PPL Passenger Briefings…?

Well, what can I say? Thanks very much mate, I’m very flattered. 😀

From the left hand seat perspective, throughout the flight I was very aware of the fact that I was flying the thing more professionally than I usually do. Little things, like constant trim adjustments, keeping the aeroplane within 50 feet of my nominated height, running through the PFL and pre-landing drills as we flew our ‘approach’ in to Gravely, putting a call out to ‘Wyton traffic’ to keep everyone informed of who we were and where we were, doing my FREDA checks and explaining what I was doing and why. I just felt very switched on throughout the trip, very conscious of the fact that I had to get it right because this time it wasn’t just MY ass on the line….

And on reflection, I learned a hell of a lot on Saturday. Having someone on board who a) already knows a little about how it all works, b) has a high degree of enthusiasm, and c) has an apparently high level of trust in me, really made it less hard work than it could have been. So muchos creditos to you too mate.

Having a plan helped too – the solo flights I’ve done post-PPL have been out of Cambridge, bimble over to ‘A’, and then bimble back again. Always with a route marked on the map, always with waypoints planned, always with the log sheet filled out, always with frequency changes pre-planned. Saturday was no different, and the PFF Tour (which I’ll explain in a seperate thread to everyone else when I get home and get the photo’s downloaded tonight) I think just added to the sense of purpose. Yes, it’s fun to fly, but aimless chugging around gets a bit tedious after a while, which is why many PPL’s get their licence, get bored, and then let it lapse. Which is a shame. It’s also why I’ll probably be making a call to Clacton later today to book my Cub course – stops me getting bored with the whole flying thing.

Anyway, glad you enjoyed it, and thanks for being Passenger #1 on YoungyAir flight #1. If the rest of ’em are as easy to fly as you were, it’ll be a breeze. I just hope the bird enjoys herself when she comes up with me on Thursday. Bonjour Calais… 😉

First passenger feedback form…..

Well Melv…perhaps I’m in as good a position to tell you how it went as anybody eh? ….

First of all – some rather encouraging signs…

1.) I’m still in one piece 🙂
2.) He’s still in one piece 🙂
3.) G-MASF is still in one piece 🙂
4.) the sick bags (of PPL passenger briefing fame) were not required 🙂
5.) Oh, and did I say? …I’m still in one piece 🙂

Ok – having established that I lived to tell the tale – I have to say that given the choice of getting in the MG with him or a PA 28… I’d opt for the latter everytime… much more relaxing!!! 😉 :p

In all honesty, a bit of credit where credit’s due here I think…
Knowing Steve as I do, of course I expected that the flight would be well planned and executed.. He takes his flying very seriously – as all pilots do.

(Shhh…Don’t tell him though… but I was seriously impressed :-O)

So, part of me never expected anything less… But to sit there proudly (as a novice with sneeky aspirations towards a PLL, but oodles more enthusiasm than knowledge at the moment) whilst one of my best mates flies me around for an hour with such professionalism and calmness was something I’ll never forget. I’m still grinning 24 hours later!

Granted, it was only my second ever flight in a light aircraft – the first being a lesson with a qualified instructor… so I can only comment as a passenger…but in all honesty, I felt amazingly comfortable up there….even more so than with the instructor last time. Our Captain Young explained every procedure as he went along (from pre flight checks which I helped (or maybe hindered :D) with, through to post flight)…and for my part, it was as relaxing as a walk in the park – with the addition of much better views – oh, and and a nice tight turn that pulled a few Gs and made me giggle uncontrollably!!! (Hmmm.. don’t think I’d have done that well in a Spitfire squadron then do you? :))

I’ll leave him to tell you the exact route we took, as I’m 120 miles away from the inflight map he prepared for me (and using an old copy of Pooleys that used to live chez Youngy to ID the airfields I took piccies of!) … but essentially, we headed North West (…ish!) I think, out of Cambridge, overhead Boure, Gransden Lodge, Little Gransden, and some other old wartime bases, some disused, eventaully to Staughton (my memory fails me, I’m sorry .. Upwood was one…Oakington on the way back.. must find a map online) …anyway.. then out towards the fens, where we had to drop down a bit to avoid a nasty chunk of weather… It’s all a bit of a blur to be honest, I was busy taking photos, nattering…grinning… and letting the man in the left hand seat get on with it.

At the risk of making his head too big.. our landing seemed pretty darn good to a novice too. He’ll tell you it was one of his best , and that it seemed smooth because I’ve only ever landed on a grass strip before (or in an airliner!! :()…yada..yada..yada… but as a none too experienced flyer, the biggest complement I can give is that I never flinched once…the approach just *seemed* to sort itself, and the touchdown could hardly have been smoother. Even the pilot allowed himself a small grin at this point! 😀

I half wish he was flying my Easyjet to Ibiza next week (but only cos that means I wouldn’t be the only one missing Legends ;)!!!)

