Airline takeoff briefings

RyanB

RyanB

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Do airline pilots give a takeoff briefing before every takeoff? Im sure its in their checklist, and more extensive than a takeoff brief we would do in GA. Can anyone confirm this and how its done?
 
You mean crew brief? Yeah. Same way as you would, just tapered to a specific aircraft.
 
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I do a crew and pax brief every flight. The passenger brief is obviously required. And even if a CAVU day, I want all crew to be on the same page, so I'll still brief items such as FOB, who is PF and PM, hit on the departure procedure as cleared, ect... As the weather gets lower, we'll then go more in-depth regarding items such as possible alternates, applicable approaches, icing considerations, ect...
 
Ryanb said:
Do airline pilots give a takeoff briefing before every takeoff? Im sure its in their checklist, and more extensive than a takeoff brief we would do in GA. Can anyone confirm this and how its done?
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Yes, every takeoff. The items to be briefed are listed in our manual.
 
Our typical takeoff brief. Corporate airplane not the big boys.

If anything happens before 80 kts we will abort! If between 80 and V1 we will abort for loss of directional control other than that we will handle it in the air. We will come back here either VFR or IFR. Departure today will be the West 4. runway heading to 800 then a climbing left turn to heading 295 3000 feet. Noise abatement today so we will climb out at V2 plus 20 kts. I'm going to hand fly with the flight director with or with out auto throttles. It's OVC 1700 feet so let's get the anti ice on once safely off the ground. Any questions? If no then let go.
 
Even in our community we have one...although I'm usually just saying it to myself.

Above 100kts I'll abort for any of the five red warning lights, dual circuit hyd failures, DEL/MECH/INVALID on the FCS page, or catastrophic damage to the airplane. Idle, boards, brakes, stick aft below 100kts, hook handle down if required. I'm cleared on the XXX departure up to X,000 ft.
 
Ryanb said:
Do airline pilots give a takeoff briefing before every takeoff? Im sure its in their checklist, and more extensive than a takeoff brief we would do in GA. Can anyone confirm this and how its done?
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Generaly there is a first flight of day brief which is done in full...on subsequent takoffs in the same tail # a shorter version is given ie.."standard abort procedures", standard left seat takeoff RW 8, RNAV to Royal.

typical items that are always briefed.
the taxi route RWY
departure including single engine procedures
any special MEL's that could effect an abort procedure
min fuel
 
A briefing is done before we push back on every leg. The CA can choose to do the brief regardless of who is flying, but that never happens - the PF is the one that does the brief. Personally, I think we brief waaaay too much crap, but they're the ones signing my paycheck, so I do as I'm told.
 
kayoh190 said:
A briefing is done before we push back on every leg. The CA can choose to do the brief regardless of who is flying, but that never happens - the PF is the one that does the brief. Personally, I think we brief waaaay too much crap, but they're the ones signing my paycheck, so I do as I'm told.
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Ditto, on all counts......:eek:

Because it is seemingly impossible to make the TO warning horn a different sound than the cabin altitude warning horn in the 737, we are required to brief the cabin alt. warning horn memory items before every leg. So, if we get the horn at 1500' agl, we are required to don o2 masks..... Gotta love the FAA!
 
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Slipkid65 said:
Ditto, on all counts......:eek:

Because it is seemingly impossible to make the TO warning horn a different sound than the cabin altitude warning horn in the 737, we are required to brief the cabin alt. warning horn memory items before every leg. So, if we get the horn at 1500' agl, we are required to don o2 masks..... Gotta love the FAA!
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Sure that was the FAA? Sounds like a company procedure to answer a Boeing procedure.
 
