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Private pilot · ACS PA.II.A · Instructor lesson plan

Preflight Assessment

Student pack: Train: Preflight Assessment · Full lesson: Prepare guide

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1 · Objective

By the end of this lesson your student can explain preflight assessment in their own words, apply it in a realistic situation, and fly it to the ACS standard for PA.II.A.

Why it matters for safety: Many accidents begin on the ramp: water in the fuel, a control lock left in, frost on the wing, a pilot who shouldn't be flying that day. A real preflight assessment, of yourself and of the airplane, catches these while fixing them is still easy.

2 · Assign before the lesson

Pre-work: the free Train pack, Preflight Assessment. Check yourself, the airplane and the conditions before every flight, with a checklist and a purpose.

Anyone can open this link, no account needed. To see who trained it on your roster, use a free instructor account.

Pack: pilotprep.pro/train/ppl/preflight-assessment · Full lesson: pilotprep.pro/prepare/ppl/preflight-assessment

3 · Teach sequence

Key points to land

  • Before every flight, assess yourself (IMSAFE), the airplane, the environment and the pressures on you (PAVE).(Risk Management Handbook (FAA-H-8083-2A))
  • You, as pilot in command, decide whether the airplane is in condition for safe flight.(14 CFR 91.7)
  • Do the preflight inspection with the POH checklist, every time: knowing why each item is checked is what lets you spot a defect.(Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C), Ground Operations)
  • Check fuel quantity visually and sump every drain for water and contamination; know the right fuel grade and color.(Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C), Ground Operations)
  • No frost, ice or snow on any critical surface (wings, tail, control surfaces, propeller, windshield, pitot-static ports and engine inlets) at takeoff. Frost must be removed, not polished smooth; even a thin layer reduces lift and raises the stall speed.(PHAK (FAA-H-8083-25C); 14 CFR 91.7(a))
  • Confirm the airplane matches its type design: required placards, no unapproved modifications, documents on board.(14 CFR 91.9, 91.203)
  • Keep assessing after the walkaround: weather, terrain and obstacles change through the flight.(Private Pilot ACS (FAA-S-ACS-6C), PA.II.A.S4)

You first

  • IMSAFE: Illness, Medication, Stress, Alcohol, Fatigue, Emotion (some add Eating, for nutrition, as a separate check). If any of them is a problem, the flight can wait.(Risk Management Handbook (FAA-H-8083-2A))
  • The legal yardsticks behind it: no flying within 8 hours of drinking, while under the influence, or at 0.04 or more (a hangover is still impairment); and no flying with a known medical deficiency or on a medication or treatment that would keep you from meeting the medical standards.(14 CFR 91.17; 61.53)
  • PAVE organizes the whole assessment: P, the Pilot in command (with IMSAFE as the deep check); A, the Aircraft; V, the enVironment; E, External pressures.(Risk Management Handbook (FAA-H-8083-2A))
  • Compare today's conditions with your personal minimums before you're at the airplane with passengers waiting.(Risk Management Handbook (FAA-H-8083-2A))

The right airplane, airworthy

  • Is this airplane right for the flight: performance, range, equipment (night, radios, transponder/ADS-B) and your experience in it?(Risk Management Handbook (FAA-H-8083-2A))
  • Airworthy has two parts: the airplane conforms to its type design (certificated configuration, required placards and markings, no unapproved changes) and is in condition for safe operation today. If an unairworthy mechanical, electrical or structural condition appears in flight, you must discontinue the flight.(14 CFR 3.5(a); 91.7(a)-(b))
  • Find the documents, don't just say them (ARROW): the Airworthiness certificate displayed, the Registration certificate, the Radio station license (only for international flights), the Operating limitations (approved AFM/POH, placards and markings), and current Weight and balance data.(14 CFR 91.9, 91.203)
  • Inspections current and ADs complied with. Inoperative equipment with no MEL: it must not be required by the type certificate or KOEL, by 91.205 or another rule for the flight, or by an AD. If it isn't required, it's deactivated or removed, placarded "Inoperative" and recorded; otherwise the airplane doesn't fly (or only under a special flight permit).(14 CFR 91.213(d); 91.205; 91.409)

The walkaround

  • Follow the POH checklist in order so nothing is skipped; it's organized to walk around the airplane once.(Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C), Ground Operations)
  • Before touching anything: magnetos off (key out where the design allows), throttle, mixture and fuel selector as the POH says, control lock removed. Then stand back and look at the whole airplane: is it level and straight, any leaks or puddles, chocks, tiedowns, covers and gear pins.(Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C), Ground Operations)
  • Cockpit: documents, master on to check fuel gauges, flaps and lights, then off.(Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C), Ground Operations)
  • Fuel quantity: look in each tank (with a dipstick or tabs where fitted) and compare with the gauges. A gauge only has to read zero, in level flight, when the unusable fuel is all that's left, so treat its other readings as estimates and plan from what you saw. After refueling, confirm the amount and grade delivered and that the caps are secure.(Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C), Ground Operations; 14 CFR 23.1337(b))
  • Fuel sampling: drain the strainer (gascolator) and each tank sump before the first flight of the day and after each refueling (after it settles). Check the grade by color (100LL is blue) and smell, and look for water and sediment. If you find water, keep draining that sump and every other one until the samples are clean; if it won't clear, don't fly and get maintenance involved.(Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C), Ground Operations)
  • Engine: oil quantity, no leaks, cowling secure, propeller free of nicks and cracks, air intake clear.(Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C), Ground Operations)
  • Airframe and controls: surfaces free and moving correctly, hinges and attach points secure, no dents or wrinkles; pitot cover off, static ports and fuel vents clear; stall warning works.(Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C), Ground Operations)
  • Landing gear: tire condition and inflation, brakes and lines, struts.(Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C), Ground Operations)
  • Frost, ice or snow: remove it all from wings, tail and control surfaces.(PHAK (FAA-H-8083-25C))
  • The regulations behind it: you are responsible for the airplane being in condition for safe flight, and it must meet its type design with placards and markings in place.(14 CFR 91.7, 91.9)

