Pilot Life: The Pre-Flight

This morning, I met and got acquainted with my flight instructor for the first time on the aviation campus of Utah Valley University at Provo Airport. And believe me, things are starting feel very real and I'm getting excited to finally start building up flight hours and begin my official flying career! I should've started learning how to fly ten years ago, but living in a post 9/11 Washington D.C. area back then and tight finances made it pretty much impossible at the time. I've waited all my life for this moment! My first lesson with my instructor was held entirely on the ground though, as I needed to get to know the type of aircraft I'll be working in to earn my private pilot certification. Utah Valley University operates a fleet of Austrian designed (and Canadian license-built) Diamond aircraft, consisting of the DA-20 Katana, DA-40 Diamond Star, and DA-42 Twin Star. For the duration of my private pilot training, I'll be flying exclusively the DA-20 Katana.

One of UVU's Diamond DA-20 Katanas, photographed earlier in the semester.

Today's lesson consisted of learning the checklists I'll be using for every flight as well as all the necessary paperwork I need to fill out prior to each flight for the UVU Flight School Dispatch staff. In addition to all the logistical stuff, my instructor took me out onto the ramp to a vacant aircraft and taught me how to do a pre-flight inspection. In aviation, a pre-flight inspection (also known as an outside check or walk-around) is a required and highly emphasized practice for all airmen and aircrews. This is where pilots check and inspect certain elements and components of an aircraft prior to boarding mainly for the sake of security, safety, and operational purposes. Obvious components pilots check on pre-flight inspections include exterior control surfaces, wheels, brakes, etc., making sure they're in good working order as well as checking for fluid leaks, which includes oil, fuel, hydraulics, etc. Basically, a pilot is looking for anything obvious that could potentially make an otherwise perfectly working airplane unsafe to operate!

Instrument & control panel of a Diamond DA-20. Nothing fancy here; just the usual analogue "steam" gauges, which I prefer!

As mentioned in previous blog posts, I've had some exposure to general aviation flights before and that included seeing pre-flight inspections being done. But now, I can start to do one for myself (under the watchful eye of my flight instructor, of course!). And better yet, these will be MY flight experiences! Aviation is a great lifestyle, but only if you have the right people to share it with. Aviation is also a very tight-knit community, and I've always wanted to be a part of that. The adventure for me begins!