Simviation Forums

I would like to know what state commercial aircraft are usually in (not cold and dark) when the pilots enter the cockpit for the first time. It doesn't matter which aircraft, just which systems are on

My daddy was a pilot for United for many many years based out of SFO.
As I recall, when the pilot walks onto the flightdeck, normally what's on are the basic lighting, heating/cooling systems and suchlike, anything that can be run off external or APU power, altho the APU isn't normallly run without a pilot or maintennance tech aboard. This is presuming some mainennance type hasn't turned something on he needed to work on and forgot to turn off again when he left. Sometimes they will do that on purpose to show the pilot a gripe has been repaired. Just makes life easier on all concerned is all.

About the only things we ever turned on before the pilots got in on the F-4's I worked on (and before the peanut gallery weighs in, that is the F-4 Phantom II, NOT the Corsair, smart aleks! I'm not quite THAT old! ) were the interior lighting, instrument power (NOT radar) and fuel pumps, which we never left on as they are noisy buggers. All these run off Battery/external power.

Get teh equivalent of the aircfrat's NATOPS manual online and read thru what is avaialble on external/emergeny battery bus. those are the systems available for use, anyway. They may or may not all be used in the gate.

I realize all that isn't really a whole of actual information, but i hope it helps some!

Good luck and have fun!

Pat~

When I let out a 738 or A320, I have powered the aircraft up, set all the cockpit lights and displays, APU power is running and the aircraft is conditioned. I also align the aircraft, turn on the windscreen heaters and turn on the coffee makers so the water is hot for the crew (and so I get a cup too). This is pretty standard if technic hand the aircraft over in the morning.
From time to time I also let out a customer CRJ 900. Again, power the aircraft up and depending on the outside temperature, condition the the aircraft with the APU. It depends what the customer wants, but on a whole 99% of the time the crews come to a powered aircraft unless it is a very small company with just a couple of aircraft and not much spare cash........

Matt.

Well, there ya go! Straight from the horse's...errrr....MOUTH!
Kidding Expat! Thanks for the great response! always good to hear it from the real pro's

Have a great time!

Pat~