As an instructor I really emphasize the fact that pre-flight checks are not just something pilots do with new aircraft but are ongoing procedures that are followed throughout the life of the airplane. I once got a student irritated after I wouldn't take his airplane up until I metered the battery. He didn't want to, so I told him I absolutely wouldn't fly the airplane until I was sure beyond a doubt that it was airworthy. He reluctantly removed the wing (probably grumbling the whole time), and I checked it. Let's just say he ended up happy that I insisted on the check (it was well below nominal voltage). I took out a spare battery of mine and installed it so we could fly. The next week he admitted that he had plugged the charger into a socket that was controlled by a switch. The battery was only charged a couple of minutes until the light was turned off. The next morning he flipped the light back on and came in the room. It appeared that the charger had been on the whole night but hadn't. I may get an eye roll from time to time, but no student of mine is going to have his airplane crash under my watch because of something preventable like a battery or linkage. The moral of the story: just when you think everything is perfect, expect something to be out of place. Don't just look at everything but inspect it with a critical eye.

I actually came up with a little game I play with myself from my full scale background. I call it "today's the day." I line up for takeoff and say something at random like "today's the day your engine quits before you turn crosswind." It only takes a second but prepares you for anything. After all, one second gained from being mentally prepared for an emergency can be the difference between a box of splinters and a near miss. The difference between somebody needing to change their pants and somebody needing to go to the emergency room.