Passenger Briefings
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Passenger Briefings
Shaggy Sheep Driver's post on the old/bold pilots thread made me think we could have quite a useful discussion on what to tell people before you take them flying. I used to just give them a bit of a safety briefing, but I seem to keep adding things when I find out they're needed. For instance, I now tell them about check lists, since someone pointed out to me that passengers can think your use of one means you don't know what you're doing. I also tell them not to talk to me during takoff and landing, though they invariably forget that one. And I make sure they know where to get an air sickness bag, since one disaster during a difficult crosswind landing - I won't go into more detail on that one.
What do the rest of you do?
What do the rest of you do?
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I used to tell my pax these things:-
Doors, location and how they work
Seatbelts, how they work (don't laugh!!) and when they must be on. Remind again before t/off and before landing.
Don't walk in front of the aeroplane (prop)
Controls, ie don't touch.
Don't interrupt me during the t/off & landing phase unless absolutely vital.
Spot traffic for me too
Sickbags
First aid kit and water (if carried)
Life jackets (if carried)
Flight time and the fact there are no toilets. (that one can be done before you get to the plane)
Expected flying conditions and a brief description of things to look out for.
I would keep the brief short and succinct. I would use humour to help alleviate the more nervous pax. With some of them, I would ask questions too, just to make sure that they have listened. If I had a few spare maps I would hand them to my pax too and get them to follow the flight.
If first time flyers, tell them to bring a camera, wear comfy practical clothing and to bring water to drink. If you think they might get crook, tell them to eat a light meal before flying. Like about 1-2 hours prior. I used to keep the flight to about 30-60 min and find somewhere scenic to fly over. ie if they could see famil spots that kept them distracted. Also, pick the day too.....wind gusting 25-45 kts ain't the day to take a newbie up.
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reddo
A Feral Animal.
Doors, location and how they work
Seatbelts, how they work (don't laugh!!) and when they must be on. Remind again before t/off and before landing.
Don't walk in front of the aeroplane (prop)
Controls, ie don't touch.
Don't interrupt me during the t/off & landing phase unless absolutely vital.
Spot traffic for me too
Sickbags
First aid kit and water (if carried)
Life jackets (if carried)
Flight time and the fact there are no toilets. (that one can be done before you get to the plane)
Expected flying conditions and a brief description of things to look out for.
I would keep the brief short and succinct. I would use humour to help alleviate the more nervous pax. With some of them, I would ask questions too, just to make sure that they have listened. If I had a few spare maps I would hand them to my pax too and get them to follow the flight.
If first time flyers, tell them to bring a camera, wear comfy practical clothing and to bring water to drink. If you think they might get crook, tell them to eat a light meal before flying. Like about 1-2 hours prior. I used to keep the flight to about 30-60 min and find somewhere scenic to fly over. ie if they could see famil spots that kept them distracted. Also, pick the day too.....wind gusting 25-45 kts ain't the day to take a newbie up.
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reddo
A Feral Animal.
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Warn them about the turbulence! If its' even a little bit bumpy, they're impressed that you knew beforehand. If its' not bumpy at all, they're impressed because obviously your superior flying skills smoothed out the bumps. Either way, you're a hero!
Make sure you know if back-seat pax have a flash on their camera. Its' no fun suddenly seeing "lightning" and wondering where the hell that storm came from!
On a serious note, keep the first flight short, and tell them that you will land any time THEY want to! Gives them a feeling of control, and leaves them wanting more!
Make sure you know if back-seat pax have a flash on their camera. Its' no fun suddenly seeing "lightning" and wondering where the hell that storm came from!
On a serious note, keep the first flight short, and tell them that you will land any time THEY want to! Gives them a feeling of control, and leaves them wanting more!
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On a more serious note when you are learning to fly you obviously only travel with fellow aviators and club flyers tend to go out together.
When you qualify and are able to take non-flyers out you enter a whole new scenario.
I find that non-flyers find the banking in the turn disconcerting and a warning about the impending wing drop is appreciated, don't go and stand the aircraft on it's wing tip without warning!
Also I agree with making sure you are going out in the right conditions for a smooth enjoyable flight... early morning or in the evening seem good times.
When you qualify and are able to take non-flyers out you enter a whole new scenario.
I find that non-flyers find the banking in the turn disconcerting and a warning about the impending wing drop is appreciated, don't go and stand the aircraft on it's wing tip without warning!
Also I agree with making sure you are going out in the right conditions for a smooth enjoyable flight... early morning or in the evening seem good times.
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Reddo -agree 100%. I'm also gentle-gentle on the controls with non-flyers, reinforce the fact if they are not happy we CAN turn round, we don't HAVE to go where we planned, try not to exceed 500' in the descent, not greater than 15 degrees of bank.
