Preflights

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A series of checks and preparations undertaken before a flight to ensure everything is in order and safe for departure
2. The process of reviewing and confirming necessary conditions and equipment prior to takeoff to guarantee aircraft readiness
3. A set of preliminary inspections and verifications performed on an aircraft to verify its readiness and compliance with safety protocols before flying

Etymology: "Preflight" is a plain compound: the prefix "pre-", meaning "before", joined to "flight". The "flight" half descends from Old English "flyht", a word for flying or the act of moving through the air, which came into Middle English as "flight" and has kept its sense of an airborne journey. Put together, "preflight" names whatever is done before that journey begins. The plural "preflights" simply counts the separate checks or procedures of this kind, so the term is a plural of a noun that already described a set of pre-takeoff tasks. Its meaning rests on the older word for flight, with the Latin-derived prefix doing nothing more than marking time.