As someone who has performed thousands of preflight inspections, I learned everything about the value of thoroughness through discipline. Probably should have led with this: preflight done, weather looks good, time to fly. But the real story is in the details of that preflight.
Got to the airport early this morning, around 6:30, hoping to beat the summer thermals. Pulled our Cessna 172S out of the hangar and went through the whole preflight checklist without rushing. There is something meditative about running your hand along the leading edge of the wing, checking for dents or bird strikes, making sure no wasps decided to build a nest in the pitot tube overnight.
Perfect Weather
Weather was textbook VFR. Clear skies, visibility better than 10 miles, winds out of the northwest at 8 knots. METAR showed altimeter at 30.12 and I could already tell it was going to be one of those days where the airplane just wants to climb. High pressure system parked right over us means dense air, and dense air means performance.
Working Through the Checklist
Checked the oil – right at 6 quarts where I like it. Fuel sumps clear, no water or debris. Both tanks showing full. Did the control surface check, moving the ailerons and elevator through their full range of motion while walking around. Flaps extended and retracted smoothly. Landing light, position lights, beacon – all working. That has gotten complicated with all the small items to verify, but the systematic approach works every time.
Inside the cockpit, I went through the flow: master on, check fuel gauges match what I saw outside, check the vacuum gauge, altimeter set, heading indicator aligned with the compass. Engine start was smooth – three blades, mixture rich, master on, and she caught on the first try. Let it warm up to at least 1000 RPM before running the mag check.
Why This Matters
This is the part of flying people do not talk about enough. The actual airborne stuff is great, sure. But there is real satisfaction in a thorough preflight. Every time I catch something – a slightly soft tire, a loose fuel cap, that one nav light that has been flickering – I am reminded why we never skip steps. That is what makes the difference between a safe flight and one that goes sideways. The airplane does not care if you are running late or if you have done this a thousand times. It only cares whether everything is working.
Taxied out to runway 27, did my run-up, and by 7:15 I was climbing out over the practice area. Perfect morning. This is why I became a flight instructor.