I've heard too many stories where non-flyers have been put off GA for life!!
Alos try and plan an INTERESTING route with lots of features, especially if their local area.
I've 'converted' a lot of non-flyers over the years who LOVE to come back for more!!
I've heard too many stories where non-flyers have been put off GA for life!!
Alos try and plan an INTERESTING route with lots of features, especially if their local area.
I've 'converted' a lot of non-flyers over the years who LOVE to come back for more!!
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What Beagler said about banking reminds me of a story about a fried of mine. He took his soon-to-be Wife up for the first time and neglected to warn her about banking. At about 500' he turned the Aircraft 90 degrees and as he rolled out she said "don't ever do that again". Now he is stuck flying away from the airfield and has been forbidden to turn around. He eventually got back by skidding the aircraft with the rudder (a lot more uncomfortable I would have thought) and she never flew again.
After a year or so, he lapsed and has not flow since.
After a year or so, he lapsed and has not flow since.
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Tell people to bring an extra layer of clothing and wear shoes they could walk a bit in. The tricky thing about this is that you may not want to tell people why: the reason for layering and shoe-ing was brought home to me after an engine failure and forced landing. Landing in a nice big field is all very well but you will then experience mild shock and get very cold, even on a warm day. Also you may have to walk some distance through mud, stubble or whatever. Nowadays I always stuff a fleece into my bag, even on the hottest days, and don't fly in deck shoes, driving shoes or such like, but instead wear lightish shoes with chunkyish soles.
When taking calm passengers, I tell them precisely why I recommend this, just as I explain to them what should happen if the donk goes bye-byes, but with more nervous people (ie the ones who still believe that all flying is a form of black art and inherently unnatural and unsafe: a surprising percentage of humanity even 100 years into the age of flight, and most of them journalists) I just say "bring a jumper, wear sensible shoes" and leave it at that. This is fine as people seem to assume that even closed cockpit light aircraft will be cold inside when airborne and most realise that it's time to leave the Manolos at home (tho did once see a pair of 5 inch kitten heels getting out of a Yak: the person on the end of them appeared to be P1, but couldn't be sure).
When taking calm passengers, I tell them precisely why I recommend this, just as I explain to them what should happen if the donk goes bye-byes, but with more nervous people (ie the ones who still believe that all flying is a form of black art and inherently unnatural and unsafe: a surprising percentage of humanity even 100 years into the age of flight, and most of them journalists) I just say "bring a jumper, wear sensible shoes" and leave it at that. This is fine as people seem to assume that even closed cockpit light aircraft will be cold inside when airborne and most realise that it's time to leave the Manolos at home (tho did once see a pair of 5 inch kitten heels getting out of a Yak: the person on the end of them appeared to be P1, but couldn't be sure).
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Agree about practical shoes and trousers etc... getting in and out of some aircraft can be a gymnastic feat, also walking across drafty airfields should be considered... but telling an inexperienced passenger that it's in case we crash into a muddy field and we must keep warm until the rescue services arrive seems to be going a bit far.
What were the circumstances of your forced landing?
What were the circumstances of your forced landing?
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This is rather a long posting and goes off-thread in response to Beagler's enquiry.
I agree that in general one does not want to be alarming people with talk of crashing into muddy fields. I only discuss engine failures with the most aviation-friendly passengers (eg those who have flown gliders in the cay-dets and/or are thinking of getting a PPL, often because they raise the subject themselves.
My experience of the heartstopping fanstop occurred during a pleasant afternoon of circuit bashing at an airfield with a modern-style, neighbour-friendly circuit (ie huge, in different hemisphere from airfield etc.) We (me flying: instructor making usual deft and witty/harsh and cutting remarks about my patent inability to climb/descend/level out/turn left/turn right/fly S&L/land etc.* [*delete where applicable])had just turned downwind when the engine spluttered, lost power and, after coughing a bit, died. The QFI took over, started pushing and pulling all the bells and whistles, adopted the nose attitude for 75 kts, and pointed the beast towards the (distant) runway, making the only real-life Mayday call I ever hope to hear as he did so. His initial plan was to land on the runway downwind, but, given the Pup's brick-like propensities when unpowered, he quickly started looking for a closer field, and selected one he had (he told me later) mentally earmarked earlier, in the way we all should as we fly about ("where's the wind, where's my field" is the mantra he taught me, which still goes through my head as I float about x-country). The chosen field was lovely: big, square, flat and firm, and the landing was a greaser made bang into the wind (there was a nervous moment as we saw the ditch in the undershoot, but we made it over).
