Page 14 - Volume 11 Number 6

Pre-Flight Procedures
from a Maintenance
For many years, I maintained a B200 owned by a family business that had used the same pilot for ages. He was ex-airline and a decent stick, but every time he picked up the King Air after maintenance, he pulled the door shut, started the engines, and took off – he didn’t even check the oil!
This boggled my mind. I’ve seen a lot of pre-flight routines, but this was no pre-flight at all. Some of my guys thought I should take it as a compliment that the pilot had so much faith in the work we were putting out, but I’d rather have my work questioned and verified by a thorough pre-flight. Needless to say, when this King Air went out the hangar, everyone in the shop gave it an extra walk-around before “Speedy Gonzalez” came to pick it up.
Make a Mid-Maintenance Visit
Most shops don’t allow customers in the hangar because of insurance reasons, but if you have never seen your King Air in the middle of a phase inspection, you need to. Have the shop foreman give you a tour, just don’t be surprised by what you see, even if it looks like total mayhem. Panels are open everywhere, the engine cowls are off, and wing lockers, if you have them, are removed. Much of the interior is sitting on the hangar floor and the floorboards are pulled up to expose the guts (electrical, plumbing and ducting). There might be a control surface off – most likely a flap, so the Teflon washers can be accessed for replacement.
Airplanes are 15 pounds of stuff crammed into an oddly-shaped five-pound bag, and getting to that stuff is time-consuming and non-ergonomic. The skinniest mechanic gets stuffed into the hellhole where they might have to remove ducting and avionics boxes just to do the 12-month check on your ELT. He or she then moves on to a dozen other tasks to be performed in there.
So, when you perform your post-maintenance pre- flight, you obviously aren’t going to re-inspect the airplane, but think about what you observed. You’re not doubting your shop; rather, you’re confirming their execution of an extremely complex job. And if you find something amiss, good shops will rush to remedy the
12 • KING AIR MAGAZINE
Many things get taken off and inspected during a King Air phase inspection, so it’s always wise to perform a post- maintenance pre-flight.
situation. That missed item will become a learning session for all involved, not to be repeated.
Cockpit Out of Order
After maintenance, it is vital that you allow ample time to restore your “switchology” to your liking. Check everything, and assume nothing. You have no idea how many mechanics and avionics guys have been in and out of your cockpit. Switches were flipped, breakers were pulled, levers were moved. The friction locks were loosened to check engine cables for binding. Every pilot has their preferred “switchology.” When I had my shop, I made every effort to return the cockpit to the configuration present at drop off. With repeat customers, I learned their habits and preferences. However, in my post-maintenance debrief, I always asked every pilot, every time, to check and restore all cockpit preferences.
The oxygen mike switch is a great example – when is the last time you touched that? Most likely it was in a simulator during loss of pressurization. But what if, during maintenance, an inexperienced mechanic puts all the switches in the “off” (down) position because it seemed like the right thing to do? He has no clue he just turned the O2 mike on, cutting out the regular mike in the process.
Perspective
by Dean Benedict
JUNE 2017
MAINTENANCE TIP