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✈️ C172 – BEFORE TAXI INTERIOR- PREFLIGHT FLOW

PASSENGER BRIEFING

Seatbelt use

Exit procedure

Comm use

Motion sickness

Looking for traffic

🛫 COCKPIT SAFETY & SETUP

Alternate static

Parking brake - Set

Seat - Adjusted

Master - ON

Beacon - ON

Nav lights - ON (ADS-B)

Circuit breakers - IN

Fuel selector - BOTH

Insert key - Do not turn

COLD VS. HOT ENGINE START

COLD ENGINE START if oil temp not in green

COLD ENGINE START *if oil temp not in green*

Mixture - FULL RICH

Throttle - CRACKED

Fuel pump - ON (3 - 5 gallons per hour) then OFF

Mixture - LEAN

Check surroundings

Shout - "CLEAR PROP"

Starter - Turn key, engage (max 10 seconds)

Mixture - RICH to FULL gradually

Oil pressure - GREEN

Throttle - 1200 PRM

Mixture - Lean for max RPM

Throttle - 900 RPM

Avionics - ON

Headset (noise cancelling) - Check

HOT ENGINE START

Throttle - CRACKED

Check surroundings

Shout - "CLEAR PROP"

Starter - Turn key, engage (max 10 seconds)

Mixture - RICH to FULL gradually

Oil pressure - GREEN

Throttle - 1200 PRM

Mixture - Lean for max RPM

Throttle - 900 RPM

Avionics - ON

Headset (noise cancelling) - Check

PRE-TAXI

Flaps – UP

Transponder - 1200

GPS - ON

Set radios - top to Tower, bottom to ATIS and Ground. (KSMO example: Tower 120.10, ATIS 119.15, Ground 121.90).

ATIS - Copy with information letter

Altimeter - Set and verified

Contact Ground - (Listen first, then say: “Santa Monica Ground, [tail number], request taxi from [Southeast] Parking to Bravo Five run-up, with Information [ATIS]”

Audio and ATIS examples

Weather

https://aviationweather.gov/ and https://metar-taf.com/

ATIS example (METAR without remarks) :

https://storage.tally.so/aa7bd41a-f18a-43f9-81a6-b085fe099c2c/Screenshot-2026-01-27-at-12.02.57.png

At Santa Monica Municipal Airport on the 27th at 19:51 Zulu time, winds are calm at 000 knots, visibility is 10 statute miles with clear skies, the temperature is 22°C, the dew point is –7°C (very dry air), and the altimeter setting is 30.25.

Radio Calls

When calling Ground or Tower, always start with who you are, including where you are and where you want to go.