"Well Chosen Words." (Part Two)

CLICK HERE for Part One.

Say What? (continued)

......Last, but by no means least, comes the consideration of emergency contingencies. This may include an engine failure on the runway, or after take-off. What landing options lie ahead should the need arise and at what point and height does a return to land at the airfield become a possibility? Significantly, what are the vital actions and critical airspeed to maintain in this situation? Discussing the emergency situation lastly leaves those key points freshest in your mind should the added pressure of a problem arise. Obviously, the emergency plan will vary depending on such factors as the number of remaining engines in the case of a failure and the weather in the area. Hence, look at your plan realistically.

At the other end of the flight, the descent and approach phase is worth briefing and again it is best to follow a relevant order. Ideally, such a brief should be completed well in advance of commencing the descent. Start with the potential threats for the descent and in the terminal area. Terrain is always worth considering as a threat when you’re descending towards it. Review the ATIS, QNH and prevailing weather conditions as this will also provide some insight into the conditions you are likely to be confronted with. Review the descent profile in terms minimum safe altitudes and circuit joining procedures, before considering the approach to land. Revisit the flap setting to be used, the approach speed, the runway length available and where you anticipate turning off to taxi to the parking area. Importantly, examine the go-around situation. How will it be flown, what fuel will be remaining and what options are available in the event of a missed approach? What's my fuel status and options should I 'go-around'? Flying the missed approach should be thought of in terms of the actual aircraft handling as well as the flight path to be flown. With top of descent to the potential missed approach covered, pilot and aircraft are prepared to start heading down and reunite with the runway ahead.

Multi-engine aircraft and Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) offer more variables. On take-off, you are not likely to make a visual return to land if the cloud base is 200 feet above ground level, so setting up the navaids and having the relevant approach plate at the ready may be prudent in this instance. However, there is no need to brief this approach at this time. Conversely, when considering an instrument approach prior to descent, it is very relevant to thoroughly brief the approach and airfield lighting as well as confirming the readiness of the navigation aids. The weather at the minima also obviously plays a critical role in IFR and should be assessed to give some indication of what will be seen should ‘visual reference’ be attained right at the minima. For instance, in a strong crosswind and lowered visibility, looking straight ahead might lead to not sighting the runway which is now relatively offset.

Regardless, of the relative simplicity or complexity of the operation, the briefing should remain practical, ordered and relevant to the phase of flight. Many commercial flight providers will define the content of the briefing in their ‘Standard Operating Procedures’, but for the individual, the choice remains in their hands.

Speak Up.

As a point of technique, briefings should be spoken out aloud. This is obvious in the multi-crew scenario as the information is there to be shared. Equally importantly, the briefing offers the opportunity for other crew members to raise questions and point out any omissions. Through an open briefing technique, all of the flight crew are able to be ‘on the same’ page and not guessing the next move of the pilot flying.

In single pilot operations, there are also definite benefits in briefing out aloud. It may seem strange at first, but the spoken word will allow the content to also be absorbed aurally and not merely through the ‘mind’s ear’. This provides another layer of consolidation to cement the details in the mind. That is not to say that the briefing needs to be yelled out, but a quiet review to oneself will serve the briefing better. When flying with passengers, obviously keep the audio level down as words like ‘engine failure’ can tend to alarm them. However, if simply taking a friend for a flight in the front seat, explain to them what you’re doing. In much the same way as you explain the emergency exits to them, reviewing your plans is a case of preparing for every situation. Passengers will often be reassured by such thoroughness, as this is in line with briefings on an airliner.

Supporting briefings, pilots may also choose to have a simple check-list to assure that they have covered the content. Additionally, there is a real benefit to be derived from ‘touch-drills’ for such manoeuvres as an engine failure after take-off. Point at the best glide speed, touch those points associated with the emergency and the flap lever in unison with your words. It is a quick but very effective means of reviewing a very critical manoeuvre. Ultimately, the technique adopted will be the one with which the pilot is most comfortable and most likely to recall from day to day. Keeping the format constant will assist in guarding against omissions, maintaining a flow and keeping it concise.

Well Chosen Words.

