Approach briefing
 

I have my commercial multi-engine checkride this weekend and am wondering what other peoples' standard approach briefing includes. Any other (flying related) advice is appreciated. Thanks!

MICE ATM is a quickie brief

Magnetic compass to DG -

Idnetify plate to approach and Identify Radio Nav Aids.

Course you will be flying and Just turn the vor to it (even if it is an ILS as a reminder)

Entry required - most time its vectors - but could be a PT - or a radial on a DME arc.

Altitude this approach starts from & what we are looking for if it steps - and what our final is.

Time from the final to the missed if given.

Missed instructions - be sure you ask for these if not std. in the area due to training.

---- My friends who fly the jet do more - like field elev. and length of runway - almost like they are reading a GOV chart....

Just a tip if your in a 2 crew environ - ID the other pilots plate and yours before you begin - so you are working off the same piece of music (version and date of the chart located I believe on bottom).

Airspeed and configuration. ie, "will be slowed to 120 knots prior to the FAF with 15 degrees flaps".

Absolute must-haves in any briefing (my opinion):

1) navaid and frequency
2) final approach course
3) final approach point
4) step downs before MDA/DA
5) MAP and missed procedure.

Conveniently enough, this is pretty much the order they are in on the plate itself (Jepp anyway, I haven't looked at FAA charts in a while). So, the way we typically brief the approach is just read left to right, top to bottom on the approach plate and set things up as you go. Note anything that can't be set up yet because you're using it to navigate now, and be sure you fix it later.

My advice would be to be careful not to over-brief. If you try to keep too many things floating around in your head, you're going to have a lot of things you've forgotten rather than a few things you remember. What you should brief are the things that are important for you to have in the front of your mind while you are doing more important things such as flying the airplane down to MDA/DA.

I wouldn't necessarily brief too much about the approach before the FAF, for example. This you can usually read ahead a few steps and be ok. If there is something especially bizarre about the approach in the initial/intermediate segments though, go ahead and brief it. Like if you are supposed to do a barrel roll at 8DME or something.

Other than that, you should be able to fly the approach from the FAF to the first minute or so of the missed procedure without looking at the plate. Not that you can't or shouldn't look at the plate here to confirm things, but the last thing you want to be doing a minute after starting to descend from the FAF is going "What was MDA again?"

I hope this was helpful...

Thanks for your help everyone. Exactly what I was looking for. -Trevor

Here's my whole brief, for a two pilot crew. (Jepp Style Plate):

"This will be the ILS runway 17 at Philadelphia International, plate 11-4, dated 9 April 06.

Frequency is 108.75, with an inbound course of 169 degrees. Top of the approach is 2000' with the final approach fix intercepting the glideslope at that altitude. Bottom of the approach is 211' or 200' above touchdown, and the MSA is 2600'. We need 2400' RVR, which we have, and all of the equipment is operational.

Standard call out's apply (and any other instructions to non-flying pilot here). In the event of a missed approach, we'll climb to 2000' and then do a climbing right turn to 3000', inbound to the Woodstown VOR via the 057 radial and hold as published, or fly as instructed by ATC, otherwise plan a right turn off the runway at or before Kilo taxiway.

Any questions or comments for the arrival and approach?"

i used AMICEATM as well
ATIS
Marker Beacons
Identify (navaids) - get radios tuned
Course
Entry (vectored, full)
Altitudes (including step downs)
Time
Missed

Don't forget the date!

just go through the briefing strip and it's hard to miss anything

AND

what i like to do if you can spare it..is if you're not using the ADF..throw the MDA/DH in there..that way it's a heads up way to remember what you're going down too..

don't forget to brief the approach lights..and what you're going to do if you see them

and last but not least...VISIBILITY!..if it's IFR..make sure that you are both on the same page in visibility if hte ATIS says no..or if there's an update on your way down..make sure you know what you need to do

This airplane. That runway. Questions?

I like yours

"Standard Brief" is shorter...