Definition
A systematic check of the airplane performed by the pilot after a flight to identify any damage, leaks, wear, or abnormalities that occurred during operation, and to confirm the airplane is properly secured and ready for its next flight or maintenance action.
Plain English
A walk-around the pilot does after landing to look the airplane over, note anything that went wrong or needs attention, and make sure it is properly shut down and tied up.
Context Anchor
You encounter this after landing, after the engine is shut down, while parking and securing the airplane.
Derivation
From 'post-' (Latin, meaning 'after') and 'flight.' So literally 'an inspection after the flight,' as opposed to a preflight inspection done before it.
Why Pilots Care
Detects issues such as propeller damage or fluid leaks that could affect safety on the next flight.
Intuition Check
Do not think of a postflight inspection as just putting the airplane away. It is a deliberate condition check after the flight.
Example Sentence 1
After shutting down, she completed a postflight inspection and noted a small oil streak on the cowling for the mechanic to look at.
Example Sentence 2
The student completed the postflight inspection before securing the aircraft in the tie-down area.