The environment and the pressures

  • The environment is more than weather: the airports you'll use (runway length, NOTAMs), the airspace on the route (classes, TFRs and special use airspace, and their equipment and radio demands), terrain and obstacles, day or night, and the route itself. Keep reassessing all of it as the flight goes on.(Private Pilot ACS (FAA-S-ACS-6C), PA.II.A.S4)
  • External pressures (schedules, passengers, the money already spent) push you toward going. Name them, and decide by your minimums.(Risk Management Handbook (FAA-H-8083-2A))

Security

  • Lock the airplane and secure the keys; look for signs of tampering on the preflight.(Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C), Ground Operations)
  • Report suspicious activity at the airport to airport management or the GA Secure hotline (1-866-GA-SECURE).(AOPA Airport Watch / TSA GA security program)

Watch for in the airplane: Your instructor watches whether you use the checklist rather than memory, actually look at and touch each item (not just glance), sump and inspect the fuel properly, and can explain why each item matters.

4 · Ask your student

In order: recall, then understanding, then applying it. Move up only when the answer shows it.

  1. Recall · What are you looking for when you sump the fuel?

    A strong answer: Water, sediment or other contamination, and the right fuel color for the grade: blue for 100LL.

  2. Understand · Why does a thin layer of frost on the wing matter so much?

    A strong answer: It roughens the upper surface and disrupts the airflow, so the wing makes less lift and stalls at a higher speed. The airplane may not even fly off the runway normally.

  3. Apply · On your walkaround you find water in the fuel sample from the left tank. What do you do?

    A strong answer: Keep sampling until it runs clean with no water. If it doesn't clear, or there's a lot of water, I don't fly it and get maintenance to look at it.

Scenarios to talk through

  • You're running late. The airplane was flown an hour ago, and the previous pilot says it's fine. Can you skip the full preflight?

    Sound decision: No. You are the pilot in command, responsible for the airplane being in condition for safe flight. Do the full checklist; things change, and the previous pilot may have missed something.

  • Early morning, there's a light coat of frost on the wings. The sun will be up in an hour. Can you take off if it's "only light frost"?

    Sound decision: No. Remove all frost from the wings and tail first, or wait for it to melt completely. Even light frost degrades lift.

  • You notice the left aileron moves up when you move the yoke left, as it should, but a hinge bolt looks loose. What do you do?

    Sound decision: Don't fly it. A loose flight-control attachment is an airworthiness issue: ground the airplane and have maintenance inspect it.

5 · Common student errors

  • Doing the walkaround from memory.

    Why it matters: Habit skips items, especially when you're rushed or interrupted.

    How to correct it: Use the POH checklist every time, and restart the section if you're interrupted.

  • Trusting the fuel gauges.

    Why it matters: A light airplane's gauges only have to read zero when the tank is empty of usable fuel; other readings are estimates.

    How to correct it: Check the fuel visually in each tank and plan from what you saw.

  • Treating the self-assessment as a formality.

    Why it matters: You are the most important item on the checklist.

    How to correct it: Run IMSAFE honestly and compare conditions with your written personal minimums.

6 · Completion standard

  • Inspect the airplane with an appropriate checklist and verify it's in condition for safe flight and conforms to its type design.
  • Perform a self-assessment, and keep assessing the environment.
  • Your student answers each "Ask your student" question in their own words, up to the Apply level, without prompting.
  • They talk through the scenarios and reach a safe, legal decision, explaining why.
  • They complete the pack’s quick check and can say what they flagged.

Area trained? Close out with a practice oral focused on PA.II.A: pilotprep.pro/exam?exam=PPL&focus=PA.II.A

7 · References

  • Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C), Ground Operations
  • Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge (FAA-H-8083-25C)
  • Private Pilot ACS (FAA-S-ACS-6C), Area II
  • Your airplane's POH/AFM, normal procedures and checklists
  • Risk Management Handbook (FAA-H-8083-2A)
  • 14 CFR 91.7, 91.9, 91.203, 91.213
  • Airman Certification Standards, task PA.II.A

PilotPrep instructor lesson plan, from the Preflight Assessment lesson (checked against current FAA sources 2026-11-12). A study and teaching aid, not FAA guidance; teach to your own judgment and the current ACS.