How Do I Tackle This?
 

Flew with a chap today and noticed a few things I wasn't happy with. He's a fellow shareholder and PPL like myself.
1. No brake check after brakes off;
2. No compass increasing, DI, turn, AI level, turn indicated checks on taxi out etc.
3. Wanted to swap tanks AFTER power check and before take-off;
4. Very low approach to away airfield.

He's a friend too! How do I approach this?

Suggestions please!

DOC.400,
'1' and '2' are just poor procedure, but '3' and '4' are potential killers!
Why not just explain the danger to him?
If he's a friend, he probably won't mind discussing it. I have the same 'problems' with some people I fly with, but I always speak up. If I do something wrong, I always like someone to call my attention to it. (Of course,no one ever has to remind ME because I always fly exceptionally well! :) :))

How about adding something to the written checklist?

How about gently talking him through what you are doing when you next go out together and you are P1.
Also tell him why you believe it is not a good idea to swap tanks just before take off but try to be chatty about it.
If he has got anything about him he'll pick up on the good ideas and adopt them himself.

We have all got too low when flying into a strange field at some time but do I suspect that he didn't do enough to correct things and got behind the aircraft?

It is up to you to decide whether you can improve your friend's flying by gentle encouragement and keep flying with him but you must make your mind up now before Darwin does it for you.

Just had a final thought why don't you suggest that you both sign up for some coaching "to improve our flying"... I believe the PFA offer this service,

B

You absolutely MUST speak to this person!
Over the years,through embarassment, lack of courage or an inability to find the "right moment" 3 pilots I knew ended up dead (in one case killing a pax as well.) The guilt lives with me to this day. Every one can point at someone in their club who is reckoned to be the next accident and yet doesn't do something about it. If you are this close to a fellow pilot you owe it to them their family and yourself to bite the bullet.

Good luck

Sir George Caley

The air is a navigable ocean which laps at everymans front door

Doc.
If you are a friend you MUST talk to him. Don't say in a critical way, just explain why his way is wrong and about the possible penalty. If he is a reasanable person you will not have a problem, if he is not than the best way is to have an instructor training for all of you.

Almost every time I fly with another pilot they point out something I could do better. I've done it to them a fair number of times too. We all learn and benefit from this, and the ability to exchange such points in both directions is essential to a competent aviator.

It should be said though, that of all the sins I've observed, a failure to do a proper DI and pre-flight checks is far and away the second most common. The most common is the failure to do a pre-take-off crew & pax briefing.

Genghis

Who is not claiming perfection either.

[This message has been edited by Genghis the Engineer (edited 11 February 2001).]

You can always try " do you mind if I make a comment" to start the ball rolling, and afterwards it is a good idea to invite him to comment on anything he sees you doing when you are flying the aircraft - but try to avoid getting into a points scoring setup.

It's all down to how you approach the matter. If you are constructive with your criticism, then he should take something positive from what you say.

I feel that you must say something about this.

and as for points 1 and 2, although brake failure might be unlikely to be fatal (tho potentially costly), failing to check the instruments could be a real problem if he ran into IMC and found himself with u/s DI and/or AI and/or turn and slip

How were his checks in flight?

Mmmmmmm! Thanx chaps. Lots of useful advice as usual. On my leg I did a very obvious turn and brake check on the ground. I could put the low approach down to an uphill runway and perspective problem. We did discuss the tanks. His reason for changing to a wing tank was that he had visually checked the wing tank, but was unable to visually check the main, despite doing power checks on the main. On this plane, one is expected to take off and land on the main as the wing tanks pick up at the front and therefore with low fuel one could risk starvation on the climb out.
Thanx again. I think the best thing is for us to fly together again.

"Eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we fly"

Genghis

<The most common is the failure to do a pre-take-off crew & pax briefing.>

Can you clarify this - I will brief passengers before engine start if they are infrequent flyers in my aircraft. This is required by law - but I guess I should do it everytime whether or not they are frequent flyers.

Is it this briefing you are referring to or something else carried out at the holding point? I flew with someone a few months ago who said out aloud "if we have a problem during the t/o roll we will abort and stop straight ahead, if we have a failure after we are airborne we will..... etc, etc..." - seemed sensible to me but not something I was taught to do or are in the habit of doing.

Any views?? Lets all keep learning!!

A2


[This message has been edited by arrow2 (edited 15 February 2001).]

There is a passenger briefing pro-forma at
http://www.lindsay.flyer.co.uk/briefpax.htm

I can't remember where it originally came from (might be PPRuNer 'Keith Jillings') but I just print it out and give it to the pax and it reminds me of things I ought to be telling them.

A2,

It's a twin mantra but no harm in doing it in the Arrow.

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Yaberdaberdoo. It's OK Boo-Boo.

The bi-annual flight with an instructor is designed to sort out some of these problems and not before time. Why not get an instructor in to do some safety training with the group.