A common question of all private pilot candidates is, ACS requires me to conduct a safety briefing, how do I do that? There have been many articles written on this subject in the past. In this blog post, we will discuss how to conduct a passenger safety briefing for a simple general aviation aircraft.

It is no surprise that our passenger gets excited when they see the spiny prop turning when we start the engine. It is fun, it is exciting. This is why, I recommend conducting your passenger briefing before starting the engine when you can still have the full attention of your passengers.

A passenger briefing should accomplish the following four outcomes:

1. REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS

14 CFR §91.107 and §91.519 covers what the passenger needs to know for a particular flight in a specific airplane. For a general aviation plane, we must teach the passenger how to fasten and unfasten the seat belt, as well as how to attach and remove the shoulder harness. You may think, well who doesn’t know how to use seat belts nowadays? Believe me, in my several years of flying with different aircraft, I’ve seen a dozen, if not more, different types of safety belt systems in general aviation aircraft. Another reason to ensure all passengers know how to unbuckle themselves is in case of an emergency landing. You, as the pilot, may become unconscious and must rely on your passengers to get you out of the airplane. Well, if they can’t unbuckle themselves, you are not going anywhere, will you?

2. FLIGHT SAFETY

You must educate your passengers on where the critical flight controls are and why their hands and feet should be nowhere near those, especially during takeoff and landings. Never assume your passengers understand what a yoke or a rudder pedal is. One time I had a passenger stretch his body during a long cross-country after a short nap. Usually, this is not a problem, but he was sitting in the front, in a small general aviation airplane. His feet went right on the right rudder pedal while he was “stretching”. The rear passenger was not fond of what happened next! My usual rule for those passengers sitting in the front is to not touch anything unless I tell you O.K. to do so. Also, I have a habit of checking their legs and hands during takeoff and landing to ensure they are not blocking the flight controls in any way.

What is that common saying, four eyeballs are better than two! It is a great idea to have your passenger scan for traffic on the ground and in the air. They should feel comfortable speaking up if they see something they perceive as dangerous. Too much speaking up is not good either! Tell your passengers that there is a lot going on during takeoffs and landings which you must focus on as the pilot. Simply ask them to save their questions after takeoff or landing so you won’t get distracted. I like to tell my passengers that if I raise my index finger, that means quiet time for me to focus on ATC or anything else that needs my attention. You can always pick up the conversation where you left it off.

3. MAKING THE FLIGHT COMFORTABLE AND FUN

General aviation aircraft can become uncomfortable especially if you are flying an older fleet like I do. It gets hot in the summer, and you feel every single puff of air in the sky. You should let your passengers know how to operate air vents or any relevant environmental controls such as cabin air or cabin heat. They should also know how to slide the chair forward and backward as needed.

I always carry a couple of trash bags and barf bags on the plane, just in case. Explain to your passengers that, unlike big airline planes, these small general aviation planes will feel thermals, clouds, winds, or any air movement much more visibly so it may get a bit bumpy up there. Make sure they know where the barf bag is located, just in case.

4. EMERGENCIES

It is incredibly important that your passengers understand what to do in the event of an emergency. If you do not prepare them for the hypothetical forced landing scenario, they will freak out and panic, which is the last thing you need as a pilot dealing with an emergency.

Explain to your passengers that in the event that you lose your engine, you may have to land the plane on a suitable surface other than an airport. Inform them that you as the pilot are trained for this scenario. You should show them where the belt cutter, fire extinguisher, and first aid kit are located. Inform your passengers that you may ask them to do certain things during the emergency such as reading items of a checklist, or cranking a door open just before a forced landing. If such an event takes place, the priority is to leave the aircraft as quickly as possible and move away from it in case of a fire. If you are over water and have a raft with you, your passengers should know how to deploy and operate the raft. There is no single evacuation plan that applies to all scenarios, the important thing is to use common sense and follow the instructions of the pilot.

I’ve seen some pilots have their passengers watch a short video or hand out a brochure to read. I personally prefer to just speak to my passengers and use a checklist, like the one at the very beginning of this post, to ensure I covered all the basics.

As always, let me know if you have any questions. Happy flying!