Pax Briefing Tips

[FlyingKiwi_73]

Thank you all some really good advice here, i always thought "why am i telling them about this" when breifing engine failures. In answer to MIKECR's question This kind of PAX briefing is part of the exam check flight and i was taught to breif passengers this way. Infact after breifing one instructor about what i will do if we had an EFATO he let me climb to 300 ft and promptly closed the throttle and sat back with arms folded :-) when i asked what he thought he was doing he said "you breifed me on it, and we've had one, where are you going ? <to put it down>"

I think its sensible to follow your advice and brief them on the need to know stuff, seat belts doors, vents, odd noises, no talking at times, don't walk forward of the wing :-) etc.. I always ask on take of and landing phases they have arms by their sides and feet on the flooor and show the the rudder peddals to explain why, then i tell them 'we are in the take off/landing phase' so they know.

I also have a little trick that a comercial areobatic pilot taught me, the "Thumbs up/Down" approach. He said sometimes you won't get a verbal response, so Thumbs Up = i'm ok lets keep going, Thumbs down = Lets go home. I did this with my young nephew on board (who usually talks constantly) and never got a verbal reply just a thumbs up and a smile.

Thanks All very useful,

[PompeyPaul]

Briefing

I always mention that aircraft engines are designed differently to car engines. Whilst aircraft engines are designed to be very reliable when running they are not necessary easy to start, unlike your car engine which will start at half a rotation. Always mention it before attempting to start up.

This tends to avoid any alarms if you need to "fight" the engine a bit to get it started.

I think I saw the tip on here and it's certainly calmed a few pax.

[Pilot DAR]

Though perhaps I missed it in the foregoing, I have not seen here a briefing on the ELT, it is sometimes worth a briefing under some circumstances.

I brief all pasengers about operation of doors and seatbelts. As for controls, I brief passengers that I want their heels on the floor, and their feet ON the rudder pedals (if the seat is set so they could reach). I tell them that they will feel the pedals moving, and they are not to resist this movement. My reasons for this are two: I once had a passenger, whom I told to put his feet flat on the floor, get is rather large boot jammed, and it limited the travel of the pedal during landing. You will find in many planes that the location of an adult's knees, with their feet flat on the floor, is much higher than when on the pedals. I would rather over power feet, than have the control wheel jammed on their knees at the very worst time. As long as their heels are on the floor, their toes are not on the brakes.

Otherwise, the additional items I brief will depend upon the nature of the flight.

In addition to the foregoing, and particularly when flying over water, brief for unusual or inverted exit from the aircraft. In many aircraft, in particular most 100 series Cessnas, it is surprisingly easy to kick out the top of the winshield, and pop the whole thing out - great exit! This might be best reserved for later in the flight, or when a potential emergency shows the possible need in the very near future.

In addition, if passengers are new to you, what are they briefing you? Are you paying attention? Your biggest concern for non-emergency type passenger comfort are terrified passenger and airsick passenger. No passenger wants to admit that they are either. So what will they do? Nothing. They will sit still and say nothing. When you talk to them, they will not reply, or with very few words. If you have a very quiet passenger, they are briefing you, prepare to change something about the flight very soon, and probably you'll have to figure it out!

You're best passenger is a chatty youngster, they are doing fine, and you know they will pay attention to you if you demand it. (unless they are your teenagers - then forget it!)

[FlyingKiwi_73]

Thanks PILOT DAR, I take you point about knees getting in the way of the yoke, however I have also heard the opposite I.e. PAX going stiff as a board on the pedals. luckily although not experienced I have not had to override anybody ... but i'd rather have alerion and elevator control at critical moments as you say... except on cross winds... oh why do all my mates have to be tall!

