Prepare for: After Landing, Parking and Securing

What you'll do

1. Exit the runway at the first safe turnoff and stop past the hold-short line before doing anything else.
2. Run the after-landing checklist (flaps up, lights and transponder as the POH and your school direct, carb heat off).
3. Taxi to parking at a walking pace, watching for other airplanes, people and obstacles.
4. Shut down using the POH checklist: avionics off, mixture to idle cutoff, mags off, master off.
5. Secure it: control lock, chocks or tie-downs, pitot cover, and close the doors and windows.
6. Record the Hobbs and tach times and write up anything that broke or seemed wrong for maintenance.
7. Log the flight in your logbook and have your instructor sign the dual entry.

The standard you'll be held to

Quoted from the current FAA Airman Certification Standards for each level that tests this.

There's no ACS task for this lesson. It's covered by 14 CFR and your instructor's syllabus.

Prepare the night before

• Read the shutdown and securing section of your airplane's POH.
• Ask where the tie-down ropes, chocks and squawk sheet are at your school.

Common mistakes

• Stopping on the runway to clean up after landing.
• Leaving the master switch on and draining the battery.
• Not reporting a problem, which leaves it for the next pilot.

Questions to ask your instructor

• Do you want me to mag-check at idle before shutdown?
• How do we write up a maintenance problem here?
• Should we refuel now or leave it for the next flight?

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