The Schweizer 2-33 Flight - Erection - Maintenance
Manual enumerates all the points to be checked
during a preflight inspection and all students
should become familiar with this procedure.
FAR 91.103 spells out the pilot's preflight
responsibilities. Basically it says the pilot
in command is responsible for everything pertaining
to the flight; and in the case of gliders the
glider pilot is also responsible for the towing
equipment. This is why the person hooking you
up will ask for your approval of the tow rope
before hooking it up.
Most new students know what to look at during
a preflight but many don't know what to look
for. When examining the tow rope, look for fraying
around the rings. If there are just a few broken
strands don't worry about it , but if 25% or
more are broken it's time to ask for a new rope.
In the cockpit, check to see that the instruments
read correctly: airspeed, variometer and altimeter
read zero and the altimeter hands are free to
move. Ensure that the stick is free to move side
to side and front to back to the stops, and that
the control surfaces move in the right direction.
If this is done before you get in the cockpit,
you don't have to crane your neck around to see
the controls during the pre take-off checklist;
just make sure there is nothing obstructing the
full travel of the stick. The rudder pedals should
be adjusted to your liking; it is much easier
to adjust them from outside the cockpit. Check
the shoulder harness and seat belts for security
and operability. After two or three flights you
should have determined what seat cushion setup
is comfortable for you, so try to have the same
setup for every flight. Check the canopy hinges
and latch operation.
On the outside, inspect the skid and tire for
soundness and wear and tear. Check operation
of the release mechanism and make sure there
are no burrs on the hook that would make release
difficult. Check the pitot and static system.
Insects like to build nests there and this will
disable the airspeed indicator. The wing attachment
bolts on the lift struts on 2-33 wings do not
normally have nuts, just safety pins. In some
cases these struts are convenient for tie down
points so make sure the safety pins have not
been deformed and dislodged by someone wrapping
a rope around them. Inspect the aileron hinges
and hinge pins. On the tail, look for cotterpins
or safety pins in the hinge bolts of the rudder,
elevator, elevator push rod and stabilizer strut
attachment bolts. The tailwheel should be free
to turn, it often collects long grass or mud
which will cause it to bind up.
With experience, most pilots develop their
own system of performing a preflight inspection
but it is vitally important that this be a system
that is followed religiously so that no item
is overlooked. Do not allow anyone or anything
to interrupt the inspection. If you are unavoidably
interrupted, start again from the beginning.
