Ask 100 pilots to give an approach briefing and you will get 100 different briefs. Here are the 5 essential elements that I have come up with for briefing each approach I fly. As a rule I brief everything on the chart, but these items are what I make sure to emphasize to ensure a successful outcome. (Note: this is not intended to be everything needed to safely fly an approach, … [Read more...] about The 5 Most Important Briefing Items on an Approach Chart
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Approach Plate Pilot Briefing
Now that you've seen what's available in the margin data of an approach plate, it's time to look at the pilot brief section of your chart. The pilot brief section may be the most important part of your approach plate. This section has all of the essential information you need to actually fly the approach. The three elements of the pilot brief section are: Approach course and … [Read more...] about Approach Plate Pilot Briefing
Weather Brief
It's always better to be on the ground wishing you were in the air than in the air wishing you were on the ground. Before you even think of going out and cranking the engine for a flight, get a thorough weather brief. This can be accomplished by calling a Flight Service Station on the phone, or by accessing a number of websites which provide weather data. I cannot stress this … [Read more...] about Weather Brief