Needless to say, I can definitely reccomend flying with Cap’n Young… if, like me, you can put up with the corny jokes (and I know that some of you can!) 😉

THank you and well done Steve – many more happy landings mate!

PS – I’ll try to sort out and resize so piccies to show you – when I get a moment

So, Stevie-boy,

How’d it go?
How’d it go?
How’d it go?
How’d it go?
How’d it go?
How’d it go?
How’d it go?
How’d it go?

Melv

Thanks very much for the suggestions, and, erm, the insight into what goes on in Janie’s world… 😮

My passenger today is “one of ours”, it’s JN-4, who for reasons best known to herself, trusts me implicitly and isn’t nervous at all. The fool….. 😀

BTW Janie, I am on UKGA, but not as Steve Young as my name has already been taken by someone else. Damned inconsiderate of him, I reckon. 😉

The de-briefings are more fun!

Damien: Did I give you my standard briefing in the Emeraude?

“When we come in to land I will need to use the trim (which is between P1 & passenger at thigh height). Your elbow will be in the way and I will not have the time to ask you to remove it politely. I may hurt you. You may think I am rude. You will then carefully move your arm out of the way and, just as I go to use the trim again, your arm will accidently fall back in the way and I will hurt you again. This is normal.”

I’ve got a feeling you are the only person that kept their elbow out of the way and didn’t let it slide back, so the briefing must have worked for once.

But I did scream on the flare though, didn’t I!

But seriously, there was some sensible stuff written on the UKGA.com forum, where I only post serious stuff (strange, but true).

Passenger Briefings

Steve: I believe I’ve seen you on UKGA.

Does, ‘sit there, shut up and don’t touch anything’ count as a briefing?

” Stop asking bloody questions !!
You pay , I fly
we crash , you die “

My brief:

“I may scream a lot. You may be terrified, particularly during the landing. Even if we crash land, you will survive”

I haven’t had any complaints so far.

First time flyer in a GA type aircraft would get the whole works!

Before you go flying, i.e. in the club house, descipe the flight. What are you going to do and how are you going to do it. For example. We will be taking off to the west and when we reach 500 feet I’ll make a left turn. To turn the aircraft, the aircraft has bank (tilt) to the left. When the turn is completed you can expect to see (some interesting landmark) on the right hand site etc.etc. When we reach the cruseing altitude and airspeed, I will reduce the power to the engine. That will cause a decrease in noise. Then go on to explane the leaning process ( in very simple terms), and the fact that the engine might give a splutter. Point out on a map before the flight anything of interst on the ground along the planned route of flight and on which side of the cockpit it is going to be (hopefully 😀 ) Explane the descent, and the fact that you will most likely have to throttle back during descent. A lot of people get scared by change in engine note. Also explane, that during some aspects of the approach and landing, you might have to throttle right back to idle, and the engine is not dead even though it is very quiet 😮

Tell them about possible turbulance and how it will feel like (going down a road full of port holes!) Also tell them how to ‘ride’ the aircraft during manuvers.

When you get to the aircraft, take it easy and allow the first time PAX to take it all in. Don’t rush, and answer any questions. Once on board, go through ALL the emergency equipment. If it is good enough to do it on airliners, then it is good enough for us. Before going through it, just say something like: ‘Well…… this is what they do in the airline buisness, and we have to do it as well’ or something along these lines, as some passengers might find it a little fatalistic to be shown what to do if the plane crashes on their first flight in a GA aircraft :rolleyes: Make sure to show them how the seatbelt works, where the emergency exits are located and how to operate them. Also show them where they might find the ELT, and how to set it to manual, in case you can not get to it, descripe it. Show them the fire extingisher and how to operate it, and where they can find a first aid kit. If you are planning an over water flight, life wests and raft should be included in the briefing.

If you are flying with someone that is used to GA flying, just brief the emergency equipment and planned route.

Among the long lists of items that you will probably read in the thread, I would add that there will be times where you need to be concentrating on doing vital checks and therefore not disturbed. Also, at times you need to listen carefully to the radio and might ask them to shush suddenly.

It might sound pretty obvious but it is so easy to have your routine scrambled and miss important item because you’re being asked a question at times where normally the instructor stays quiet for instance.

Steph

Consider postponing the flight if conditions are too bumpy.

As an overall rule, at all times explain what you are doing or what is happening, and why. In my experience, explaining the significance of the checks before flying and the pre-take-off check has a significant calming effect on the passenger.

Show the passenger how to release the seatbelt and open the door.

Explain the process of leaning the engine and the associated splutter well before the flight and again during that process.

Tell the passenger to expect more movement than in an airliner, to avoid resisting the movement of the aircraft (i.e. not to try and sit upright during a turn) and to let you known of any other aircraft they might see (distracts him/her in a positive manner).

If the passenger wants to take photographs during the flight, tell him/her not to look through the viewfinder for long periods, as it may cause nausea (own experience…!).