Slipkid65 said:
Ditto, on all counts......:eek:

Because it is seemingly impossible to make the TO warning horn a different sound than the cabin altitude warning horn in the 737, we are required to brief the cabin alt. warning horn memory items before every leg. So, if we get the horn at 1500' agl, we are required to don o2 masks..... Gotta love the FAA!
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Geez, man, you gotta use some common sense. Yes, it would be the cabin altitude horn, but do you really think you are going to get that below 10,000 feet? Not likely. And if you do, wouldn't common sense dictate that O2 was not necessary at 1500 AGL unless you were in the mountains somewhere?
 
kayoh190 said:
A briefing is done before we push back on every leg. The CA can choose to do the brief regardless of who is flying, but that never happens - the PF is the one that does the brief. Personally, I think we brief waaaay too much crap, but they're the ones signing my paycheck, so I do as I'm told.
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Is that before the pay clock starts?

For safety's sake they should do the brief after push back and after you are on the clock. Then they are sure to get a nice, thorough briefing. :)
 
Us crew aircraft military guys do. And it is intensive.
 
Looks as though different airlines do it differently. There is no one exact answer to your question.
 
I'd guess that all 135, 121 and military do take off, level off and before landing briefs. Even single pilot EMS we do them. These are NOT pax briefs. That's something different.
 
Kritchlow said:
Looks as though different airlines do it differently. There is no one exact answer to your question.
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My guess is that it is up to the captain. Obviously they have to do one but how long and what to include seems to vary by pilot and company
 
In the brief time I dabbled in such flying, our (pt91) briefing was taught as:
"Sterile Cockpit" and then
'This will be a normal takeoff X° flaps AB%N1, rwy hdg to 4000' then vectors (or whatever the clearance/sid said). I will stand them up, please set power.
Any abnormals before 80kts we abort, loss of directional control or Master Warning before V1 we abort, anything after V1 we handle airborne.
In the event of an emergency I will fly the airplane and you will handle the checklist and radios - if upon takeoff we will plan to return here.
Please give standard callouts, advise any malfunctions, handle checklists/radios/flaps/gear. Any questions or missed items?'

The taught version is more formal than what I ever saw happen, and last year we were told we could agree upon a briefing with all the crew beforehand and simply state "Standard Briefing for this flight", giving the variable items only.
Never had a real emergency on T-O so I would love to know if it would go off as planned.
 
jordane93 said:
My guess is that it is up to the captain. Obviously they have to do one but how long and what to include seems to vary by pilot and company
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Our manual is pretty specific in what it needs to include. The order in which items are briefed changes a bit from pilot to pilot, but as long as everything in the manual is hit, nobody seems to mind. We're all great at briefing exactly to the book when in the sim or when a check airman is on the jumpseat, but otherwise you'll see some variation depending on the pilot. Not much, but some.

One of the least standard I've heard: "You stay on your side of the flight attendant, and don't touch my d**k. Okay, let's go." :)
 
Greg Bockelman said:
Geez, man, you gotta use some common sense. Yes, it would be the cabin altitude horn, but do you really think you are going to get that below 10,000 feet? Not likely. And if you do, wouldn't common sense dictate that O2 was not necessary at 1500 AGL unless you were in the mountains somewhere?
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Only for takeoff at La Paz or somewhere similar....
 
I know of 135 and 121 operators flying single-pilot ops, and even they do briefings in a required format. Helps build habits for the folks moving up to bigger planes, and makes writing the manuals easier too.
 
TMetzinger said:
I know of 135 and 121 operators flying single-pilot ops, and even they do briefings in a required format. Helps build habits for the folks moving up to bigger planes, and makes writing the manuals easier too.
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I did some single pilot in Citations back in the day, and I talked just like I would in a crew environment. Like you said, it builds good habits, but it also leaves a record on the CVR in case things all go to hell.
 
jordane93 said:
My guess is that it is up to the captain. Obviously they have to do one but how long and what to include seems to vary by pilot and company
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kayoh190 said:
Our manual is pretty specific in what it needs to include. The order in which items are briefed changes a bit from pilot to pilot, but as long as everything in the manual is hit, nobody seems to mind. We're all great at briefing exactly to the book when in the sim or when a check airman is on the jumpseat, but otherwise you'll see some variation depending on the pilot. Not much, but some.
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Yup.. Ours is specific per the manual. I do agree kayho about slight deviations.
 
jordane93 said:
:rofl: Oh boy!
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Oh yeah, there are some good ones out there. One of the better approach briefings I've heard: "This is going to be a hard landing, followed by jerky, uneven deceleration. Any questions?" :lol:
 
All our 747 flights have mission brief an hour before engine start, mission crew safety brief right after door closing on the lower deck, and flight crew brief split between before-engine-start and at the hold short line. Typically, there is a long time-critical taxi, hence the split. Part 91, public aircraft.
 
