Preflight action

In plain English

Before any flight, you must become familiar with all available information relevant to it. For flights that leave the airport vicinity or are under IFR, that includes weather, fuel needs, alternates, and any known traffic delays; for every flight it includes the runway lengths and the takeoff and landing distance data for your aircraft.

Key points

• Check weather (current and forecast), NOTAMs and TFRs.
• Plan fuel, alternates and expected delays.
• Know runway lengths and your aircraft's takeoff/landing performance.
• A common memory aid is NWKRAFT: NOTAMs, Weather, Known traffic delays, Runway lengths, Alternates, Fuel, Takeoff/landing data.

Common pitfalls

• Skipping performance numbers on short or high-density-altitude runways.
• "Self-briefing" without checking NOTAMs or TFRs.

*This is a plain-English summary for study only. The official 14 CFR text on this page is controlling — always read the current regulation and consult a CFI.*