I do try to listen to my Passengers, and I have found out that there are way more people out there who do not want to be 'up there' than I realised, in fact I think we are the odd exception! Now that maybe because they know me or how I drive a car but...
I never do any thing past a medium turn etc.. (when I'm solo I like to throw it about abit) I am as professional as I can be in the cockpit and with my radio calls just to give as much of a "your in safe hands I know what I'm doing" impression, where as a new PPL thats not always the case :-) (license to learn right).

What I'm saying is I fly very straight and conservative if I know the pax is new, or nervous. they have to want to fly or they wouldn't be there I give everyone ample opportunity to bail out <metaphorically> and don't pressure people into the cockpit (even on lining up i'll ask, "are we good to go?")

I was just aware that a few things I was saying in the briefing were freaking people out, engine failures, emergency egress, showing them the axe and fire extinguisher and watch them say "what the f**k is that for?... oh god...he's serious.."

Which is probably why i will stop mentioning impending doom and probably not show them the ELT switch (although i check its armed in my pre-take off checks which i say outload), I was sort of polling if other people thought it would be safe to NOT mention these things.

Over water thats a different story, you want to crack the door early and make sure they know about the life jackets (if they are with me they are wearing them!)

I get what you mean about airsick passengers they will go quiet! and you need to look out for it.

All good advice , thanks all! flying this sunny weekend with PAX so will let you know how my new speil works!

[BackPacker]

showing them the axe

What sort of plane are you flying that you not only have an axe on board, but also (presumably) the room to swing it around?

Most of the aircraft I've flown didn't even have a first aid kit nor a fire extinguisher and to be honest, I've never cared about them. Both are likely going to be as small as the regulations allow, which means they're useless in an actual emergency - not to mention past the expiration date by then.

[Gertrude the Wombat]

Dont mention 'engine failures'!

The punter will often mention them first - "what happens if the engine stops?"

So I ask them what makes the thing fly ... with a variable amount of prompting they eventually get to "the wings" (on bad days I have to ask "how do gliders fly then" to get there). They then understand that if the engine stops the aircraft will continue to fly and they stop worrying.

If they're really keen I'll show them that lack of power dosn't mean falling out of the sky by pulling the throttle to idle whilst in the cruise.

Seriously though, I do include in the briefing that if we have to land in a field I'll ask them to open the door whilst we're still in the air and I really mean it - that won't be the time for them to start questioning whether I really said that and really meant it.

[Pilot DAR]

What sort of plane are you flying that you not only have an axe on board

Though I stand to be corrected, all aircraft in New Zealand are required to carry a very imposing crash axe. It did seem odd, gazing in the cockpit of a 152, and seeing this disproportionately large axe strapped to the sidewall. It's probably very alarming to passengers!

[FlyingKiwi_73]

Though I stand to be corrected, all aircraft in New Zealand are required to carry a very imposing crash axe.

Ours are tucked just behind the seat so the pilot can lunge over if need be, but yes they are regular old hickory handled axes :-) plus First Aid kit, Plus extinguisher, Plus Docs, plus flying kit (foggles, dipstick etc) .... i'm surprised i get fuel into the thing!

Since i rent all the planes i fly from the club they are all up to Air Transport Reg's so they have all the 'bits'...radios may not work ALL the time (push radio into the panel to talk) and the landing light needs replacing but you do have an axe :-)

I do have the odd how does it fly, question Wombat but i try not to pull the throttle to prove the point. I throttled back for landing with my wife in the right seat and as the change in noise level is quite marked, she was pretty sure the engine had quit! this lead to some alarmed noises until i managed to re-assure her.

[flyinkiwi]

I throttled back for landing with my wife in the right seat and as the change in noise level is quite marked, she was pretty sure the engine had quit! this lead to some alarmed noises until i managed to re-assure her.

I did the same thing and my missus nearly had a heart attack. Now I give a real quick brief on what I am going to do either before I do it or as I am doing it to assure my non pilot passengers that its me reducing power and not the engine quitting on its own.

