CRJ 200 Experts, Please share your preflight tips

[Phony Marconi]

Mike:

Great thread. Too bad some of the replies here mistook your idea as being that of a super-geeky newbie F/O who wants to restore each plane to factory-new before every flight!

Let's see:

1) Obviously, 2 navlights at each corner need to be functioning for a normal dispatch. I heard that someone once dispatched with a burnt out bulb. Good thing the FAA wasn't watching. Write up each one as soon as it's noted.

2) I don't like to see any fluid of any kind dripping from anywhere. How often is there a single black drop on the bottom of the engine cowl? Could be gearbox oil.....better write that up ASAP. I don't know how long it's been there.

3) Now that winter is upon us, it's very difficult to tell whether a pink streak on the tail is deice or hydraulic fluid. Better have a pro take a look at it.

4) At taxi out at an outstation, an EICAS message comes up. My last cell phone bill was over my minutes, by-the-way. The proper thing to do is to taxi back to the gate, enter the terminal, and call maintenance from a landline.

Too many unsafe things going on out there.....let's clean up our act a bit and make the Company proud!

 

[BenderGonzales]

Oil Change

...and, unless they provide you with a Jiffy Lube uniform, don't get in the aft equipment bay and add oil to the engines.

Geez. They pay mechanics for that stuff! It's dirty, noisy, and dangerous back there!

What would OSHA say if we told them the company wanted you to climb back into a confined space with a jet-engine running six inches above your head?

MX will catch it during the daily check. Screw the oil.

 

["GO AROUND"]

This happened to me a while back.
On those cold snowy mornings up north, when there is a foot of snow on the ground. Remember to actually walk around the aircraft and make your foot prints in the snow. Cause when I come out 15 minutes after you when the aircraft is all warm and ask if you did the walk around? You can see where this is going. Laugh.

But seriously,
All those lights in the ground service panel, test all those.

Sealant aound pylons, horiz stab and wing roots.

Sealant on the wing leading edges around the heated surfaces. Mtc did a leading edge replacement and I found all this dry sealant that had oozed out from the edges when they put it back on and didn't clean it up. Mtc tried to tell me that it was ok. Told them to remove it anyway cause we know ho well this wing does with any kind of contaminents on it.

Static wicks, which are in the CDL and which are not.

Cracks in the vent panel on the underside of the engine cowl.

Etc...Etc....

 

[VGerect]

When you stick your head in the aft equipment bay, you should expect the captain to do the apu fire test. This will cause you to jump and hit your head on the nearest sharp, greasy metal object.

Of course you have your hat right ?

 

[CFIT]

That grounding strap breaks all the time, I've bought brand new airplanes and found it frayed. It can't be MEL'd and the feds know right where to look for it.

 

[mamba20]

make sure you bring your fuel sampler.

 

[J32driver]

The main passenger door sill is a problem area as well. For some reason the door gets shut with the pins extended. It does impact damage to the sill and has to be repaired with some sort of epoxy mix.

Take a long hard look at the epoxy repairs. If they are starting to crumble and come apart, the airplane shouldn't be dispatched.

 

[propsarebest]

DON'T FORGET THE AERODYNAMIC SEALANT!!!!!

The airplane can't fly without it, evidently...

 

[601Pilot]

There are also some grounding straps for the flight/ground spoilers. You have to manually deploy them and then do the walk around. I would not suggest trying to open them manually. They are always broken and they can't be MEL'd either. These are good to find in a nice, warm region of the country on the first couple of days of your trip!

 

[logolight]

Always clear the "EFIS comp mon" and don't pull the ADG handle.