Briefings are a mandatory component of standard operating procedures in airline operations. However, they need not remain the domain of multi-crew flight decks, nor are the benefits limited to heavy jets. Every pilot in every cockpit stands to gain from an enhanced level of mental preparedness. Keeping the content of briefings concise, ordered and relevant will allow critical points to be refreshed in a pilot’s memory without the pressure of a critical flight phase bearing down upon them.

Briefings are a relatively simple task, which when practised will become a small but vital tool in the pilot’s kit bag. They are not a major burden upon time or resources, but in the heat of the moment a successful outcome may well result from a few well chosen words.

                                    "Be Prepared"

For two simple words, the Boy Scouts motto of ‘Be Prepared’ has cast its net far and wide. Whether it is an academic endeavour or sporting pursuit, the ability to turn up cold and expect success has been shown to border on folly. Aviation is no exception and it is often the work outside the cockpit that will determine the success within.

No Rest for the Wicked.

The term ‘Private Pilot’ is often misunderstood. The inference that it is almost diametrically opposed to professional aviators is both unfair and inaccurate. Whilst some may choose to aviate for leisure, it is very difficult to be a leisurely aviator. The level of theoretical and practical knowledge required to gain the licence is not insignificant, nor is the ongoing effort and cost to maintain standards and currency.

Regardless of the level of licence, there are regulatory requirements and minimum standards that must be met. There are check rides and exams, medicals and manuals. This continual scrutiny of the pilot’s knowledge and ability is not necessarily the most enjoyable aspect of aviation, but the challenge that stems from it reinforces that flight is a worthy pastime.  It’s not easy, but very few worthwhile endeavours are.

The scrutiny does not always come from a higher authority; in fact it most frequently results from the standards we impose upon ourselves. Much of the ability to meet these challenges will not be found in the cockpit, but in the time spent considering a flight’s conduct before the engine even starts. Sound flying begins with sound preparation.

The old adage goes that “poor preparation results in poor performance”. Ask any Designated Flight Examiner about the warning signs of a poorly prepared candidate and they will be able to recount a number of instances where the outcome of the test was obvious even before taking flight. A pilot may have wonderful manipulative skills, but these will very quickly be undermined by a lack of approach, organisation and attitude.

Incomplete paperwork, poor punctuality, scruffy appearance, absent equipment and inadequate briefing materials are just some of the ‘red flags’ of a pilot on the back end of the power curve. The majority are tasks that could have been completed well in advance of the flight and free of the pressure imposed by time constraints. Yet time and again, pilots will box themselves into stress-filled corners because of lack of preparation.

While these warning signs may be evident to an examiner or flight instructor, it is even more critical that they serve as warnings signs to the individual. They may indicate that today might not be the day to go flying, or if it is, that a little extra vigilance is needed after a few long deep breaths. From time to time everyone will run late or forget to pack a chart in their ‘nav bag’, but it is important that these are not symptoms of poor overall preparation.

A Personal Preflight.

So why can’t we just get in and go without adequate preparation? Primarily, aviation is a task that calls for thorough planning. It requires the co-ordination of numerous tasks while being subject to the variables of weather, clearances and aircraft serviceability to name just a few. When these variables compound with time constraints and the everyday demands of operating an aircraft, the pressure can begin to mount. The cockpit can very quickly escalate to a place of spiraling workload at the expense of the fundamental safety of the aircraft’s flightpath.

As humans, we are only endowed with a finite brain capacity to manage multiple tasks; there are only so many balls that we can keep in the air. If the workload is permitted to intensify beyond our limits, the ability to prioritise and make decisions will be compromised and we may become myopic on a single task at the expense of the overall flight management and safety. Hence, it is imperative that we have a strategy in place for the management of the workload and one of the greatest means of achieving this is through sound preflight preparation. Many of the tasks that can prove distracting can be addressed before the chocks are ever pulled away, it just requires thinking ahead.

Thinking ahead can take many forms and placed under the banner of ‘preflight preparation’. Firstly, there are core issues that are expected of a licensed pilot. These include sound knowledge of the aircraft, its performance, limitations and systems. Not just an aircraft type exam that was passed at the time of endorsement, but a practical understanding of the aircraft that is reviewed from time to time. Similarly, the rules and regulations that will govern the flight should be fundamental knowledge........

Check back for Part Two of "Be Prepared" and the next instalment in the 'Practical Pilot' series.

The Practical Pilot. Friendly Words of Warning.