The Power of a Good Passenger Briefing
Most of us learned to do a passenger safety briefing during training, but let’s be honest — how often do we skip it with friends or family? A short, two-minute briefing can make all the difference in an emergency, even on a short local flight.
Cover the basics: how seat belts and doors work, where the fire extinguisher is, and when it’s important for passengers to remain quiet (during checklists, takeoff, and landing). I like to have the passengers, especially kids, show me that they can successfully operate the door. For Cirrus pilots, there’s one additional must-brief item: CAPS. Make sure your passengers know how the parachute works and what their role is.
Taking the time to brief passengers doesn’t just prepare them — it reinforces your own professionalism and helps reduce cockpit distractions when it matters most.
Safety Takeaway: Brief every passenger, every flight.
This post was written by Andrew Wilson, our Safety Officer, Flight Instructor and SF50 pilot based out of our Lunken facility.