CRM...what bits do you like?

[Desmodus Rotundas]

Fellow pilots...I'd appreciate if you could help me with a small project I'm working on.

I think that we ALL consider ourselves to be angels at CRM, though many admit that they've learned something valuable from it.
With whatever CRM training you have done, what aspects of it do you feel have had, or are likely to have, the best influence over your character, your behaviour, or your way of operating, or that of your colleagues.

I'm especially interested in hearing from those of you who were flying multi-crew in the pre-CRM days, because I'd like to hear your comparisons between then and now.

If you prefer, you can email direct by clicking HERE ([email protected])

Thanks in advance.
Desmodus.

[S76Heavy]

An experienced captain once said to me: "if it's important enough to think about it, it's important enough to talk about it."

I found this very useful, it keeps the other fellow in the loop.

[BlueEagle]

By discussing all planning and decision making right through and all the way to the top with your F/O and asking them if the are happy about the decision/plan they are encouraged to provide their input at all times.
In the worst case this could be a lifesaver in an emergency and save considerable embarrassment in lesser cases if otherwise the culture had been to simply accept what the captain said, unquestioned.

[411A]

Having operated heavy jet aircraft pre-CRM, would have to say that I personally have not changed the way I operate.

The First Officer (and Flight Engineer) always are consulted with regard to flight planning, fuel, wx, etc...and prior to takeoff (if I am PF) a brief takeoff briefing is concluded with the phrase "standard company procedures and calls".
Works for me anyway.


CRM courses that I have attended have been generally well presented (except a few), but do feel that accident/incident review and discussion should be emphasized and the "parlor games" should be eliminated.

[OzExpat]

Pre-CRM, I briefed and was briefed. Post-CRM, I brief and am briefed. Pre-CRM, if my briefing suggested I was about to do something a bit dodgy, I'd conclude with... "the first person to yell 'FAAAARK' and we're outta there". Post-CRM, it's the same deal... it always seems to work for the bloke I fly with, as much as it works for me.

Oh yeah... sometimes I was the first one to yell "FAAAARK" and I was always straight onto the throttles and into a 10 degrees up pitch!

Maybe I've been ahead of me time all this time?

[Atropos]

A lot of current thinking is hanging CRM and SA together. In sim debriefs the problem is looked at be it a tech problem or not and by using the SA issues you can pull it back to the core problem which is usually CRM related. 88% of HF incidents are due to loss of SA.