AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2020 - 110

NEWS & NOTES 

AOPA AIR SAFETY INSTITUTE

Have a seat, shut the door
Go beyond the basic passenger brief
BY ALICIA HERRON

REGULAR PASSENGERS RUN the gamut from
competent crew to backseat-flying distractions-and you may have already created your
own no-fly list after a negative experience.
But first-time passengers are full of potential
and represent an opportunity to introduce
someone to the world of general aviation. To
get flights like those started on the right foot,
begin with a quality briefing.
It takes immense trust to be a passenger.
If you want someone to fly with you more
than once, make their first flight a positive
experience that's memorable for all the right
reasons. Be patient and don't make assumptions about what nonpilots do or do not know.
We're used to small airplanes, but something
as seemingly simple as a GA seatbelt can be
daunting to a first-time flier. Getting in and
out of the airplane-a task you probably do
without thinking or have practiced excessively-may require a detailed demonstration.
Set aside time before yelling "clear!" to make
sure you give a solid briefing and allow time
for questions. Waiting until after engine start
is too late-the time and money pressure of a
running Hobbs can lead to a rushed delivery
of vital information.
Advise your passengers not to talk during radio communications. Even fellow

110 | AOPA PILOT April 2020

aviators can have trouble with this one,
so anticipate asking for silence. Consider
using sterile cockpit procedures until a
certain altitude and during high-workload
phases of flight such as takeoff and landing.
Remember, the Isolate button is your friend,
and it exists to be used.
You may think that teaching your passengers about what to do in an emergency
will frighten them, but they're more likely
to be impressed by your concern for their
safety. Knowing what to do "just in case"
will be a comfort. And of course, if something unexpected does happen, it is in
everyone's best interest that they're familiar with what to do.
Check in on them throughout the journey: after start-up, before takeoff, and in
flight. Even the most resilient and adventurous among us can have a change of heart.
Be understanding and prepare yourself for
the idea that you might have to cut the trip
short. This is a great reason to make a first
flight local-save the cross-country for later.
Don't deliberately frighten your passengers-feeling true fear in the air will keep
someone from ever flying with you again.
Save stalls for solo practice or dual instruction, and use gentle, coordinated turns. Let

them know before you reduce power-to the
uninitiated, the sound of lower rpm midflight might sound like an engine failure.
Added stress aside, flying with passengers can be highly rewarding. How often do
we get to introduce someone to something
totally new? And just think: If your passengers like the flight, they might become
pilots, too.
For more tips on giving a thorough passenger
briefing, watch this ASI video.
airsafetyinstitute.org/
passengerbriefing
EMAIL alicia.herron@aopa.org

NEW FROM ASI |

'THERE I WAS...': RUNWAY
EXCURSION

We're delighted to welcome back our
inaugural podcast guest, U.S. National
Aerobatic Champion Patty Wagstaff.
She returns to tell about an incident
in September 2019, in which she and
a fellow pilot experienced a runway
excursion in Wagstaff's V-tail Bonanza.
airsafetyinstitute.org/thereiwas

CAN ATC DECLARE AN
EMERGENCY FOR ME?

Get the answer and learn directly from
controllers in the AOPA Air Safety
Institute's Ask ATC series.
airsafetyinstitute.org/askatc/
emergency
http://www.airsafetyinstitute.org/passengerbriefing http://www.airsafetyinstitute.org/passengerbriefing http://www.airsafetyinstitute.org/thereiwas http://www.airsafetyinstitute.org/askatc/emergency http://www.airsafetyinstitute.org/askatc/emergency
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2020

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