3
Explore light and lunar data. Common in military flight planning but often overlooked in the civilian
sector, understanding how light affects operations can be just as important as understanding the weather. Besides reviewing sunrise and sunset, talk about light and dark effects on angles and shadows, especially in mountainous regions; issues related to the use of night-vision goggles and forward-looking infrared sen- sors; and what to expect when flying from a rural area into population centers, and vice versa. We’ve had instances of flicker vertigo affecting some crew mem- bers, which is important to highlight, day or night.
4 5
Point out any maintenance issues, including lighting and electrical, especially if they could
affect the crew’s work. In our air ambulance operations, we depend on the medical crews to keep us up-to-date on any issues with the medical interior, equipment, and oxygen status, and any special equipment we’re required to carry. The crew can also be helpful when trying to identify and isolate abnormal sounds or vibrations.
Consider weight and balance data. Besides any structural limitations, weight and balance affect
flight control travel, performance, and capability. At my company, we use software to game possible scenarios: what our local flying area fuel should be, based on per- sonnel and atmospheric conditions; what our maximum carrying capacity might be for the nearest sending facil- ity or landing zone; how much fuel we can depart with for a long-distance flight; and what the situation is when flying pilot-only, leaving the crew behind. Since we often carry other medical professionals, observers, and sometimes law enforcement escorts, we need to know this type of information, along with seating positions, ahead of time.
6
Review airspace hazards. Contingency planning starts with understanding the surrounding air- spaces and their inherent hazards, including the current NOTAMs and temporary flight restrictions, military operations areas and training routes, and potential
uncrewed aircraft systems and parachute-jumping activities. In our case, we also factor in helipad alerts that might affect us, as well as any changes to our medical iPad document—a sort of Chart Supplement for estab- lished hospital and preplanned landing zone facilities— which we collaborate on with our partner hospital’s safety officer.
7
Review the preceding shift’s activities. In your beginning-of-shift briefing, collectively go over the
debriefings from the previous pilot and crew. Doing so ensures continuity of thought between shifts through- out the week and into the next. In our air ambulance operations, we also take time to review our partner hos- pital’s medical crew utilization-times policy and plan. We cover any equipment recovery and drop-off issues as well as any required pharmacy and blood bank needs.
8
Encourage crew members to bring up any safety topic. Every risk-mitigation conversation should
include a chance for everyone to ask questions, express their concerns, and engage in a dialogue about safety. In our briefings, the ad hoc safety topics usually concern a local debrief item that requires attention, recent helicop- ter incidents and National Transportation Safety Board reports, general safety and operational culture discus- sions, and a review of an emergency or boldface proce- dure from the checklist.
9
Check in with an airside briefing. This is the time for an update of any of the items above, as well as
an opportunity to address any questions, before moving to the aircraft. It serves as a final check and confirmation that everyone is ready and fit to fly, safely and legally.
10
Conduct an immediate after-flight debrief- ing. This can be as simple as asking, “Does
anyone have any questions or comments about the flight?” Or, it can be as detailed as necessary, depending on the complexity of, or issues with, the operation. This information should be handed off to the next crew to enhance their situational awareness.
With today’s technology, a vast amount of flight information is available. Use the crew briefing as the valuable resource it is to communicate and process that data as a collective. This “shared mental model” is a vital part of sound operational planning and risk management and could be the most important piece of hazard and risk identi- fication you conduct. It’s also why the crew briefing should perhaps be called the crew conversation.
DECEMBER 2022 ROTOR 15
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