Crew briefings need to be scalable. Professional aviators know how to discern what is important based on proficiency, familiarity, flight complexity and a host of other factors that may or may not be relevant at the time. Finally, following the principle of recency that information presented last is also well retained , crew departure and arrival briefings should conclude with a recap of the critical threats and associated countermeasures, as well as specific PM duties for each particular departure or arrival.
Why is this so important? Dr Gary Klein, a leading researcher in recognition-primed decision-making theory, has determined that professions requiring rapid decision-making in high workload environments subject to rapidly changing conditions ie fire-fighting, law enforcement, military and aviation , will involve decisions based on recognition-primed pattern-matching.
A pattern match, according to Klein, is an action that is derived from relevant cues, expectancies, and goals. These cues, expectations and goals will normally be a result of insights and expertise gained through specific training or routines, professional study, deliberate practice, or overall experience. In any case, a successful outcome will require an appropriate pattern match. For this reason, flight crews should brief in a manner that will serve to prime them with potential pattern-matches.
Once these pattern-matches and the cues that should elicit them have been mentally primed, it is a lot more likely that when an abnormal situation arises, the crew will be able to trigger these pattern-match based responses quickly and accurately. To incorporate these four goals, we came up with a better way for crews to prepare for departures and arrivals. First, they perform a set-up. The set-up is a very specific, deliberate process in which both the PF and PM take time, normally without discussion, to ensure all required and applicable items are ready to go.
These include a review of the weather, applicable NOTAMs, a set-up of their electronic flight bags, instrument panels, navigational guidance and appropriate crosschecks [eg, automatically uploaded departure or arrival waypoints in the flight management computer.
We found no data to support the fact that a verbal, crew crosscheck of automatically loaded systems, is necessary. Though that might have been important when a system was first introduced, after many years of improvement and proven reliability, a verbal review is simply no longer needed.
Knowing what we now know about the importance of priming and pattern-matching, we are convinced that every word crews speak during their briefing is critical and potentially life-saving. By requiring the PM to begin the discussion in this manner, a level of ownership and interactive engagement is fostered. We provide our crews with a quick reference card that includes a summary of the briefing format, a tool for conducting debriefs and a list of common threats as a memory jogger. On complex, high-risk departures and arrivals, the threat portion of the briefing can be the most significant and lengthy component of the overall discussion.
Just like briefing threats, however, the plan portion should also be relevance-based and scaled up or down appropriately. This is an exercise each respective airline will have to perform in the process of deciding what guidance to include. Like briefing threats, however, the plan portion should be relevance-based, and scaled up or scaled down appropriately. If a crew is about to perform its 10th arrival and visual approach in the same sunny conditions to an airport to which they have been flying all month, then the discussion will normally be appropriately scaled down due to high proficiency, familiarity and low risk.
If, on the other hand, there exists low familiarity and high risk, then much more detail is required. Finally, the considerations portion of the briefing is intended to be a recap or summary of the discussion. It is particularly important if the briefing has been scaled up due to a combination of high risk and complexity.
A review of specific PM duties will serve to prime the PF and PM for action should any relevant threats require the agreed-upon countermeasure s. Regarding the second question, we spent considerable effort communicating the need for a change several months in advance. We then developed a robust training module, including video examples and, more importantly, emphasizing the why behind the change.
On the day of the rollout, numerous flight operations leaders were available at each domicile to ensure a smooth transition and answer any lingering questions.
Several months after the rollout, we conducted a fleet-wide survey to obtain feedback on how well the change was being incorporated and to learn how it could have been better trained and implemented. The entire process received an 84 percent approval rating. It is time to unshackle our line crews from the decades-old required list of briefing items. For 21st-century work, we need to upgrade to autonomy, mastery and purpose. We need to allow crews the autonomy to scale and tailor their briefings according to the specific situation at hand, not require a one-size-fits-all solution.
We must further encourage crews through revised SOPs to exercise their professional mastery in analyzing risk and crafting management strategies to mitigate relevant threats to the safety of flight and to develop appropriate plans of action based on conditions. The purpose of briefing is also the purpose of a professional pilot: to maximize safety. We can and we must do better. A version of this article was first published in Aerospace , the magazine of the Royal Aeronautical Society.
National Transportation Safety Board. On Record. Falcon got away from pilots who used the wrong procedure to resolve a hydraulic system problem on the ground. News , Mechanical Issues , Safety Recommendation. Business Aviation , Flight Ops. Study shows nearly one-fifth of business aviation pilots habitually neglected pre-takeoff control checks. Search for: Search.
The purser or lead flight attendant conducts the briefing and goes through a series of topics to ensure each flight attendant is prepared. The lead flight attendant will go through important flight details with the crew to ensure everybody is aware and on the same page.
Some details that may be covered are the aircraft type, the flight number, the flight destination, any time changes, the flight time, and the estimated time of departure and arrival. The pilots may also go over the flight details to ensure the flight attendants are also on the same page.
The pilots will join the pre-flight briefing either in the crew room or on the aircraft prior to boarding at some point. During this time, the pilots will go over emergency and normal communication and entry procedures. However, on a normal day, the pilots and flight attendants must communicate how to enter and exit the cockpit in order to give the pilots a short break. The pilots will also go over the weather if they are expecting turbulence and the flight route.
The flight crew will also encourage the cabin crew to report anything safety related to them. The lead flight attendant will review the number of passengers on board and go through a list of any specials on the flight.
Once the UM is onboard the aircraft, the UM is under the care and supervision of the flight attendants. Wheelchair customers, deaf or blind passengers, those traveling with animals, people with dietary restrictions such as gluten-free and nut allergies, or any other passenger with a specific need will be noted during this time. The lead flight attendant will perform an appearance check to ensure that each flight attendant is in a compliant uniform and is properly groomed.
Depending on the airline, they will also check for passports, visas, paperwork, manuals, and if they are fit to fly. The lead flight attendant may also ask a security question to ensure everyone is aware and up to speed with proper work rules and requirements. A security question is safety-related and simply a spot check. Finally, if there is a layover, the lead flight attendant may ask for phone numbers or room numbers as well.
Below are an example of pre-flight briefing.
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