First off - note that this is MY brief, to MY candidates and that the flight is taking place in the USA. Rules here are slightly different and, as such, slightly amend the briefing that I would be giving for a flight test in European airspace. DON'T take this as the definitive briefing. LISTEN to exactly what your own examiner says - indeed, WHAT he says, may very well be in your favour......here goes......candidate returns, 40 minutes later. I've based this entirely on the flight that occured with FFF.
Ah, Mr. Flying for Fun. Welcome back, did you find everything you need? Are you ready to fly? <<I'm expecting a "Yes", but say otherwise, if not>>
Good, in that case, let's sit and go through the long briefing for the flight. Do you want a drink of anything before we start? This could be a long chat.
Don't bother taking any notes, mainly because we are going flying immediately afterwards - so you won't get time to read them. However, please do stop me, interrupt me, if I'm saying anything that you do not completely understand or if I'm suggesting something you don't believe you have done in training. If you have any questions, any questions at all, please ask.
First of all, I must ask you to sign this Form 172, the CPL Skill Test Report Form. <<Shows form to candidate and points to various bits of information that I've just written onto it>>
If you agree that this is your first attempt, of the first series (or whatever, as applicable) - that this is your correct name and CAA reference number - that in Piper Arrow, N2878U you are going to fly from Fort Pierce to the private airstrip called 'Escape', with me (my name and reference number on form), and that you are required to fly the indicated sections of the flight ....section 1 being the departure, section 2 being the upper air work, general handling, section 3 the navigation element, 4 the circuits and landings and 5 being the simulated emergencies, please sign the form here. There are four carbon copies of this form, so please press quite hard - but try not to dig holes in the paper. You have no requirement to fly any items from section 6 as this is for multi engine aircraft - and are difficult to fly in your Piper Arrow. The section down here, at the bottom, says that you have trained to fly at EFT, that <whoever> has signed your form 170A on <this date>. When we return from the flight, and complete the result, I will ask you to sign it again.
OK?? Right then, the profile, as I'm sure you are aware, will include a departure from here, followed by the visual navigation leg, and a simulated diversion. This diversion will include some simulated instrument flight. After the navigation you will be required to demonstrate some general handling exercise as well as a few circuits. There will also be some simulated emergencies to contend with.
So why are we doing all this?? Well, today is your golden opportunity to demonstrate your ability to operate as the Pilot in Command of a single pilot, public transport, passenger carrying operation, in a single engine aeroplane. Remember, although I will direct you through the sequence of events, you are to assume the responsibilities of the pilot in command - show me how you would carry out this flight as the Captain.
Fly the trip in accordance with all national legislations - now, there is the potential for conflict here as, having chosen to train in the United States for this flight test, you have two sets of rules to comply with. You are flying an FAA registered aircraft, in Federal airspace so must comply with Federal regulations - however, you are flying a JAA skill test for a JAA licence, so must also comply with JAA legislation. If the two sets of legislation contradict each other - then take the most restrictive. For example, what are the FAA regulations with regard to clearance from cloud for flight under VFR - and what are they under JAA? <Waits for answers>. So in that case, the Federal regulations are more restrictive.
On the other hand, if your flight takes you close to an airfield that has an air-to-ground radio facility then, under JAA, that airfiled would have an ATZ around it and, if your journey today takes you inside that area, I expect you to make the appropriate radio calls - which should also be in accordance with CAP413, not the atrocious American crap that you've been listening to for the last three or four weeks. What would be the dimensions of that ATZ at, say, these two airfields? <points at two airfields, on the candidates chart, with different length runways and waits for correct answers>.
The flight should also be flown in accordance with standard industry operating procedures - so no deliberate steep turns in the circuit, land at the start of the runway - not three quarters of the way down it, land with the wheels down etc. etc. Having said that, if you WISH to operate in a non-standard way, say landing with the gear up, or half way up the runway, then TELL ME, in advance, that you intend to do so. The flight must also be conducted in accordance with your flight schools training and operation manuals - do it the way you have been taught. The main thing to consider, however, is that the entire flight must be flown in VMC - do NOT enter cloud, on pain of death. If, for example, I ask you to climb from altitude 3,000 feet to altitude 4,000 - and there is a cloud in the way, then I do NOT expect you to go through that cloud, I expect you to find your way AROUND it. DO NOT enter cloud during this flight.
