Crew Briefings: Takeoff, Approach, Landing

[User546]

What are you flying? 91 or 135?

91 all the way.

 

[soarby007]

Thanks Bafan for the comments.

You had a really good suggestion with bugging the guys with questions until I get a good solid briefing! I got a four-day coming up with this guy this week, so hopefully we can get something worked out before the end of it, that or he'll probably never want to fly with me again!

And this question is open to everyone - but what do you suggest I do, or how should I handle it with him if he still refuses to give the company defined briefing, and isn't making an effort to atleast learn or attempt it?

Theres a lot of good captains on this board that got to have some good suggestions for a low-time FO on how to handle this. (I'm still learning all the tips and tricks of the CRM game)

I reread your original post and am wondering if you are really concerned about the brief or just looking for him to do the briefs exactly the way you want it? In other words is your concern that he has missed something and leaving some confusion over real issues or simply not reciting something verbatim from a company manual?

If you have real concerns about safety, then you should politely ask him how something is to handled that you have a thought about. Otherwise if he is just doing it different than someone else does it, determine if it really matters or not and go from there.

 

[gear_guy]

Just for grins ask one of your less experienced pilots, at a time when s/he isn't expecting it, to recite quickly and accurately your standard briefing. If they can't do it you probably need to review your policy. Just a thought.

'Sled

This is excellent advice. As an F/O, I wish there were more captains like this. Of course it's all in how you come across. It could be taken as you being a pompous know-it-all. But done correctly, this could save lives. Also, it helps groom the future captains. Too many folks still have the attitude of "my side-your side." I for one like a captain who wants to impart his good habits on me, and freely recognize his bad habits so that I don't pick them up. My goal as a captain (as it was as a CFI) will be to make my F/O a better captain than me. Good advice sled.

 

[rchcfi]

Pre-taxi departure brief:

W - Winds, Weather (VFR/IFR)
A - Aborts and Abnormals (before 80KIAS, between 80KIAS and V1, etc)
R - Runway in use
T - Taxi route and Terrain
S - SID and Specials (A/I use, etc.)

Before takeoff brief:

What we're gonna do if we have an emergency after rotation.
Initial assigned heading
Initial altitude assignment
Takeoff power setting

Descent/Landing brief:

Complete brief of approach to be used, then:
N - NOTAMS for destination airport.
A - Approach....Will it be coupled or hand flown.
T - Terrain
S - STAR and Specials

 

[Lead Sled]

91 all the way.

Sorry, I wasn't very clear. What airplane are you flying? It might make a difference in how I suggest you attack yout problem.

 

[dalegribble]

KISS

Keep
It
Short
Silly

Too many words and items are worse than none at all!!!

 

[Huggyu2]

Huggy...
I don't like briefings where the pilot doing the brief restates every single item that is repeated day in-and-out either and for precisely the reason you mentioned - people do get bored and don't pay attention. But that's not an excuse to never use it. Reread my original post.

Just for grins ask one of your less experienced pilots, at a time when s/he isn't expecting it, to recite quickly and accurately your standard briefing. If they can't do it you probably need to review your policy. Just a thought.

'Sled

No need to re-read your original post; I understood it the first time. I don't need and "excuse to never use it" since I DO sometimes expand the briefing. Like when a new pilot shows up. But he/she is also handed the standards and expected to know and use them. That way, we get through the admin items that haven't changed, and focus on what our trianing goal is, or what is going to bend metal.
And when I do brief "standard", I sometimes ask "so, what do that standards say about that?" I don't do it for grins; I do it to instruct and evaluate another pilot.
Since you don't like pilots mentally wandering in the briefs, can I assume that you brief "standards" too?

 

[User546]

Sorry, I wasn't very clear. What airplane are you flying? It might make a difference in how I suggest you attack yout problem.

Flying the CitationJet, and Ultra.

 

[SlapShot]

How do you guys feel about "as previously briefed?"

I realize it does not happen as often in the corporate world, but in the world of the commuters, you fly in and out of the same airports a couple times a day. Taking off the same runways heading to the same departure fixes. I have found that if I brief the same thing 4 or 6 times in one day, I am not even paying attention to what I am saying.

Also, our Ops manual says we can use the term “standard ______ seat takeoff”. However no where in the manual does it say what a standard takeoff is.

 

[SlapShot]

As far as an approach briefing, doesn't everyone just use the briefing strip on the Jepp plate?

 

[Lead Sled]

How do you guys feel about "as previously briefed?

FWIW, that's what we do, plus any appropriate differences - after the first flight of the day.
'Sled

 

[Lead Sled]

Flying the CitationJet and Ultra.

From what you were saying, I thought that that may be the case. Did your flying buddy do much single-pilot flying in the Citations?

'Sled

 

[Lead Sled]

Since you don't like pilots mentally wandering in the briefs, can I assume that you brief "standards" too?

Of course we brief to a standard briefing. Like I said, we basically only give the "standard briefing" on each pilot's first leg of the day. After that we typically will use the phrase "As previously briefed, with the following differences..." or words to that effect. What we don't do is go for extended periods of time using the phrase "Standard Briefing."

'Sled