Cessna 172S Preflight

[Pilot121]

I recently started my PPL training, and was taught to turn the lights on right away before the walk around so I could ensure that all of them work during the walk around. I have never heard of/seen this on the checklists, but is it standard practice? Doesn't the battery get wasted by doing this?

Thanks,
Pilot121

 

[gotWXdagain]

Usually I would turn them on, run around quick and check them, then turn it off, before the normal thorough walk around

 

[WS]

Usually I would turn them on, run around quick and check them, then turn it off, before the normal thorough walk around

What he said.

In my experience the batteries on most 172s aren't especially robust, so I wouldn't leave them any longer than necessary to check them.

 

[Roger Roger]

Unless you're doing a night flight it makes more sense to check them on post flight.

 

[Pilot121]

Unless you're doing a night flight it makes more sense to check them on post flight.

Why is that?

 

[Roger Roger]

Why is that?

Lot more chance to get it fixed without sending the schedule all to hell, and it's not like you need say the nav lights day VFR. Probably otta look at the beacon though since you need that.

 

[MidlifeFlyer]

I recently started my PPL training, and was taught to turn the lights on right away before the walk around so I could ensure that all of them work during the walk around. I have never heard of/seen this on the checklists, but is it standard practice? Doesn't the battery get wasted by doing this?

Thanks,
Pilot121

Yep, it's pretty much standard practice at most places. As @gotWXdagain said, turning on all the external electrical equipment for a brief walk-around check and then turning them off doesn't do much to waste the battery. That is, I guess, unless it's below 20F outside.

It's not on the manufacturer's checklist but neither is the airworthiness certificate or registration. So many people and organizations put it on their custom checklists.

Why? Well, while not always safety items, there are necessary for airworthiness. Think of them as "compliance" items. An airplane without its airworthiness certificate on board is not legal for flight. neither is an airplane with its rotating beacon and strobes inop. If you don;t check on them, how do you know if they work?

 

[ahw01]

There are also set conditions when each light should be switched on. These include

Beacon - all the time the aircraft is operational, but gives you a clue an aircraft may be about to start engines
Strobes - when taking the runway (also when crossing runways)
Taxi light - when taxiing at night
Landing light - when taking off, landing and maneuvering
Nav lights - at night (also called position lights, so you can tell an aircrafts position, relative to you)

 

[Pilot121]

There are also set conditions when each light should be switched on. These include

Beacon - all the time the aircraft is operational, but gives you a clue an aircraft may be about to start engines
Strobes - when taking the runway (also when crossing runways)
Taxi light - when taxiing at night
Landing light - when taking off, landing and maneuvering
Nav lights - at night (also called position lights, so you can tell an aircrafts position, relative to you)

Do the strobes stay on after takeoff, or are they turned off after the aircraft takes off?

 

[SpiceWeasel]

Do the strobes stay on after takeoff, or are they turned off after the aircraft takes off?

On from crossing the hold short line to take off, off crossing the hold short after landing. Caveats include crossing active runways (on) and if you're in the clouds at night and it's bugging your scan/night vision/inner ear (off). Etc.

 

[azmedic]

Do the strobes stay on after takeoff, or are they turned off after the aircraft takes off?

I always kept the strobes on from departure runway until exiting the arrival runway unless i was night flying in IMC. Then they got turned off.


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[z987k]

Unless you're doing a night flight it makes more sense to check them on post flight.

This is more geared towards commercial aviation, but I apply it to my personal flights as well(if I had any lights at all). I would not ground my airplane due to inop lights but the beacon(day VFR), and really it's best to know that after the flight so that you don't have to ground it and cause any sort of delay. Even if it's my own time.

 

[Roger Roger]

This is more geared towards commercial aviation, but I apply it to my personal flights as well(if I had any lights at all). I would not ground my airplane due to inop lights but the beacon(day VFR), and really it's best to know that after the flight so that you don't have to ground it and cause any sort of delay. Even if it's my own time.

Nothing like making the first flight of the day late to change a landing light on a vfr day only airplane because the guy last night didn't look at it at the end of his shift.

 

[KKochan]

I thought the beacon was only to remind you that you left the master on?

 

[z987k]

I thought the beacon was only to remind you that you left the master on?

That's the nav lights.

 

[daydreamer]

I was told the beacon should be on also to alert of the master was left ON

 

[gotWXdagain]

I was told the beacon should be on also to alert of the master was left ON

Some do that, some don't. Personally I use the Nav lights, to avoid any confusion that the engine might be about to turn.

 

[frankgh]

I flew with a CFI that would turn the landing light off on final at night. Lights are only good for ops check plus one...

 

[trafficinsight]

LED landing lights are the best thing ever invented, I used to change 3 or 4 landing lights a week, I haven't changed a single one since we switched them all.

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

 

[Roger Roger]

LED landing lights are the best thing ever invented, I used to change 3 or 4 landing lights a week, I haven't changed a single one since we switched them all.

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

We're going that way slowly.