to the cylinders. Carb heat is also checked, as is suction (the strength of the vacuum pump on the engine), and oil temperature and pressure. Once it is determined the engine is operating normally, the pilot can continue with the flight. Since most light aircraft have air cooled engines, this is often done with the aircraft pointing into the wind to help prevent unnecessary heating effects from higher than taxi RPM and airspeeds lower than those experienced in flight.

Our pilot is currently on Apron 3 at CYQM (see the airport diagram included at right), which is, like all aprons here, uncontrolled. He has started the engine, and must now find a place that is away from other parked aircraft, vehicles and pedestrians to do his run up. If the pilot has to move to another section of the field that requires use of the taxiways, which are controlled, to do his run up, he must contact ATC for taxi authorization. Many airports allow light aircraft to do their run ups right on the taxiways near the runway, since they don't often take a tremendous amount of time. At other airports, such as those that don't have multiple taxiways (heck many airports only have one taxiway), aircraft are encouraged to do their run ups elsewhere. At Moncton, our pilot finds a nice quiet corner of the apron and completes his run up.

Taxi

Well, this is the moment. The run up is complete, the engine started, and the plane seems good to go. The last few items on the checklist are completed to ensure he's ready to taxi. The pilot now checks the ATIS, since Moncton has one. ATC wants to know that the pilot has the current information about the field, including things like wind, active runway, and any pertinent field conditions and NOTAMs, so they put it on the ATIS. The pilot is expected to acknowledge receipt of the latest information on initial contact, as discussed in previous topics. The pilot tunes up the ATIS frequency, located in flight publications, and it sounds something like this:

Moncton Airport Information Delta, weather at one six zero zero zulu. Wind three one zero degrees five knots. Visibility one five miles. Five thousand scattered. One five thousand scattered. Temperature one four, dew point six. Altimeter three zero zero four. Approach, visual runway two niner. Landing and departing runway two niner. Paradrops at McEwen's twelve thousand five hundred and below til dusk. Inform ATC on initial contact you have received information Delta.

Now that he has the critical details and is ready to taxi, our pilot dials up ground, 121.8, and makes his calls:

CGOOF: Moncton Ground, Cessna Golf Oscar Oscar Foxtrot.
CYQM_GND: Cessna Golf Oscar Oscar Foxtrot, Moncton Ground.
CGOOF: Oscar Oscar Foxtrot on Apron Three, information Delta, run up complete, request taxi to runway two niner.
CYQM_GND: Oscar Oscar Foxtrot, time one six zero five, altimeter three zero zero five, taxi Alpha and hold short runway two niner. Contact tower one two zero eight when ready.
CGOOF: Oscar Oscar Foxtrot, hold short of runway two niner.

Thinking back to the ATIS, there was mention of paradrops at McEwen's. The pilot knows about the local area, and knows this is a small field about 5-6 NM northwest of CYQM. His departure path off runway 29 is clear of that area, and he intends to make a left turn on departure, so this will not come into play for him. With taxi instructions in hand, the brakes are released and our pilot taxis out.

Now the pilot reaches the hold line and runs through the items on the pre-take-off checklist. Everything is in order, so it's time to call the tower and get take-off clearance...

But that will have to wait until next week. Thoughts? Questions? Send them along to my e-mail address at moxner@nbnet.nb.ca. Thanks for taking the time to read.