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Home > Articles
& Tips Index > Flying
> Helicopter Pre-Flight
[Courtesy of Joel Foner joel.foner "at" fonerassoc.com,
March 1999]
Here is a checklist that I have used for a while for making sure things are ready to
fly. Including cleaning, this routine takes about a half-hour, and it's already
saved my heli more than once. If you haven't ever done a standard pre-flight, this may
seem like too much work. Once you've run this through a few times, you'll be surprised how
quick it is. The other surprise once I started doing this is how many important things
turned up and got fixed before getting to the field - rather than after picking
up the pieces!
Routine Replacement
- New glow plug every 12 tanks (why wait for a flame-out?)
- New blades yearly (why take the risk that wood blades have dried out or that
fiberglass/carbon blades have developed internal stress fractures?)
- New fuel tubing every season (in-tank and outside - every 3 months if a year-round
pilot!)
Cleaning
- Clean main rotor blades
- Clean tail rotor blades
- Clean canopy/fuselage
- Clean skids
- Clean tailboom
- Clean stabilizer
- Clean fin
- Clean training gear (if used)
Check Linkages
- Check for slop at blade grips
- Check for slop at swashplate
- Check for slop at servo pushrods
- Check for slop in throttle linkage
- Check for slop at tail rotor
- Check for slop in rotor head ball links
- Check for slop in start shaft
- Check tail rotor drive belt tension (if belt drive)
- Check tail rotor drive belt wear (replace if worn)
Check and Tighten Fasteners
- Check/tighten main rotor blade root bolts
- Check/tighten main rotor blade root reinforcements
- Check/tighten flybar collars
- Check/tighten paddles
- Check/tighten mainshaft
- Check/tighten tail rotor blade bolts
- Check/tighten tail rotor blade grips
- Check/tighten engine mounting bolts
- Check/tighten throttle extension (if any)
- Check/tighten carb throttle arm
- Check/tighten skid/landing gear attachment bolts
- Check/tighten canopy attachment
- Check/tighten frame fasteners
- Check/tighten tail boom support fasteners
- Check/tighten fin and stabilizer fasteners
Other Checks
- Check antenna for tension
- Check antenna for wear
- Check fuel line for hardening or discoloration
- Check blade covering
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