If you don’t know what to look for, you definitely won’t know what to talk about. A good preflight goes well beyond kicking the tires, wiggling the ailerons, and swinging the rudder before you hop in the aircraft and taxi merrily along to the runway.  

So what are we looking for? In this article, I talk about a number of things you should plan to mention on your checkride preflight, but you should check these on every flight. Even if particular terms not specifically named on your checklist, they are definitely part of a larger item.  

The principle of ground effect explains why airplanes float during landing. It is a concept that pilots need to be familiar with because ground effect affects how aircraft act on takeoff and landing. If you’re preparing for a checkride, you should know how to explain ground effect. You should also know that ground effect can cause your airplane to float and float and float down the runway when you’re trying to have a nice landing.

In some takeoff situations, ground effect can be used to an advantage to improve acceleration if the runway is long enough. In soft-field situations, where you want to take the weight off the wheels during the ground run, ground effect can be used to get off the ground before true flying speed is reached.