MAKG1 said:
All our 747 flights have mission brief an hour before engine start, mission crew safety brief right after door closing on the lower deck, and flight crew brief split between before-engine-start and at the hold short line. Typically, there is a long time-critical taxi, hence the split. Part 91, public aircraft.
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What is your "mission"? VVIP transport? I'm trying to picture a part 91 747. I can't think of many....


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
Greg Bockelman said:
Geez, man, you gotta use some common sense. Yes, it would be the cabin altitude horn, but do you really think you are going to get that below 10,000 feet? Not likely. And if you do, wouldn't common sense dictate that O2 was not necessary at 1500 AGL unless you were in the mountains somewhere?
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I am not allowed to use common sense.

The TO warning horn is the exact same horn as the cabin altitude warning horn. When Billy B. designed the airplane, I guess it was assumed that the crew operating it would be aware enough to understand that a blaring horn at 5000 msl was not a cabin altitude issue, but the new FAA can't see that logic.

Sure that was the FAA? Sounds like a company procedure to answer a Boeing procedure.
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It was our POI that mandated it, according to the instructors at the puzzle palace. Don't know or care what the origin is, to be truthful, because, regardless, it doesn't change the fact that it's a required briefing item.....

It's gonna be a LONG 15 years until retirement........
 
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kayoh190 said:
Oh yeah, there are some good ones out there. One of the better approach briefings I've heard: "This is going to be a hard landing, followed by jerky, uneven deceleration. Any questions?" :lol:
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Speaking of. Why do some airline pilots feel the need to mash on the breaks right after touchdown? Is it part of a LAHSO procedure? Do they just want to get off at the first exit? Autobrakes?
 
Slipkid65 said:
I am not allowed to use common sense.

The TO warning horn is the exact same horn as the cabin altitude warning horn. When Billy B. designed the airplane, I guess it was assumed that the crew operating it would be aware enough to understand that a blaring horn at 5000 msl was not a cabin altitude issue, but the new FAA can't see that logic.

It was our POI that mandated it, according to the instructors at the puzzle palace. Don't know or care what the origin is, to be truthful, because, regardless, it doesn't change the fact that it's a required briefing item.....

.
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From once being on the other side of the fence and knowing the procedures, I seriously doubt it was mandated by the POI. More than likely someone at SW considered that procedure as a "fix" and the POI went along with it.
 
jordane93 said:
So it's not necessarily the pilots, it's the autobrakes?
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Many airlines want the autobrakes armed for every landing. On the Airbus you have "Low" and "Medium", and "Max". Max is armed for TO in case of a rejected TO. Low and Medium are used for landing. The FCOM gives conditions for use in various conditions.

Our company wants autobrakes armed for every landing. Low will give a nice even braking while Medium will hurl you against the shoulder straps.

My technique on a long runway is soon as touchdown I tap the brakes and release the autobrakes then just do it manually.
 
RotorAndWing said:
From once being on the other side of the fence and knowing the procedures, I seriously doubt it was mandated by the POI.
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Don't know, and frankly, don't care. It's in our book, and we have to do it. They told me and a recurrent class full of guys that the POI was behind it when it started.

It doesn't change the level of absurdity in an increasingly absurd career.
 
RotorAndWing said:
Many airlines want the autobrakes armed for every landing. On the Airbus you have "Low" and "Medium", and "Max". Max is armed for TO in case of a rejected TO. Low and Medium are used for landing. The FCOM gives conditions for use in various conditions.

Our company wants autobrakes armed for every landing. Low will give a nice even braking while Medium will hurl you against the shoulder straps.

My technique on a long runway is soon as touchdown I tap the brakes and release the autobrakes then just do it manually.
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I see. Thanks for the explanation!
 
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