Cockpit Briefings: Departure, Approach, etc.

[rotatrim]

Can anyone offer any hints and tips on the ideal content/length/format/tone of Departure Briefings, Approach Briefings, etc.

Had my first sim ride recently for what would have been my first flying job (yes, failed it!). I'd spoken to current FOs who told me that the company likes to see good CRM through comprehensive, interactive briefings. However, to quote the sim assessor, "I'm not interested in what you're going to do if a problem occurs before V1, just brief the plate and make it as brief as possible". He was surprisingly prescriptive and told me what he would be doing in his role as PNF (EG in terms of what callouts he would be prepared to make), rather than allowing me to brief him and make requests according to what I would like him to do.

All comments appreciated.

[Dani]

While I agree that briefings are one of the most important CRM and therefore safety tools, one has to know that there isn't the "perfect briefing". Briefings in their content and their extent depend heavily from which school/instructor/company/airline you are coming from, you are trying to get hired or you learn flying.

I also do not see active CRM in a briefing, since a briefing is a "what-to-do" not a "do". Most of the items mentioned in most of the briefings in most airlines are pure repetition of known facts or procedures laid down in company books.

I do not want to go as far as to suggest what I'm sometimes brief ("all according company procedures - briefing completed"), but I really know of a lot of people who just pray down unnecessary things of endless length.

If you want to impress some recruitment guys: If in doubt, make it short, sharp and precise, add one or the other personal point or special hazard of this approach, and you're done.

btw, no instructor or recruiter lets you fail just because of a bad briefing. It's still flying that counts. The debriefing about your briefing might be just an excuse that he didn't like you.

Dani

[Old Smokey]

Much has been said on this topic before, but if you boil it down to the essentials, a good briefing should be in accordance with the following points -


(1) Keep it BRIEF, and keep it PERTINENT. Rambling on with trivialities will lose the other pilot's attention, or at the least, make it too much to remember.


(2) Make it as a CONTRACT between the pilots about how this operation will be conducted. Like any contract, all parties will know the part that they have to play, and in this 'contractual' environment, there is freedom to discuss any disagreements and mutually agree on an acceptable alternative.


(3) Conduct the briefing in an atmosphere of this is what we EXPECT, NOT what will happen. ATC / Weather / any other factors may change the entire scenario, and, if a crew member already has a 'mind set' of a pre-ordained operation differing from the changed circumstances, there's a good chance that they'll follow the original plan (I've seen this many times).


(4) Personalise the briefing. For example, our company's standard Safety Briefing begins with - "The PNF will call any malfunction or warning.....", my briefings are - "You are flying this sector. I will call any malfunction or warning.....". In this way the other pilot has personally been allocated their role in the forth-coming operation.


Regards,


Old Smokey

[A330AV8R]

I agree with old smokey ! the key is to keep it interesting and to the point before it sounds like babble and hes actually thinking about the Blonde with the hige tits who yall saw coming to the aircraft in the coach !!!!!!

:E