Airline Transport Pilot and Type Rating for Airplane Category › II. Preflight Procedures › Task E. Before Takeoff Checks

AA.II.E.S3

Skill

Determine all systems checked are within an acceptable operating range and are safe for the proposed flight. During the checks, explain at the request of the evaluator, any system operating characteristic or limitation and any corrective action for a malfunction.

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Get a short, cited explanation of this element written from the FAA handbooks: the core idea, the numbers that matter, common test traps, and a quick self-check.

From the FAA library

Airplane Flying Handbook p. 2-21
Chapter 2: Ground Operations › Before-Takeoff Check
Fuel System—set per the AFM/POH and verified ON and the proper and correct fuel tanks selected. ⦁ Trim—set for takeoff position, which includes the elevator and may also include rudder and aileron trim. ⦁ Flight Controls—checked throughout ... their entire operating range. This includes full aileron, elevator, and rudder deflection in all directions. Often, pilots do not exercise a full range of movement of the flight controls, which is not acceptable. ⦁ Engine Operation—checked to ensure that…
Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge p. 16-17
Chapter 16: Navigation › Flight Planning › Airplane Flight Manual or Pilot’s Operating Handbook (AFM/POH)
Airplane Flight Manual or Pilot’s Operating Handbook (AFM/POH) The Aircraft Flight Manual or Pilot’s Operating Handbook (AFM/POH) should be checked to determine the proper loading of the aircraft (weight and balance data). The weight of the usable ... weight. The distribution of the load must be known to tell if the resulting center of gravity (CG) is within limits. Be sure to use the latest weight and balance information in the FAA-approved AFM or other permanent aircraft…
Airplane Flying Handbook p. 3-5
Chapter 3: Basic Flight Maneuvers › Integrated Flight Instruction
pilot’s attention should be devoted to outside visual references and scanning for airborne traffic. The process of visually evaluating pitch and bank attitude comes from a continuous stream of attitude information. When the pilot perceives that the attitude ... other than desired, the pilot should make precise, smooth, and accurate flight control corrections to return the airplane to the desired attitude. Continuous visual checks of the outside references and immediate corrections made by the pilot minimize the chance…
Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge p. 2-13
Chapter 2: Aeronautical Decision-Making › The Decision-Making Process › The 5 Ps Check
first decision point is preflight in the flight planning room, where all the information is readily available to make a sound decision, and where communication and Fixed Base Operator (FBO) services are readily available to make alternate travel plans ... second easiest point in the flight to make a critical safety decision is just prior to takeoff. Few pilots have ever had to make an “emergency takeoff.” While the point of the 5P check is to help the pilot…
Airplane Flying Handbook p. 3-8
Chapter 3: Basic Flight Maneuvers › Straight-and-Level Flight › Straight Flight
that reason, the pilot should not form the habit of unnecessarily moving the flight controls. The pilot needs to learn to recognize when corrections are necessary and then to make a measured flight control response precisely, smoothly, and accurately. Pilots ... angle from which the pilot is to observe but also causes the pilot to exert unconscious pressure on the flight controls in that direction. It is also important that the pilot not fixate in any one direction and continually scan…
Helicopter Flying Handbook p. 11-21
Chapter 11: Helicopter Emergencies and Hazards › System Malfunctions › LTE at Altitude
Maintaining a precise heading in this region is difficult, but this characteristic…