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Before I even get to the airport, I start preparing for my next trip. I get myself into the state of mind of flying. I’m thinking about all the things that need to get done and the things that I want to do. After many years of flying, it has become almost an automatic process. And I found that the more prepared I am the better the trip goes.

Here are a few examples of what I do:

Before I Get To the Airport

+ I start thinking about the weather and check my destinations and en route weather. I first watch the Weather Channel and then check the Aviation Weather Center – Aviation Digital Data (ADD) Service. Once I know the weather, I start thinking about whether or not I will need to de-ice, consider alternates, etc.

+ On my way to the airport, I review in my head V1 cuts, emergency descents, and evacuations. Talking my way through the procedures. I consider how would I handle such an event if it were ever to occur.

+ Another really important preparation step is to leave my “personal” problems in the car and focus on putting on my captain’s hat. As a captain, you have to set the example and be professional. Issues that I may be having at home, that if discussed, may bring negative energy to the trip and undermine your authority. It is not always easy. “Life” has a way of getting in the way but I try.

Once I’m In the Airplane

Organization is the key when you are in the airplane to safely control the flight from start to finish. I always try to do everything the same way and in the same order. Now I’m not as bad as Tony Shalhoub in the TV series “Monk,” but I do try to stay organized.

+ I sign the maintenance can and check the airplane history to see what problems it has been having and see if there are open maintenance write-ups.

+ I brief my crew. We talk about what to expect for the next few days, the weather, emergency procedures, standard procedures, etc. This gets quite long at times so give yourself enough time to get through it without being rushed. Openness and command-ability are the key here. Your crew is looking for leadership and the briefing sets the tone.

+ I pre-flight the airplane. On the CRJ, there are quite a few system checks to be done. The outside is delegated to the first officer but is still my responsibility. Again, don’t rush here. Look at everything. Once I’m done with that I program the Flight Management System (FMS) and if the first officer is back, we run checklists. Don’t get distracted. Prioritize and control the tempo.

+ Finally, I organize my personal things making sure that I have everything I need: airport diagrams, approach plates, my headset, current weather, coffee…

When all this is done, and sometimes while it is going on, I take in the big picture. Is the weather changing? Are the passengers being boarded? Do we have all the fuel on board that we need? Does the flight attendant have everything they need?

There is a lot going on and how you go about the task of getting ready to go fly is just as important as flying itself. Start preparing for the flight before you get to the airport and you will find that the rest of the flight will go just as good and will be more enjoyable and successful.

To Your Flying Success…

Jeffrey

P.S. What do you think about this post? I would love to know your thoughts. Especially if there is anything you do that helps you prepare for your flight.

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