A briefing is a short speech given to passengers so they understand:
- Some important safety information
- What is expected of them during the flight
Let’s start with what the law requires and then add to it:
§ 91.519 Passenger briefing.(a) Before each takeoff the pilot in command of an airplane carrying passengers shall ensure that all passengers have been orally briefed on –
(1)Smoking. Each passenger shall be briefed on when, where, and under what conditions smoking is prohibited. This briefing shall include a statement, as appropriate, that the Federal Aviation Regulations require passenger compliance with lighted passenger information signs and no smoking placards, prohibit smoking in lavatories, and require compliance with crewmember instructions with regard to these items;
(2)Use of safety belts and shoulder harnesses. Each passenger shall be briefed on when, where, and under what conditions it is necessary to have his or her safety belt and, if installed, his or her shoulder harness fastened about him or her. This briefing shall include a statement, as appropriate, that Federal Aviation Regulations require passenger compliance with the lighted passenger sign and/or crewmember instructions with regard to these items;
(3) Location and means for opening the passenger entry door and emergency exits;
(4) Location of survival equipment;
(5) Ditching procedures and the use of flotation equipment required under § 91.509 for a flight over water; and
(6) The normal and emergency use of oxygen equipment installed on the airplane.
In addition to the items required I also recommend briefing on:
- fire extinguisher locations
- Propeller safety
- See-and-avoid assistance
- The shut up signal
- air vents
For a light aircraft, it usually makes sense to give the briefing after everyone is seated and buckled in. Before you talk glance around and visually inspect your passenger’s seatbelts. A normal briefing would go like this:
Before we get started I want to give you a quick briefing on a few things. There is no smoking during this flight. I can see your seatbelts are on. Keep them on at all times during this flight. The doors are operated using this handle. In the unlikely event that we need to land off the airport don’t forget to grab your coat. Whenever we are outside of the plane please stay far away from the propeller and exit to the rear. Propellers are very dangerous, even when they are not turning. If you see another plane anywhere near us in flight please point it out since I may not have seen it yet. I will be talking on the radio, especially when we are near airports. If I put my hand up like this, I am not meaning to seem rude, but I do need you to be silent at that time so I can hear the radio. Feel free to adjust the air vents here and here and let me know if you get too hot or cold and I will adjust the heat. Are there any questions?
There is a lot in the briefing to take in at once and some of this is just my preference more than anything else. The following are some notes on why I do it this way.
Notice that I told my passengers to keep their seatbelts on at all times. In a light aircraft, there is no bathroom to go to and they can’t really leave their seat, so there is no reason to encourage them to take off their seatbelts once you are airborne. I have given people permission to take off their seatbelt in flight, but I don’t do it during the briefing.
When you tell them about how to use the doors actually demonstrate it. An emergency might require them to get out quickly and this makes it easier if they have seen it done. There is no reason to teach them how to close the doors but you can if you want.
Your survival equipment briefing will vary, but in the simplest case just picture where you will be in an off-airport landing. Where I fly there is no chance of landing more than 1 mile from people, so we don’t need all of the gear that an Alaskan bush pilot uses. However, if the flight takes place in January and we suffer an engine failure, I don’t want my passengers freezing in a field while we wait for help.
I did not include the ditching and flotation device briefing because most light aircraft don’t have them and you have no business putting the plane in a situation where ditching is realistic. Of course, if you do have the right gear and you are flying over water then you will need to make sure they can handle the flotation devices without you.
I also skipped oxygen and pressurization for the same reason.
Next is my standard propeller advice. Please do not let anyone get near the propeller, it is just way too dangerous.
I ask the passengers to participate in our safety by looking for other planes and pointing them out to me. This is an important task that they can be a big help with.
Then I tell them about my signal which basically means, “be quiet!” I use a raised hand like a stop sign. This is important since passengers do not know when you are listening to the radio and they will talk right over it. Sometimes they will ignore this signal but there is more you can do to get them quiet. More about that in a future post.
Next, I tell them how to adjust the vents but I avoid showing them how to use anything on the panel. It would not be hard for a passenger to make a mistake and pull the fuel shutoff because it is shaped like the cabin air.
Finally, give them space to ask questions since most passengers do have them. A common one is about the headsets. I typically do not brief these but instead I plug them in ahead of time and then tell them how to put the mic near their mouth after intercom is turned on and they can try it.
This briefing is usually done in about one minute or less but it is well worth the time, especially if you end up having an emergency.