Turning

CASA Recreational Pilot License (Aeroplane) — Lesson 4, Pre-flight Briefing Notes

These notes help you plan and run an interactive whiteboard briefing immediately before the flight — they are components to draw from, not a script to read.

All text and presenter notes in this briefing are licensed under Creative Commons BY-SA 4.0. More info

My whiteboard and running order

Before the lesson, read the sections that follow, then come back here: note your running order and approximate timings, and sketch the whiteboard you'll draw — your aerodrome, your training area, today's weather and traffic. For inspiration, see the NZ CAA Flight Instructor Guide whiteboard for Medium, climbing and descending turns.

Using these notes

The long briefing (theory) is done and the student is keen to fly — keep this to about 15 minutes, at the whiteboard, working interactively: ask, draw, and listen rather than present. The key learning points from theory (coordinated turns, spiral dive recovery) should be fresh; focus this brief on the exercise sequence and airmanship reminders.

The components (choose your own order on the planning page):

Component ~ time
The aim of the flight 1–2 min
Today's flight — whiteboard walk-through 3 min
Threats and how we'll manage them (TAF + NOTAMs) 3 min
Airmanship emphasis — lookout, balance, spiral recovery 2–3 min
Questions, then fly 1–2 min

The aim of the flight

Ask — "From the theory session: what are we trying to achieve today?"

Expect — in the student's own words, something close to:

  • Enter, maintain and exit medium level turns with coordinated control inputs
  • Perform climbing turns and descending turns (powered and glide)
  • Observe a spiral dive demonstration — recognise the symptoms and the recovery sequence

Today's flight — whiteboard walk-through

Draw — the flight as a path across the board: taxi → take-off → climb to ______ ft towards the training area → turning exercises → return (refuel on return). Fill in your local details as you go:

  • Runway: ______    Circuit direction: ______
  • Climb to: ______ ft    Training area: ______
  • CTAF / frequencies: ______
  • Who taxis / handles throttle: ______

Draw — the exercise sequence (we'll also get plenty of opportunities to practise the climb and descent entries and exits from last week). In the training area:

  1. Medium level turns — left and right, 15–25° bank; roll out on a heading
  2. Climbing turns — gentle bank, maintaining climb speed
  3. Powered descending turn — maintain descent power and speed
  4. Gliding descending turn — power off, best glide speed

Instructor demonstration only:

  • Spiral dive — I'll enter, describe what the instruments are showing, then recover. The student does not enter a spiral dive.

Threats and how we'll manage them

I'M SAFE and PAVE are standing checks before every flight — by now the student should walk through them, not be taught them.

Ask — "Run me through your I'M SAFE — any flags today?" (Illness, Medication, Stress, Alcohol, Fatigue, Eating.) Stress and fatigue reduce the brain power available while flying.

Ask — "What does PAVE stand for? Apply each letter to today's flight." (Pilot, Aircraft, enVironment, External pressures.) If any category flags a hazard, assess it before you fly — not after.

Draw / Ask the weather and notices — check both before every flight; they feed directly into PAVE → enVironment:

  • TAF — for your nearest forecast aerodrome; issued every 3 hours; wind, visibility, cloud base and significant weather. Is the forecast within your personal limits for today?
  • NOTAMs — via NAIPS or OzRunways, for your aerodrome and the training area; look for runway/taxiway closures, airspace restrictions, navigation aids unserviceable.

Draw — list the genuine threats you and the student identify for this flight:

Ask — introduce TEAM for each threat: Transfer · Eliminate · Accept · Mitigate.

Airmanship emphasis — lookout, balance and spiral recovery

This lesson's emphasis: every turn starts with a lookout, stays in balance, and we rehearse the spiral dive recovery before we see it.

Ask — "Why do we clear the area with a lookout turn before every manoeuvre?" — and remember a 180° clearing turn if visibility is restricted.

Ask — "What keeps the turn coordinated?" Expect — step on the ball; keep it centred through every turn.

Rehearse the spiral dive recovery out loud — before the flight, have the student state it:

  • Power off → level the wings → gently ease out of the dive
  • Do not pull before the wings are level

A spiral dive develops fast and the nose-low, high-speed picture can be surprising the first time you see it — that's exactly why we demonstrate it from a safe height and rehearse the recovery now.

Ask — "Run me through the control handover phrases." Expect — "My aeroplane" / "Your aeroplane", acknowledged on every transfer.

Questions, then fly

Ask — "Any questions before we head out?"

Quick recap as you pack up the whiteboard:

  • Clear the area with a lookout turn before every manoeuvre
  • "My aeroplane / Your aeroplane" — every transfer
  • Step on the ball — keep it centred through every turn
  • Spiral dive recovery: level wings first, then ease out of the dive

Confirm who handles the taxi, and go flying.