Make their flight enjoyable
I don't know if you flew a general aviation plane as passenger before becoming a pilot or not, but beleive me this is not always an enjoyable experience. One factor possibly making passengers feeling bad onboard is their lack of knowledge. This difference between you and them can make their interpretation of things stressing.
Typically, the noise of a landing gear being retracted and hitting the ceiling of the plane can sound really strange to someone hearing it for the first time. And you certainly does not want you passengers being stressed or even worse, panicked, because of that.
A short information from you can make them feeling safe, and their flight will be much more enjoyable.
Important information
Your passenger briefing must be short, make them informed, and if possible not scary. I mention the last point because a good briefing must include some safety information, including but not limited to:
1) Critical phases of flight
2) How to open the doors / evacuate the aircraft
3) Safety belts, and life jackets if applicable.
4) Fire extinguishers
Talking about such topics before the flight can make your passengers feel unsaf, so present these information in a calm environment, not while boarding or taxiing.
About the route
An important point I include in my briefings is a brief description of the route to be flown, and especially the departure procedure. A low level turn after take-off can seem risky to a non-pilot. So if you have to fly such a thing, inform your passengers in advance, so they won't be surprised.
Don't forget that most of time, your passengers are with you for leisure. Let them know that there is no problem to come back at any time if they don't feel good. There is no reason to fly the 2 hours flight you planned if your passenger does not feels well on board, so inform them that you can fly back at any time.
Make the difference
The passenger briefing can play a key role in making the flight enjoyable for the passengers. Missing it can change a stressing event a pleasure. Practice it with fellow pilots if you're not used to it. This will make you a better pilot, even if it has nothing to do with your flying skills.
And if have to cope with a passenger that does not want to get in the plane at the last moment, don't try to force him, he would only get more stressed. Give him as much time as needed to relax, and if the flight is cancelled, don't regret it. It is much better to have a coffee with a stresed person than having to managed a panicked passenger in flight !
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Figure not to fly by
Figures everywhere
As pilots, our activity is full of figures. Speeds, altitudes, times, headings, power settings, and so on... We have to manage and know all of them. Some deserve more respects than others. This is even more true for IFR pilots.
I mentionned some above, but two of the most important ones are not in the list: time and money. These two deserve much more attention than the others, in different ways.
Don't respect timing
One of the best way pilots have to put themselves under pressure is self-imposed timing. It is not because you have a flight plan with an EOBT that you have to rush through your checks. A slot is not a valid reason to take-off within a thunderstorm (don't smile, this happend more than you think). If all conditions for a safe departure are not met, ask ATC for a delay.
An additional contributing factor in incident is the presence of passengers paying part of the flight costs. Some pilots feel that as the passengers pay, they HAVE to transport them as promised. This lead them to fly in less than marginal conditions.
Ok, your passengers will be upset if you delay or even cancel the flight. But what about killing them in an accident ?
Respect your money
Don't say I'm crazy. I did not say to rush to shorten your flight in order to save money. I'm sometimes schyzophrenic, but not that much !
The money issue is exactly opposite as time. As soon as money becomes a factor, you should think changing your kind of operation. If your budget is so tight that you need a direct through an hostile region, or that you know you can't afford the cost of a go arround, you should envisage a shorter flight.
At some points in my flying years, I changed my type of operations. A good exampel is the year I got my IR rating. I had to fly an expensive plane for 30 hours of instructions. After that my budget was quite shorter. So instead of flying long IR legs with a single approach at the end, I went for much shorter legs with one or two approaches. Dois so I got more approaches for my money.
It was certainly less appealing, but my currency and proficiency were much better. Later on, when I had more money available, I started long flights again.
Be adaptative
The keyword here is again to adapt what you do to the circumstances. You have low time and money ? Fly circuits ! That's the best way to remain current. You flew less last year ? Don't throw yourself in a long cross-country flight.
Budget is back ? Treat you with some instruction to get that rusty bits off safely. There is no shame in that, but so much in a serious and unexplanable incident.
As pilots, our activity is full of figures. Speeds, altitudes, times, headings, power settings, and so on... We have to manage and know all of them. Some deserve more respects than others. This is even more true for IFR pilots.
I mentionned some above, but two of the most important ones are not in the list: time and money. These two deserve much more attention than the others, in different ways.
Don't respect timing
One of the best way pilots have to put themselves under pressure is self-imposed timing. It is not because you have a flight plan with an EOBT that you have to rush through your checks. A slot is not a valid reason to take-off within a thunderstorm (don't smile, this happend more than you think). If all conditions for a safe departure are not met, ask ATC for a delay.
An additional contributing factor in incident is the presence of passengers paying part of the flight costs. Some pilots feel that as the passengers pay, they HAVE to transport them as promised. This lead them to fly in less than marginal conditions.
Ok, your passengers will be upset if you delay or even cancel the flight. But what about killing them in an accident ?
Respect your money
Don't say I'm crazy. I did not say to rush to shorten your flight in order to save money. I'm sometimes schyzophrenic, but not that much !
The money issue is exactly opposite as time. As soon as money becomes a factor, you should think changing your kind of operation. If your budget is so tight that you need a direct through an hostile region, or that you know you can't afford the cost of a go arround, you should envisage a shorter flight.
At some points in my flying years, I changed my type of operations. A good exampel is the year I got my IR rating. I had to fly an expensive plane for 30 hours of instructions. After that my budget was quite shorter. So instead of flying long IR legs with a single approach at the end, I went for much shorter legs with one or two approaches. Dois so I got more approaches for my money.
