How do you brief the approach plate?

[Mungo Man]

In my airline we are obliged to drudge though a great list of items even for the 3rd landing at home base in a day. There are about 30 items on the card and although it was handy to brief everything when I started its a joke now.

Main points for a home base is runway(!), inbound course, freq, missed, bug speeds, end.

KISS.

[NVpilot]

While one pilot is reading the briefing, the other pilot should be... FLYING THE PLANE!!! NOT looking at the FMC!

TWA get a life, if you can't brief and keep an eye on the aircraft in cruise flight on the auto pilot, you need to change professions, maybe in the flight simulator you are right, on the line we brief before descent.

[frontlefthamster]

NV pilot wrote:

while this is being read, the other pilot should verify that the FMS is programed

No. He should be paying attention to the brief he's being given.

TWA almost had it there, but implied exchange of control for the brief.

[411A]

Approaching Damascus years ago in lousy weather with the First Officer flying (type, L1011), we expect the ILS to 23R.
F/O briefs this...and then says, "just in case Captain, I want to review the NDB approach via DAL beacon."
He does so.......and sure enough the controller says, "Cleared ILS approach 23R, localizer out of service."

Just like that.
The F/O without missing a beat, flies the NDB procedure, as I ask for the NDB procedure from ATC, and the landing is uneventful.

This young guy planned ahead, using his local knowledge about DAM, and had a contingency plan for a last minute change of procedure. Well done.

IF any truly professional pilot cannot do the same, perhaps it's time for a change of career.
In short, in airline flying, one must be adaptable to the sometimes quite rapid changing circumstances.