Tips for Passenger Briefing

[rich_g85]

Hi, I have my skill test booked for this coming Monday, I just wanted to see whether anyone has some good advice for the passenger briefing? I realise the bare minimum I should cover is entry/exit, harness, fire extinguisher, first aid kit. Anything else worth mentioning - 'in an emergency, follow my instructions', that sort of thing? I know he's the examiner and will know all this stuff anyway but Standards Document 19 says to treat him as a passenger. I seem to recall (and I'll look this up to confirm when I get home) the aircraft commander has a legal obligation to ensure his passengers are adequately briefed on certain safety aspects of the flight? I'm sure Ryanair and British Airways etc don't do it for the fun of it. Thanks, Rich

[fa2fi]

For a safety briefing especially for a non-flyer I break it up into two parts. There should be an airfield briefing explaining that you need to wear a high vis where required and to stick with you at all times. Point out the danger of propellors and to approach the aircraft from behind (assuming you have a tractor prop!) and to never go near them. Pay particular attention to aircraft with their beacon/strobes on or aircraft with people in them just incase the beacon is not working. Listen out for "clear prop".

Onboard as a minimum, its sausage, bacon and eggs (seatbelts, brace and exits). Point out the fire extinguisher*, first aid kit and any other safety equipment. Remind them to leave the aircraft toward the rear and never go near the prop even if it is not turning following an off airport landing.

Go through the evacuation procedure. For example on a one door aircraft such as a Piper, "you will leave first and I will follow you".

Remind them not to touch anything and if they do to let you know. And don't forget to conclude your briefing with "any questions?".

*I personally wouldn't trust a non-flyer with a BCF in the confines of a light aircraft, but that's just me! I suppose for your test it would be a good idea to point it out.

Hope this helps, and good luck with the skills test!;)

[foxmoth]

Wondering why
a) This has not been properly covered by your instructor, and
b) Why you do not ask him?

[rich_g85]

Ah, I was waiting the stock Pprune response: "google it" or "ask your instructor". To answer Foxmoth's concerns, A) it has and B) I have. I figured there's a lot of experienced pilots and instructors on these boards and I just thought it wouldn't do any harm to get some other opinions.

[RTN11]

It can range from a very simple explaination of how to open the door, operate the harnessess, brace position, and a good one for real life - somewhere they can safely grab if they start to feel nervous or uncomfortable (not the controls!)

or, you can go for the full commercial brief - "welcome on board this cessna 172 today for our flight to... the surface wind is... giving a cross wind of... which is within our limit of... in the event of any serious malfunction engine failure or fire before my rotate speed of... and so on and on and on.

I've seen students do both, and for test either should be fine, but in the real world when you start talking about engine fire after take off, passengers suddenly don't seem quite so happy!

A good way to get on the examiners side is to treat them as a passenger as soon as the brief is over. As above, with respect to prop briefs, also where they can and cannot walk on the apron, and how to step into the aircraft - ie not stepping on flaps.

Even if you forgot the brief, you may not fail, but it's one more point against you that could just tip the balance! good luck for the flight test.

[foxmoth]

No problem if you have started with that, but some seem to ask on here as a substitute and can end up with some bad advice or that contradicts what they have already been told!
If you have the info from your instructor then I should just go with that, do not get too hung up about it, the examiner mainly wants to see that you do do one and cover the main points, try not to frighten a pax though with too much "when the engine stops/catches fire etc" I tend to start with that an incident is extremely unlikely, but you need to brief them as a CAA requirement.

[Whopity]

The examiner really wants to see if you know what your responsibilities as a pilot are in respect of carrying passengers. So many briefs I see are pilot briefs not pax briefs!

[Intercepted]

Don't leave it with only an explanation on how to open the door. Let them do it without your interference. Most first time passengers don't know how to open the door in a convincing way on for example a PA28, even after you have explained it (maybe my passengers are more stupid than others).

If you have the info from your instructor then I should just go with thatWhat guarantee do you have that an instructor is correct when it comes to passenger briefs? The blind belief in authority?

[foxmoth]

What guarantee do you have that an instructor is correct when it comes to passenger briefs? The blind belief in authority?

You only have the assurance that he has been trained to explain this - a better guarantee than that those on Pprune are correct!

[Intercepted]

Foxmouth,

It's not about what is correct or not.

I like to encourage people to think for themselves, to reason out and come to their own conclusions and not to be bound by any blind belief. I agree with you that an instructor is trained to teach and explain, but this shouldn't stop anyone from seeking further advice on a subject from a wider audience with different experiences.

GA is full of old wives' tales, some of them are spread on forums like this, but unfortunately, a vast amount of them are also spread within the training organisations by well meaning instructors. Pax briefing is probably one of the more "simple" subjects, but if we start talking about other subjects, for example "how and when to lean an aircraft", a large number of training organisations and their instructors would give you some really bad advice..

[Big Pistons Forever]

I agree this is not rocket science, and should be tailored to the flight. If you are going on a bimble to in the local area I think you can have a simpler brief then one for a long flight over water or unihabited wilderness.

I approach the pax as briefing as having two parts

what pax need to know in the event of a problem where you can't help them.

- How and when to undo seatbelt

- How to open door

- where survival kit and/or life jackets are and in the case of life jackets the importance of not inflating them until clear of the aircraft

- where the ELT is and the importance of turning the switch on it to "on"

- where the first aid kit and fire extinguisher are.

Then there is the pax behaviour brief.

- they will keep the seat belt on at all times

- Not talk on the intercom if they hear another voice already speaking

- Stay clear of the controls.

- tell you if they are too hot or cold and tell you if they are feeling unwell.

Again common sense should prevail and a regular passenger should get a much more abbreviated brief than a first time in a light aircraft passenger.

BTW don't start the brief "in the event of a crash" ....... "let me point out the safety features of the aircraft" sounds much better to a first time nervous pax :ok:

[Pull what]

In addition to some of the above

Help with lookout
Position of nearest external fire extinguisher
Danger of propellers and warning to always treat the area around the prop as live and keep clear.
Strict supervision of children(when pax carried)
Difference between car seat belt latches and aircraft belt latches

[rich_g85]

Sorry I've been quiet for a couple days, had to work unfortunately!

Thanks to all who replied- some points mentioned that I hadn't thought of which will be useful when I have 'real' passengers with me! (eg If feeling unwell)

I will try out my revised brief on my instructor this morning and see what he says :)