Before Engine Start Checklist

Before Engine Start Checklist Discussion

Typically, prior to this checklist would include checklists for filing a flight plan with the airport operations office. We would also get the weather reports for the local and planned destination airfields. We would walk-around and aircraft to perform an inspection, uncovering and stowing of the covers, fueling the aircraft, calculating both the aircraft mass with fuel and the cargo. Calculations of the center of gravity and center of moments of the aircraft are also performed. Also, the calcualtion to the necessary takeoff distance is performed to ensure that the proper amount of runway is provided for a safe departure. Also, check the operation of and set of movable surfaces ( rudder, flaps, ailerons ) of the aircraft . These are perhaps among other checklists also.

The following is a sampling of some of the tasks to perform during the startup of the engine. This is a bullet point list. Later I intend to change these to check-boxes.

  • Prepare knee-board and wax pencil to copy instructions from ground and flight controllers
  • Throttle to 12%
  • Battery Master On
  • Flaps Up
  • Fuel Pump On
  • Mixture to 100%
  • Final Visual Check that no person is standing near the aircraft
  • Yell "Clear Prop"
  • Ignition to Start - Wait for Engine to Fire
  • Release the Engine Stater - Magnetos to Both
  • Check Oil Pressure
  • Alternator On
  • Avionics Master On
  • Navigation Lights On
  • Strobe Lights On
  • Set radio for ground control operations frequency
  • Call ground controller for clearance to taxi to the active runway
  • We would provide the weather report callsign to the controllers to ensure we have the latest weather information.
  • Receive instructions and copy them down for instructions for taxiways to follow to the active runway
  • Read-back the taxi instructions to the ground controller
  • Receive confirmation that read-back was correct from ground controller

Following this checklist there may be checklists for engine run-up and engine check. Testing of all radios and electonic equipment. Once these are complete we would proceed to the taxi aircraft checklist with the radios on ground controller frequencies to ensure we listen for any last minute taxi-ing instructions.