Remove before flight

Remove before flight is a safety warning often seen on removable aircraft and spacecraft components, typically in the form of a red ribbon, to indicate that a device, such as a protective cover or a pin to prevent the movement of mechanical parts, is only used when the aircraft is on the ground (parked or taxiing). On small general aviation aircraft, this may include a pitot tube cover or a control lock. The warning appears in English only. Other ribbons labelled "pull to arm" or similar are found on missiles and other weapon systems that are not mounted on aircraft.

A remove before flight ribbon on Concorde landing gear

A remove before flight keychain

Remove-before-flight components are often referred to as "red tag items". Typically, the ground crew will have a checklist of remove-before-flight items. Some checklists will require the ribbon or tag to be attached to the checklist to verify it has been removed. Non-removal of a labelled part has caused airplane crashes, like that of Aeroperú Flight 603 and, in 1975, a Royal Nepal Airlines Pilatus PC-6 Porter carrying the wife and daughter of Sir Edmund Hillary.

Red tag items

Red tag items typically include:

• Ejector seat pins
• Gust locks
• Intake/Inlet blanks
• Landing gear pins
• Pitot tube covers

See also

• Aviation portal
• Index of aviation articles
• Red tag
• Mind the gap
• Lists of aviation topics
• List of aviation, avionics, aerospace and aeronautical abbreviations