Kenny Keller shows what to check on a helicopter between flights the same day: three fluid levels and the engine compartment for leaks. A post-flight inspection catches problems that only show up after the aircraft runs warm.
Questions this video answers
Tail rotor gearbox, engine oil, and main rotor gearbox.
No — he advises against doing a whole pre-flight again for subsequent flights; instead perform targeted checks and a walk-around.
Chapters
Mps actually, I'll probably throw this at the beginning of the video. Of course, everything still boils down to POH or any specific operation where you fly the company you work for. So the tips that I give you in today's video is depending on, you know, the aircraft you're flying, the company you're working for. So I'm just giving you some tips today about subsequent flights after you've done the first full pre flight of the day. Welcome to day 124. I'm up bright and early, gotta get this one done. Got a lot to do today, so I'll make it kind of quick. So I wanted to give you a tip on what someone taught me early on and I've always just used this through the years. This gentleman was one that taught me a lot of this cool stuff that I still use today. And when I was new CFI about 300 hours and I was going to work at a new school and he said, he asked me what specifically I did after my first pre flight of the day, what do I do for the subsequent flights throughout that day when I'm going back to the aircraft to fly. And he's a Vietnam era pilot, right? He said, kenny, here's what I've always done for years when I come back up. Of course you always do a walk around before you climb in, but I checked three things, all three levels for your fluids. So as you're walking back up, let's say you've done a full entire pre flight, you went out and flew for half an hour, you, you've stopped to get fuel or check on weather, do something, you're going back to the aircraft. When you come back, check the level on the tail rotor gearbox, come up, check the level of the engine oil and then check the level of the main rotor gearbox. Then take a quick peek in each engine compartment, just look real quick, see if anything's dripping or changed, anything's going on in there. Then climbing and flying, of course, a walk around because so many times on a walk around after fueling, you'll catch one of these open. I've done it time and time again over the years and I want to answer a ground school member question who said, what do you do after you've flown? Do you do the whole pre flight again? No, you do not do a whole pre flight again after you fly. However, I had a mechanic taught me years ago again when I was new and he said, kenny, I think people learn more from a post flight than they do a pre flight. And I kind of understand what he was talking about. He was saying after you've had the helicopter out operating, you've been flying, you got it good and warm and when you get done for the day, you go to put it away, take a good look at it because you're going to notice anything that changed during that flight, any fluids that are leaking, anything different that's going on. And I always thought that was some pretty good, that was some pretty good advice. So a lot of us, when you get done flying, of course you're in a hurry to get the helicopter put away because you're going to another flight or you're going home or going out that night or whatever you got going on. So it is very important to take a look at the helicopter after you're done flying for the day. Is anything dripping out? Has anything changed? So a few good tips there for you. Thanks for tuning in to day 124. If you again I got a big day. Heather will be in soon so I got to get going here. Please like and subscribe for these daily videos. We give you all kinds of cool content, all kinds of tips and tricks, just things that can help you along your pilot career and just in your daily flying because it's all about staying safe, being knowledgeable and going home at the end of the day. That's what it's all really about. So thanks for tuning on for tuning on day 124 like like the video. Make a comment down below some tip or trick that you have for pre flighting, post flighting, something along that lines or anything else helicopter related. Please subscribe. When you do that click the bell though you that way you'll be notified of our daily video. So thanks for tuning in. Like subscribe comment below and we'll see you in day. 125. Peace out.