[Pilot DAR]

(push radio into the panel to talk)

Tell 'em that the "push to talk" is not the radio itself, but the little button on the control wheel! (or are you supposed to push them both at the same time, to prevent a stuck mic?)

[Big Pistons Forever]

A non threatening way to start the brief is "let me show you the safety features of this aircraft" and then proceed with the standard list.

[FREDAcheck]

The most important one that everyone forgets:

Have you been to the loo? There's nothing makes you want to go so much as knowing you can't.

If I've got rear seat passengers (PA28) I always mention which order they should leave the aircraft if they need to evacuate, i.e., I'll be the last one out, and that they should walk to the rear of the aircraft.

I have a modified one: "As pilot in command I shall be last to leave the aircraft. If I manage to get past you first then you become pilot in command."

[FlyingKiwi_73]

Tell 'em that the "push to talk" is not the radio itself, but the little button on the control wheel! (or are you supposed to push them both at the same time, to prevent a stuck mic?)

no the radio sometimes works loose from the panel and you need to push in a bit for RX and TX :-)

[FlyingKiwi_73]

Hey Flyin Kiwi where you based?

[PompeyPaul]

I have a modified one: "As pilot in command I shall be last to leave the aircraft. If I manage to get past you first then you become pilot in command."

Love it!!!!!!

[Fuji Abound]

Do some of you ever make it into the air.

[paulthornton]

A couple of other things I tend to mention too:

If the radio starts talking in our ears please stop talking to me as ATC might want to tell us something. When you have more experienced passengers they can become very proficient at hearing the aircraft callsign and muting themselves effectively!

If you fly from a grass airfield then it is always worth explaining that the takeoff and landing might be a bit bumpy - especially if you have someone who hasn't experienced any form of aviation away from long strips of concrete.

Also know your aircraft. I did a lot of my early flying in a C177 and it had a tendency to be really quite nose-heavy at low speeds (eg: as you flared and settled on the runway). This could translate to the nosewheel coming down quite hard - even with full back stick - and a mention of things like this can stop someone who isn't aware of it being suddenly worried.

The earlier comments about stall warners, a/p disconnect etc. warnings are other excellent examples of this. I'll brief that the aircraft has lots of things that beep and complain in the headsets - they are all normal, and specifically mention that the stall warning will make a noise just as we touch down as this one does un-nerve passengers.

Paul.

[Fuji Abound]

I tend to brief that they are engaging in a hightly dangerous activity and are putting their life on the line from the moment they step onto the apron - that is of course why they need to don yelow jackets and why we will form a cordon around them as they make their way across the apron.

I then explain that they will feel sick, they will be thrown about in the aircraft from the moment we start the engine until after we stop the engine and they will instantly develop an insatiable desire to go to the loo - which I will explain we do not have. With luck this should make their desire even more insatiable. I will encourage them not to open the door to relieve themselves, even though I am about to thoroughly brief on opeing the door.

I will point out that they will hear all sorts of alarms going off, can expect to panic during every phase of the flight, must make sure they know how to exit the aircraft blindfolded and may only speak when told to unless of course they hold a radio telephone licence.

I will be at pains to give them a detailed explanation of the mechanical characteristics of aero engine and the physics of a wing and point out that its an aircraft in which we are sitting and not a plane, because if it were I would be a carpenter and not a pilot even though there is a hammer. Of course I will then proceed to instruct them in the use of the hammer.

Finally I will point out that I will shortly be handing out multiple choice questions on the afore brief. Anyone achieving less than 95% will be ask to sit in the corner of the hangar for the duration of the flight.

I think that about covers it, doesnt it?

[BackPacker]

You forgot the part about checking their life insurance and their will is up to date. Oh, and whether they'll want to be buried or cremated 'cause that'll make a difference to your landing technique.

[strake]

Blimey O' Riley, some poeple here sound like they are preparing for a space shuttle launch
Private flying is supposed to be a fun exercise. I wonder if some of our contributors also think we should wear helmets and flying suits...

DFC