On pre-flight inspections

"vaughn" wrote in message
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"a" wrote in message
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I did watch a PA28 do turns around a tiedown once because the PIC
didn't untie the left wing before trying to taxi out.

I once watched a rental 172 return from an apparently uneventful flight
with the rudder lock still attached to the rudder. Take-home lesson: Some
folks fly flat-footed.

Also, at least twice I have ran down and stopped planes on the taxiway
with flags flying from left-on pitot covers. Take-home lesson: One good
reason to put flags on them is so someone else can save your bacon after
you do a crappy preflight.

Vaughn


I nearly started an engine with a propeller lock still in place--and was
fortunate enough to have someone wave my down in time. Due to lucky timing
and the good samaritan, there was no damage.

On another occassion I saw one of the twin engine air taxis, I don't recall
whether it was a Navajo or a C402, pull away with a rudder lock still in
place. There was no radio available and no way to get a motor vehicle onto
the ramp quickly enough; but the tower had a listed telephone number on that
field, so I was able to call them before he got to the runway.

Peter