Whenever you are operating under simulated instrument conditions - or, more simply put, whenever you have the hood on - I will assume responsibility for lookout and collision avoidance.......which is only fair - because you can't see out of the window. Whenever you are operating visually, however, you are responsible for that collision avoidance and if you see any other aircraft, or obstructions, you should point them out to me - then I can tell what you have seen and, more importantly to my insurance company, I can tell what you haven't seen.
During the navigation exercise, you will also be responsible for both radio communication with whichever ground facility you deem to be the most appropriate at any given time and, not surprisingly,for navigation - for the safe and effecient conduct of the flight path. If there is some airspace in the way that may need a clearance - then organise one. If you get lost - take the appropriate actions to find yourself. Do what you would do as the pilot in command of a single pilot, public transport, passenger carrying aircraft.
During the general handling section of the flight - the airwork section - I will be responsible for both radio communication and navigation. You do not need to make any radio calls - but I would ask you not to talk over any radio reception. If the radio is talking - it may be somebody operating in our area - so listen to it!!
No matter whether you are flying visually, or under the hood, cockpit management will be your responsibility at all times. YOU decide if a switch should be on or off, if you want the wheels up or down, if you want the left tank or the right tank selected...whatever. If I ask you to carry out an exercise, but you want to do a check or whatever, then please tell me that you wish to do so, and we'll continue with the exercise when you are ready. Remember, cockpit management is your responsibility at all times.
On the subject of in-flight checks, all your checks should be done in accordance with your company check list, and should all be made out loud. Let me hear what you are doing. Following on from this would be the operating speeds - let's agree how you intend to handle this flight. <<My kneeboard has a sheet on it that has spaces to record your nominated speeds for rotate, cruise climb, best rate of climb, best angle of climb, cruise speed, cruise descent, downwind in the traffic pattern and final approach speeds for a normal approach, a flapless approach, a glide and a short field or performance landing - and, as you sing them out, I'll write them on the kneeboard and expect you to comply with them>> <<back to the script....>>
Tolerances. No doubt your instructor has beaten into you the tolerances that you are allowed from your nominated altitudes, headings and speeds. Well, don't concentrate too hard on these - they are more for my guidance than yours. Altitude for example, the written tolerance is plus, or minus, 100 feet - but I'm more concerned with WHY. If you enter a porpoising, sinusoidal wave form flight path that goes from 90 feet above to 90 feet below your nominated altitude, that would be a bad thing. If you cruised along for quite some time with an error or 80 feet and did nothing about it, that would be a bad thing, despite it being within the magical 100 feet figure. If, however, you drift off to, say, 150 feet high, which is technically outside the tolerance, but then make an immediate, deliberate, smooth, non aerobatic, non coffee spilling, non passenger scaring, recovery to your nominated altitude - that is not as bad a thing. If you get caught in one of our wonderful, homely, Floridian thermal updraughts - well then all bets are off. Do what you can to control it - but don't fret about it - you may not have the powers to overcome nature.
Conversation - it's unusual for me, but once you start the engine, I'm going to go quiet. I'll slide the seat back all the way and enjoy the ride. Remember your driving test?? Grumpy, frightening, examiner guy with his arms folded, listing all your faults on his kneeboard and sighing when you brake too heavy?? Well, I'm going to stay real quiet but only in an attempt to give you 100% opportunity to concentrate on whatever you are trying to do. I will not open conversation with you, other than to advise you of the diversion - if you wish to open conversation with me, I will, of course, reply - but I will not be able to advise you on the conduct of the flight. Please don't take this as unfriendly - I'm actually trying to help you. I'm trying to let you concentrate.
Talking of the driving examiner, I want you to know that I will be keeping a log of the flight. I'll be scribbling A LOT during the flight. If you make a mistake, I'll write it down. If you do something really well, I'll write it down. I may even write down something that has no direct bearing on our flight - maybe a note to advise the school of a fault with the aircraft, maybe a note about the weather or visibility. Maybe a note of some aircraft that I have heard on the radio. Maybe a note to remind me to pay the mortgage when we land...it could be anything. Please, don't assume that because I have just written something down, you have just made a bad mistake - it could be just the opposite <<that's all true, by the way>>.
Finally, before we discuss the flight excersises, let's discuss those mistakes. If, or should I say 'when', you realise that you have made a mistake, don't sit there hoping that I didn't spot it, it's my job, it's what you've paid the CAA for me to do. Please, just tell me that you know you did wrong and what you should have done differently. If your error has affected the flight - then take the appropriate actions to rectify the problem. Do what you would do if you were the pilot in command of a public transport, passenger carrying flight.
<<going for coffee - will finish off later. Please advise me of any typo's that you spot in any of the above>>