We liked the place so much that we thought of sticking a caravan and a windsock in it and calling it a flying club (better landing surface than a lot of places I can think of). Farmer Giles was working nearby, but so stealthily did we approach that we had parked up, put the covers on and started looking for a pub before he noticed that someone had planted an aeroplane in his field. He was deeply chilled about the whole thing. Meanwhile, another instructor-student pairing which had been working the same circuit in a Cessna was orbiting overhead reporting on our safe arrival and whereabouts to the airfield, who very kindly sent a car to fetch us (It was not our home field).
So, what caused it? There was lots of fuel, both tanks were selected, and the pump was on. No Fault Found. Carb Ice? Some say yes, but factors against are: temp and humidity conditions on the day not particularly conducive to icing; frequent applications of carb heat in pre-landing checks and in descent, and unimpeded operation at full power (carb heat cold)in climb out. Also, my cack-handed operation of the a/c pre-emergency was being supervised by an attentive QFI with a gazillion hours whose day-job is in aviation safety for Lizzie's Flying Club. OK, nobody's perfect and even Biggles might get it wrong sometimes, but even so....Also, the engineer attending later found that the same thing happened to him when he tried a ground run. Then it didn't. Then it didn't again. After many checks, the CFI came by and flew the thing out of the field a couple of days later. Another QFI had reported that he had lost power on final in the same a/c some time previously. Afain, NFF. Since its naughtiness the a/c has had, for another reason, a pretty substantial engine rebuild. I first-soloed in it a short time after the incident and it remains my most favouritest aeroplane. The instructor told me that his plan on the day itself had been to do a couple more dual circuits then send me solo: cripes! Anyway, whatever the reason, that was a flying lesson worth its weight in gold, and the instructor, who was already a mate, became a friend for life, for whom I will buy endless beers in perpetuity, amen.
I agree that in general one does not want to be alarming people with talk of crashing into muddy fields. I only discuss engine failures with the most aviation-friendly passengers (eg those who have flown gliders in the cay-dets and/or are thinking of getting a PPL, often because they raise the subject themselves.
My experience of the heartstopping fanstop occurred during a pleasant afternoon of circuit bashing at an airfield with a modern-style, neighbour-friendly circuit (ie huge, in different hemisphere from airfield etc.) We (me flying: instructor making usual deft and witty/harsh and cutting remarks about my patent inability to climb/descend/level out/turn left/turn right/fly S&L/land etc.* [*delete where applicable])had just turned downwind when the engine spluttered, lost power and, after coughing a bit, died. The QFI took over, started pushing and pulling all the bells and whistles, adopted the nose attitude for 75 kts, and pointed the beast towards the (distant) runway, making the only real-life Mayday call I ever hope to hear as he did so. His initial plan was to land on the runway downwind, but, given the Pup's brick-like propensities when unpowered, he quickly started looking for a closer field, and selected one he had (he told me later) mentally earmarked earlier, in the way we all should as we fly about ("where's the wind, where's my field" is the mantra he taught me, which still goes through my head as I float about x-country). The chosen field was lovely: big, square, flat and firm, and the landing was a greaser made bang into the wind (there was a nervous moment as we saw the ditch in the undershoot, but we made it over).
We liked the place so much that we thought of sticking a caravan and a windsock in it and calling it a flying club (better landing surface than a lot of places I can think of). Farmer Giles was working nearby, but so stealthily did we approach that we had parked up, put the covers on and started looking for a pub before he noticed that someone had planted an aeroplane in his field. He was deeply chilled about the whole thing. Meanwhile, another instructor-student pairing which had been working the same circuit in a Cessna was orbiting overhead reporting on our safe arrival and whereabouts to the airfield, who very kindly sent a car to fetch us (It was not our home field).
So, what caused it? There was lots of fuel, both tanks were selected, and the pump was on. No Fault Found. Carb Ice? Some say yes, but factors against are: temp and humidity conditions on the day not particularly conducive to icing; frequent applications of carb heat in pre-landing checks and in descent, and unimpeded operation at full power (carb heat cold)in climb out. Also, my cack-handed operation of the a/c pre-emergency was being supervised by an attentive QFI with a gazillion hours whose day-job is in aviation safety for Lizzie's Flying Club. OK, nobody's perfect and even Biggles might get it wrong sometimes, but even so....Also, the engineer attending later found that the same thing happened to him when he tried a ground run. Then it didn't. Then it didn't again. After many checks, the CFI came by and flew the thing out of the field a couple of days later. Another QFI had reported that he had lost power on final in the same a/c some time previously. Afain, NFF. Since its naughtiness the a/c has had, for another reason, a pretty substantial engine rebuild. I first-soloed in it a short time after the incident and it remains my most favouritest aeroplane. The instructor told me that his plan on the day itself had been to do a couple more dual circuits then send me solo: cripes! Anyway, whatever the reason, that was a flying lesson worth its weight in gold, and the instructor, who was already a mate, became a friend for life, for whom I will buy endless beers in perpetuity, amen.
