Stall warning - the main aircraft I fly has a broken stall warning, I can't test it during pre-flight.

 

For the Warriors I've instructed / flown in... yes you can test it... two ways...

1. Where the switch is on the wing... move it up gently and see if you feel / hear a click.
    
   
2. Flip the BAT on... go back out to the stall switch and gently move it... you should be able to hear the warning alarm. Don't forget to go right back and flip the BAT switch off.
   

While I'm fairly certain that the stall warning horn is required equipment

 

Unless you have an MEL... EVERYTHING is required equipment. Even if the "cigarette lighter" is broken... and it is part of how the plane was certified - the FAA will cite "unairworthy".

 

A plane certified with an altimeter for Day VFR is REQUIRED for flight. PERIOD. So an altimeter w/ a 1000' ft error makes that plane UNAIRWORTHY. Fly it if you want... but you ARE RESPONSIBLE should an accident or incident occur.

 

Want to risk an accident? Sure go ahead and fly. Want to risk your license? Sure, go ahead and fly.

 

CFI telling someone on their IFR check that it's fine to fly with that altimiter that is out by a bit..

 

What is a bit? (what a crap answer btw). Acceptable limits are +/- 75 feet. Plus (for IFR) Must be inspected every 24 (calendar) months (with a logbook entry).

 

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§ 91.7 Civil aircraft airworthiness.

 

(a) No person may operate a civil aircraft unless it is in an airworthy condition.

 

The pilot in command of a civil aircraft is responsible for determining whether that aircraft is in condition for safe flight. The pilot in command shall discontinue the flight when unairworthy mechanical, electrical or structural conditions occur.

 

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This includes the aircraft's documents. Hope you know ARROW by now.

 

If a COM was out... there are ways of dealing with it. It needs to be marked INOP and a entry stating such in the Aircraft Logbook.

 

With a seatbelt harness and a broken seatback... go ahead and take that for a checkride with a DPE. Let me know when you get back so I can see the pinkslip.

 

 

Water in the fuel - this worries me because I've read a few accident reports where their engine failure was caused by water in the fuel,

 

You make sure there is a fuel tester on board or buy your own from e.g. Sporty's. An inch or two... no biggy. Just as long as you drain a tester-full amount with NO water.

 

You drain / fill the tester full of water... then again... yeah dang I would be concerned. "Hey Hoss... just drained a quart of water from the Left Tank... you think you could take a look?" And maybe decide on golf that day.

 

Remember: "The Pilot-In-Command has the final responsibility to determine that the aircraft is properly serviced." See AC 20-125

 

And if you're a student pilot on solo... that makes you PIC.

 

A success, I have a new flight school and a good one!

 

GOOD! Good Good Good.

 

You don't need to suck anything up you are not comfortable with. You make a decision the aircraft is unairworthy... then it is unairworthy... unless "they" can demonstrate otherwise ("Ah... no worries... we can placard this instrument / cover it up as it is not required for our flight [and it certainly will not affect the SAFETY of the flight] and I'll make an logbook entry now in the aircraft log.").

 

Remember... it is your life... your ticket and quite possibly other peoples lives involved. Not to mention who wants to have the liability of dinging up an airplane because of a poor / inadequate pre-flight.

 

-Rob O.

My first flight school was a little sketchy, they made us fly in these POS 1980s Pipers, I remember doing a walk around and the landing light came off in my hand.

 

In fact on my second solo, when I showed up I found out my had CFI quit, I stuck around to do some circuits, I was given an IFR clearance by the tower(I had NO idea what was going on, it was gibberish to me), almost hit another plane on the taxi-way(after being told to taxi by the ground controller), and was vectored straight into a large storm cloud(by the controller who gave me the IFR clearance).

 

The only reason I didn't fly into the cloud was my CFI's advice "Fly the Plane FIRST"

 

I landed after one circuit, walked out and said I am not going back there, I went to another airport and started my training again from the bottom up.

 

So I got to have two "first solos"

 

If you were getting a weird feeling, then you did the right thing, how can you be comfortable and receptive to instruction if you are worried that your plane is going to fail on you? IT takes alot of "balls" to go and learn to fly, solo-ing a plane is something less than 1% of the population does, and it's one of the few hobbys remaining where you take your life into your own hands.

 

That being said, I have taken lessons from more than 4 different flight schools all across the state of Florida, planes used in these schools have alot of hours on them, and there is always some component that is inoperative.

Unless you have an MEL... EVERYTHING is required equipment.

 

Removing or adding equipment is not what I meant to suggest.

 

The FARs allow for equipment that isn't required for certification to be placarded INOP and disabled if possible when a MEL is not available. Many aircraft don't have a MEL, but you can still check Section 6 in newer POHs for the list of equipment required for certification. You even said that you can mark a piece of equipment INOP later in your post. In the case of the C172S, the pneumatic stall warning is required to be operating.

 

I won't claim to know a lot about aviation, but I've been drilled on this one many times and discussed it with my DPE not all that long ago. Of course, even if it is placarded that doesn't make it a good call nor safe. What you might think is a dead bulb in the beacon, which isn't required in the C172S for certification, is actually a major electrical problem.

 

A real crash occurred that killed 2 highly experienced pilots when a improperly documented and not placarded malfunctioning weather radar sparked a fast growing cockpit fire. The circuit breaker had been pulled to disable the radar, but the pilots reset the CB during preflight. Less than 15 minutes later, they were dead. www.ntsb.gov/doclib/reports/2009/AAR0901.pdf

 

DanW - Great news on finding a new school where you can feel comfortable while you learn!

Removing or adding equipment is not what I meant to suggest.

 

Hmmm... I did not take it that way.

 

You even said that you can mark a piece of equipment INOP later in your post.

 

Yes... as I also said if not part of the certification (or required by FAR).

 

Of course, even if it is placarded that doesn't make it a good call nor safe.

 

Right... which goes back to what I said about the PIC being responsible for determining an aircraft's airworthiness (not the last Harry to fly it or to depend on what the FBO says or or or...).

 

planes used in these schools have alot of hours on them, and there is always some component that is inoperative.

 

Not at the school I went to... and thru commercial / instrument with them (Purdue University) I cannot recall ever a component that failed in flight... certainly never took off with anything "inop"... that just was not done! Purdue Maintenance had / has an impeccable safety record.

Thanks for the responses guys.

 

I had no trouble performing the stall warning test or using my fuel tester.. my problem was the results of these tests

Result was bad lol.

 

I was told the stall warning will not work on the ground with battery for that particular plane, it only works when the engine or alternator is turning or something. Not good anyway.

 

Sure some people might fly with some things inop, but I prefer not to - I am focussing on learning. Advanced stuff like working around inoperable equipment use can come later.