Pilot Safety Procedures

For safety, pilots tie down their airplanes to keep them secure in windstorms.

Pilots are individuals who fly aircraft, including helicopters, airships, gliders, single-engine airplanes and multi-engine airplanes. The Federal Aviation Administration, the governing body of flight and aviation in the United States, says a pilot is "the final authority as to" the way a flight is conducted. Because of this rule, pilots are directly responsible for the safety of their aircraft, their passengers and people or property on the ground. For this reason, pilots developed several safety procedures to reduce the risk of accidents or aircraft mishaps.

Preflight Inspection

An important safety procedure that all pilots must perform is the preflight inspection. Required by the FAA, this inspection consists of a pilot walking around her aircraft, examining control surfaces, taking fuel samples, testing oil levels and checking aircraft air ports and outside instruments for blockages. Before they can fly, pilots must determine the airplane has enough fuel and oil, and that the aircraft is in an airworthy condition. Many pilots elect to use checklists when performing preflight inspections, while others follow their own "flow," or pattern of inspection.

Weight and Balance

Another key FAA-required safety procedure pilots perform is the weight and balance check. For this procedure, a pilot determines the aircraft's "moment," or pound-inches, by multiplying its weight by its "arm," or inches from a predetermined point, usually the aircraft's engine compartment. Next, a pilot must divide the moment by the aircraft's weight to find its center of gravity, or balance point. If an aircraft's center of gravity is too far forward or rearward, it can cause unsafe flying conditions.

Takeoff and Landing

Weather conditions, wind speed, center of gravity and engine performance impact the distance it takes for airplanes to takeoff and land on runways. The FAA requires pilots to calculate takeoff and landing distances for their aircraft. Many airplanes come with pre-drawn takeoff and landing distance charts that allow pilots to easily determine how many feet it will take to takeoff and land under various conditions.

Flight Checklists

Pilots often use checklists to improve the safety of flying. Aviation checklists, which cover taxi, takeoff, climb, cruise and landing, cover required safety procedures pilots must complete, such as lowering the flaps, raising the landing gear and activating the transponder. These checklists increase safety by aiding pilots in remembering the steps to take during each phase of flight. Improper checklist usage contributed to as many as 15 percent of aircraft accidents, according to a 2000 study done by Oregon State University.

References

• Federal Aviation Administration: Code of Federal Regulations
• Aviation Safety: Flying a Fleet
• Oregon State University: Improper Checklist use as a Factor in Aircraft Accidents and Incidents