Aircraft Safety Checklist

Before Your First Flight....

Balance

  •  Is the center of gravity within the range shown on the plans? (fore and aft)
  • Is the model balanced side to side? (right and left wings of equal weight)

    Alignment

  •  Are all the flying surfaces at the proper angle relative to each other?
  • Are there any twists in the wing?
  • Are the wings at the proper incident as shown on the plans?
  • Is the engine set at the proper thrust angle as shown on the plans?

    Control Surcfaces

  •  Are they all securely attached? (i.e., hinges glued, pinned)
  • Are the control throws in the correct direction with proper amount of deflection?
  • Are the control horns secure? (screws been attached to servo horns)

    Control Linkages

  •  Have all the linkages been checked to be sure they are secure?
  • Are all the snap links closed? (clevises have keepers)

    Control Linkages

  •  Are all engine screws tight?
  • Are prop nut or spinner tight?
  • Is the engine securely mounted to the fuselage?
  • Does the throttle work without binding?
  • Does the throttle trim tab shut down the engine?
  • Has the propeller been balanced and checked for damage? (cracks and nicks)
  • Are propeller tips painted white?
  • Has the engine been thoroughly test run? (engine idle and throttle up properly)
  • Has the engine been run at full throttle with the planešs nose straight up in the air? (to make sure it wonšt stall when full power is applied on climb out)
  • Is the fuel tank installed correctly? (i.e., carburetor at the same height as fuel tank, fuel tank klunk in proper position and moving freely, fuel lines in good condition and connected to the engine correctly)
  •  Does your gasoline engine have a kill switch? Radio
  • For gasoline engines, fire extinguisher should be included in flight box.

    Control Linkages

  •  Are the radio and battery securely mounted and have they been padded with foam to protect from vibration and shock?
  • Are all screws in servo trays?
  • Are all push rods firmly secure in servo arms?
  • Are servo arms firmly attached with screw in place?
  • Are all electrical connectors secure?
  • Is the receiveršs antenna fully extended and in good condition?
  • Are the batteries charged and checked with a volt meter?
  • Has a full range check been performed?

    Landing Gear

  •  Is landing gear firmly attached to airframe? (wheel attachments secure) 
  • Does aircraft taxi in a straight line? (nose wheel turn in the correct direction)

    General

    
  • Is the covering tight with no visible signs of damage?
  •  Are wing bolts in place and secure? (fuselage/wing form a tight bond) 
  • Is the engine cowl secure? 
  • Is the canopy securely mounted? 
  • Are all components structurally sound? 
  • Aircraft must have your name and AMA identification label

    Before EVERY flight:

    
  • Secure transmitter frequency at frequency control board. 
  • Check the receiver and battery pack with a voltmeter to insure enough charge. 
  • Check the control throw direction of all surfaces. 
  • Check your transmitter to be sure switches were not accidentally thrown to the wrong position. 
  • Start the engine and test the entire throttle range.