To discuss the criticality of the Pre/Post-flight Inspection of the helicopter and its systems in order to ensure the safe execution of the assigned task/mission, as well as the professional post-flight inspection in order to confirm the status of the aircraft and identify any defects

1. The Importance of the Pre/Post-
flight Inspection
MIKE SHAMA

2. AIM
To discuss the criticality of the Pre/Post-flight Inspection of the
helicopter and its systems in order to ensure the safe execution of
the assigned task/mission, as well as the professional post-flight
inspection in order to confirm the status of the aircraft and identify
any defects

3. CONTENTS
• What is a Pre/Post-flight Inspection?
• Who does a Pre/Post-flight Inspection?
• Why do a Pre/Post-flight Inspection?
• What sorts of things am I looking for during the
Pre/Post-flight Inspection?
• What should I do if I find something that is out of
the ordinary?

4. The Pre/Post-flight Inspection - FAA
• “Any pilot worthy of the name knows the importance of a
good pre-flight, but too often he is a total stranger to its close
cousin – the post-flight. No flight is truly completed until
proper care of the aircraft has been completed.
• No regulation covers the post-flight inspection, but good sense
does. When you leave the aircraft, the safety of the next pilot
to fly it may depend upon you – and that pilot may be you.”

5. What is a Pre/Post-flight Inspection?
• The pre-flight inspection is an inspection that is performed on the
aircraft before each and every flight to ensure the safety and correct
operation of all aspects of the aircraft, and to discover defects and
maladjustments that, if not corrected, would cause accidents or aborted
missions
• Checks of the airframe
• Blades
• Engine
• Fuel System
• Instruments
• The post-flight inspection is accomplished after each flight or ground
operation of the aircraft. The post-flight inspection is mainly a check for
obvious defects (hydraulic, fuel, and oil leakage or structural damage),
and to detect degradation that may have occurred during the previous
flight.

6. Who does a Pre/Post-flight Inspection?
• The short answer: YOU
• Don’t shirk this responsibility. It’s not just your life you are
putting at risk
• You put at risk the lives of other crew, pax, ground personnel
• The financial viability of the company that you work for can be
destroyed in a single accident
• What you can expect when deployed on operations
• AME conducts a pre-flight before handing over to the pilot/s
• Co-Pilot conducts external pre-flight before assisting with the
internal pre-flight

7. Why do a Pre/Post-flight Inspection?
• The statistics (US) show that the helicopter accident rate was
7.5 per 100,000 hours of flying, whereas the airplane accident
rate was approximately 0.175 per 100,000 flying hours. Due to
the nature of heli operations the inherent risk is higher
• You reduce your risk profile
• Identifying an issue with the aircraft in the post-flight
inspection allows for a number of positive actions to take
place:
• Maintenance can deal with snags allowing the aircraft to return to
the line
• Dispatch can make adjustments to scheduling
• A defect can be found that might be missed by the next
pilot – demonstrates good AIRMANSHIP

16. What Should I Do If I Find Something
That Is Out Of The Ordinary?
• REPORT IT
• Snag it in the Flight Folio
• Alert Dispatch
• Alert CFI/Training Coordinator (if at a training school)
• Alert an AME (Maintenance Department)
• Rather lose a training slot, a charter flight, an operational
sortie
• You have a responsibility to yourself, the lives of other pilots,
the lives of pax, the lives of those on the ground, and to your
company’s well-being. The results can be devastating ...

20. SUMMARY
• “Aviation is intolerant of mediocrity” ~ Eric Fischer
• The Pre-flight inspection is your best opportunity to catch a
potentially fatal issue before you initiate your mission
• The Post-flight inspection, often over-looked, should be as
thorough as your pre-flight inspection, and is your
responsibility. It provides you the opportunity to identify
defects early, and to potentially save other pilots’ lives
• The Pre/Post-Flight Inspection saves lives
• Aspire to be a professional AVIATOR in all aspects of
operations

21. QUESTIONS

22. The Importance of the Pre/Post-
flight Inspection
MIKE SHAMA