You've got the airplane reserved. Weather briefing obtained. Checklist reviewed. For pilots, what comes next is a ritual the Wright Brothers created more than a century ago... and one that transforms a machine into an extension of yourself.
Blue Skies & Tailwinds commentator Dan Patterson, a pilot and aviation photographer, walks us through the intimate process of preparing to fly a Cessna 182RG over Ohio. It's a ritual that combines technical precision with wonder, safety checks with the magic of flight. And it begins before you ever climb into the cockpit.
The time-honored aviator's ritual, which Orville and Wilbur Wright created, is to walk around the airplane you are about to fly. In a way, you're walking in their footsteps every time you do this. You put your hands on the structure, the skin of the plane. Feel and move every control surface. Make sure they all move freely.
What the Wrights didn't create is the aviator's checklist. But that concept was also created in Dayton. That's the subject for another episode.
Ailerons move up and down in the opposite direction on the other wing. The elevator moves up and down without any hitches. The rudder swings side to side easily. After all, these are extensions of you as the pilot while flying.
Check the wheels and brakes. No fluids leaking or any weird-looking stuff. Slide your hands along the leading edge of the propeller to feel for any nicks or gouges. Check the oil level with a dipstick. Be sure to have a rag or a paper towel before and after.
Check the fuel for the right color and be sure there isn't any water collected. Climb up a ladder and take the fuel caps off to check the fuel levels visually. A good idea is to put a measuring stick into the tank. The stick is marked with how much is in there, by how wet the stick is, and where.
The airplane is untied and ready. Look all around the area before climbing into the left seat. Review the checklist.
Buckle in and turn on the master switch. The plane begins to come to life. Turn on the flashing beacon. Stand on the brakes, open the window, and yell: "CLEAR PROP!"
Prime and start the engine. Keep an eye on the oil pressure, the fuel gauges, and the electrical gauges. The airplane is now a living creature.
At a small uncontrolled airport, you can taxi to the runway. At a larger airport with a control tower, you need to be fully capable in radio procedures and must have permission to taxi and to take the runway.
Before you get to the runway, you need to run up the engine. And before that, stand on the brakes again. Check the magnetos by switching off one and then the other. Keep an eye on the engine gauges. Throttle back. Taxi in a circle to look for traffic, intending to land on the runway you're about to be lined up on. Trim your airplane for takeoff.
Satisfied that the coast is clear, taxi onto the runway. Line yourself up with the center line. Look around again. Advance the throttle all the way. Listen for any weird noises or anything that doesn't sound normal.
This is it.
Release the brakes. Keep some right rudder kicked in and steer the airplane down the runway using the rudders. The center line is there for a reason. Keep your eyes on the runway and the instruments, and feel the airplane begin to fly.
The airspeed instrument will give you the numbers, but this is where you become one with your airplane. You'll know when you're flying.
Climb out. Once you've cleared the airport environment and reach the altitude you're expected to be at and turn onto the heading for where you're going, then the wonder and magic of flying can consume you.
You throttle back to a cruising speed. The plane is trimmed for level flight. You are on the proper heading.
Now, the realization that you're in the sky and alone with your aircraft. The Ohio landscape slowly unrolls beneath you. Your headset muffles the roar of the engine, turning it into a background buzz.
It's all about flying.
Blue Skies and Tailwinds is presented by SNC, a global aerospace and defense firm, with support from the Wright State University Aviation Science and Technology Program. The series is produced at the Eichelberger Center for Community Voices at WYSO.
Sign Up for WYSO's Daily Newsletter
