Doug Taylor explains that preparation for the job normally takes place a few days before the actual trip begins. The reason for this is that he is a “commuter” pilot, he is based at an out of state airport, so he flies into his home airport the day before to “register”. At the gate, the gate agent checks my identity and hands me my flight documents. I begin to pre-fly the cockpit, check the various systems and make sure all indications are appropriate and safe to fly. The gate agent comes down and checks if the flight attendants are ready for the passengers, I go down to the tarmac and complete the external preflight of the plane. Once back in the cockpit, the captain and I begin the “pre-departure checklist.” The captain examines the documents while the lead flight attendant closes the cockpit door. We push back, turn on the engines, coordinate with the ramp and ground control to taxi onto the runway