ASI Safety tips Teamwork makes the dream work
Recruit your passengers for a safer, more enjoyable flight
By Capucine Cordina
Taking your first passengers flying can be as intimidating for you as it is for them. So here are some ways to make the flight as comfortable as possible.
Real Pilot Story: Crossed Wires
Include them (but not too much)
The passenger briefing checklist is a must, but you don’t have to start there. If your passengers are interested, make them a part of your preflight and explain what you’re checking during each step of the process. Don’t scare them, this is not the time for anecdotes of failures and incidents.
Once you’re in the aircraft, continue to vocalize your actions.
Ground rules
With the preflight finished, now’s the time to set some ground rules for the flight. A sterile cockpit is vital; no talking during key moments of the flight, like takeoff, landing, approach, or when you’re talking to ATC. It’s helpful to agree on a hand gesture to initiate a sterile cockpit, so passengers know to quiet down and don’t interrupt what you’re doing. And for front seat passengers, no unprompted touching of the controls. Keep feet clear of the rudder pedals and knees clear of the yoke, and no playing around with the panel.
In flight
After experiencing the thrill of taking off, some passengers might be excited to help out, and they can! Show them how to look for traffic, listen on the radios for missed calls, make altitude callouts, and find landmarks, especially for dead reckoning. If they’re interested, you can even show them the basics of flying. Not only can it spark their passion in aviation, but it can also be of great help during an emergency.
Emergencies
If properly briefed, passengers can be of invaluable help. Spend some time on the ground going through the emergency checklist and explain the role they can play to help you deal with certain situations. During an emergency, the first thing the pilot has to do is fly the airplane. Entrust the secondary tasks to your co-pilot, like checking for traffic, reading out checklist items, using the GPS’s nearest airport function, and even talking to ATC.
Companion copilot
If you have a frequent flying companion who shows interest in aviation, AOPA’s Companion Copilot video series is an all-in-one source to give them an overview of basic flying concepts. At 15 minutes long, it goes over the safety briefing, how to keep the aircraft in the air, general usage of the GPS, tuning into and talking to ATC, and what to do to help during an emergency.
Mutual trust between pilot and co-pilot is necessary, and once everyone’s on the same page, any flight becomes a breeze.
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