As far as briefing is concerned I have lived in two very different worlds first in Indian Air Force and second in Commercial aviation . In Air Force I had to attend preflight briefing every day which was part of morning ritual along with other flying related activities. The briefing consisted of aeronautical information (NOTAMs, Nav Aids, and Communication) and Meteorology.. The weather briefing had special emphasis on local weather along with pressure, winds charts, METARs and TAF. As technology advanced more information was available along with satellite pictures as well as jump in accuracy. I learnt to leverage this information to plan and execute flying activities. Thanks to Air Force I got a chance to stay in different regions ranging from dry arid weather of Rajasthan to wet tropical East to Southern sea coast to mighty Himalayas in North, I gradually acquired competence, observing different seasons in these areas and local phenomenons which would predominate day to day weather. But as I moved to commercial aviation the formal morning briefing shifted to self-briefing. While more information was available each day because of technology and method of acquiring information changed but for me the process has remained the same I.e. gather information, determine seasonal and local conditions and decide if those conditions are acceptable to me. In this blog I will share some tips to gradually master your process of information gathering and decision making.
Definition and Collecting Information
The FAA definition of a pilot briefing is the gathering and translation of weather and aeronautical information into a form usable by the pilot to assist in flight planning and decision-making for the safe and efficient operation of aircraft.
A self-briefing uses all means and sources of reporting, including automation, to thoroughly evaluate weather and aeronautical information in advance of a flight. So what’s the best way to accomplish this?
Build on Basics
Once you collect the information pay special attention to basic elements of weather: temperature, wind and humidity. These combine in various ways to impact a flight in three primary ways: visibility, turbulence and aircraft performance. For example poor visibility and clouds may affect your minima and Go-No Go decision, where as high temperature, tail winds and precipitation will affect your aircraft performance. Organising data in such a manner will help assessment easier but will also help in making a correct decision.
Once landing at Vizag, late afternoon, winds reported were calm however considering local phenomenon.- effect of sea, I knew I can expect strong tail winds on approach. I briefed for normal flap landing, however made a plan B to change to higher flap setting depending on the actual winds. Once on approach, a change was less stressful since we had already considered it.
Practice Makes Perfect
After collecting all the information, apply your knowledge about seasonal and local weather conditions. Red flag all the risk factors, be it cross winds, temperature, Notams or Aeronautical information which will impinge normal and non-normal situation etc. Discuss the mitigation plan and keep on reevaluating your plan subsequently based on what you experience and what was forecasted. Remember forecasts are not always accurate. The more often you do, better you will become and would further enhance your confidence.
Know Your Minima
“Know your minimums,” this is the most easy part. But generally, the most easy part is the most difficult part in aviation. The minimums would depend on instrument procedures, available navigation/approach aids, non normal situation if any, MEL, CDL, fuel onboard, pilot experience and currency and fatigue or stress level. Depending on these factors form a comprehensive picture to decide what you and aircraft is capable of. Some times what you observe and what was predicted do not match, in such a situation it would be best to delay the departure/approach or in worst case divert/ cancel the plan. Don’t let ego or external pressures (the need to get there, not disappointing others, etc.) interfere with a safe decision. This is what makes it most difficult.
It is better to be on ground wishing you were in air, than in the air wishing you were on the ground. .
Go – No Go Decision
Never consider GO/No Go decision to be final. Once airborne keep comparing forecast weather with actual weather. This will give you the big picture and whether the weather is developing too soon or late. It is also important to consider enroute weather and consider icing conditions, turbulence or detour you may have to take to avoid these conditions. Make use of charts and ride conditions reported by other aircraft to avoid CAT (clear air turbulence). As you come closer to destination, be aware of the changes taking place around you- aircraft holding, aircraft going around or diverting. Keep asking yourself if the conditions are good enough to continue or deteriorating.
Some times weather develops so fast that there is hardly anytime for information gathering. Always be alert and do not hesitate to ask for more information. Flying to Goa by night during pre-monsoon season, I could see weather developing on weather radar and slowly moving into the airfield from East. I was quite sure if we do not land in next 10 minutes, the approach and landing would be beyond the minima. I immediately asked for approach from the opposite direction and as we parked and switched off the engines, whole airfield was engulfed in heavy shower with visibility dropping to less than 500m.
Decision Making
Decision making is not easy. It is always difficult to spot the weakest link and similarly a No Go decision is also difficult to make. The goal is not to make mistake and identify the link before it is too late. My suggestion would be to evaluate and make plans for the worst conditions in a low stress environment. Strive to update knowledge in similar manner as we maintain our flying proficiency. The best way to do this is by reading about past aviation accident and incident, and considering what different you could have done to save the situation.
Widen your Horizons
We have to make Go- No Go decision from mountain of information available to us. The goal is to use briefing process to discuss the situation with crew and avoid making a mistake.
Fly safe and Happy landing.
