Originally Posted by
Packrat
That's the problem, isn't it? I'd bet most F/Os merely look in the correct directions during walkarounds without even seeing what they're supposed to be looking for.
SWA might have the correct system. The F/O does the walk the first flight of the day, the ground crews do the rest. I'd guess their ground crews catch more problems than the average F/O who is just going through the motions.
Having been on both sides, I disagree with you completely. Ground personnel like to 'go through the motions' even more so than the crew. The F/O must fly in the aircraft he/she is pre-flighting, unlike the rampie. And typically your flight crew is taking a walk around quiz as part of their initial and/or upgrade orals.
Funny how stations like to imply that minor things should always wait until the aircraft goes to maintenance simply because they do not want to deal with a planeload of delayed passengers.
I'd rather have my first officer, or myself doing this.