It was certainly less appealing, but my currency and proficiency were much better. Later on, when I had more money available, I started long flights again.
Be adaptative
The keyword here is again to adapt what you do to the circumstances. You have low time and money ? Fly circuits ! That's the best way to remain current. You flew less last year ? Don't throw yourself in a long cross-country flight.
Budget is back ? Treat you with some instruction to get that rusty bits off safely. There is no shame in that, but so much in a serious and unexplanable incident.
The clean cockpit strategy
Clean and clean
This is not a post about cockpit cleaning, as I naively hope that any pilots is careful enough not to leave a cockpit dirty after a flight. It is more about the need and way to create good cockpit conditions during the flight.
No argues
The last place where you want an argument to take place is in a cockpit. Whatever the kind of operation, be it single pilot VFR or commercial multi-pilot in solid IFR conditions, any argument does increase the risks dramatically.
This is obviously not the unique factor leading to increased risk. In critical phases of flight (yes, take-off and landing… good guess), any distraction could impair the safety of the airplane and its occupants.
In commercial operation, the crews do establish what is called a “sterile cockpit” for those phases. This includes a closed cockpit door, a restricted number of tasks to be carried, and strict procedures. Even the cabin crew is not allowed to pop in the cockpit during these phases.
Distractions on board
Applying the sterile cockpit strategy in light aircrafts is not as easy as we have no cockpit door, and are usually both flight crew and cabin crew. The biggest distraction is often coming from passengers, and as they are may be paying their share, you can to take care of them.
Nevertheless, as a safe pilot, you have to explain to your passengers that take-off and landing do require all of your attention, and that they should not talk to you at these times, except obviously if they see something critical, like a major fuel leak, smoke, or so.
If your plane is equipped with a modern intercom, it probably includes an “isolated” position. Setting it will have you isolated in a channel with ATC, and your passengers will be able to discuss but you won’t hear them. It could be a good idea to use it at critical times.
The best moment to pass the message about your need for a quiet cockpit during take off and landing to your passengers is during the pre-flight briefing, after all the safety information you give them.
Self distraction
As I mentioned above, a sterile cockpit also means that the number of tasks to be carried on by the flight crew is reduced to its minimum. Don’t distract yourself from flying a proper take-off or approach for non-priority things.
A typical example is forgetting to tune the next frequency in the stand-by window. If you’re on short final and don’t have the ground frequency on stand-by, it’s certainly not the time to tune it. Land, control your speed, vacate runway. Then you will have a more appropriate time to set your frequency. Ok, you will may be a bit slower to switch, but you won’t jeopardize your landing for that.
It’s always surprising to see how much pilots can be disturbing themselves with non critical things. I even saw once someone looking frenetically for a ground chart while on short final !
Clean it before and after
So if you want to be a good pilot, clean your cockpit before critical flight phases. And if you’re a rental pilot, or part owner, clean it also after your flight, the next pilot will appreciate !
This is not a post about cockpit cleaning, as I naively hope that any pilots is careful enough not to leave a cockpit dirty after a flight. It is more about the need and way to create good cockpit conditions during the flight.
No argues
The last place where you want an argument to take place is in a cockpit. Whatever the kind of operation, be it single pilot VFR or commercial multi-pilot in solid IFR conditions, any argument does increase the risks dramatically.
This is obviously not the unique factor leading to increased risk. In critical phases of flight (yes, take-off and landing… good guess), any distraction could impair the safety of the airplane and its occupants.
In commercial operation, the crews do establish what is called a “sterile cockpit” for those phases. This includes a closed cockpit door, a restricted number of tasks to be carried, and strict procedures. Even the cabin crew is not allowed to pop in the cockpit during these phases.
Distractions on board
Applying the sterile cockpit strategy in light aircrafts is not as easy as we have no cockpit door, and are usually both flight crew and cabin crew. The biggest distraction is often coming from passengers, and as they are may be paying their share, you can to take care of them.
Nevertheless, as a safe pilot, you have to explain to your passengers that take-off and landing do require all of your attention, and that they should not talk to you at these times, except obviously if they see something critical, like a major fuel leak, smoke, or so.
If your plane is equipped with a modern intercom, it probably includes an “isolated” position. Setting it will have you isolated in a channel with ATC, and your passengers will be able to discuss but you won’t hear them. It could be a good idea to use it at critical times.
The best moment to pass the message about your need for a quiet cockpit during take off and landing to your passengers is during the pre-flight briefing, after all the safety information you give them.
Self distraction
As I mentioned above, a sterile cockpit also means that the number of tasks to be carried on by the flight crew is reduced to its minimum. Don’t distract yourself from flying a proper take-off or approach for non-priority things.
A typical example is forgetting to tune the next frequency in the stand-by window. If you’re on short final and don’t have the ground frequency on stand-by, it’s certainly not the time to tune it. Land, control your speed, vacate runway. Then you will have a more appropriate time to set your frequency. Ok, you will may be a bit slower to switch, but you won’t jeopardize your landing for that.
It’s always surprising to see how much pilots can be disturbing themselves with non critical things. I even saw once someone looking frenetically for a ground chart while on short final !
Clean it before and after
So if you want to be a good pilot, clean your cockpit before critical flight phases. And if you’re a rental pilot, or part owner, clean it also after your flight, the next pilot will appreciate !
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