Using these notes

The theory session is done and the student knows today involves practising a simulated precautionary landing — keep it interactive. About 15 minutes at the whiteboard: ask, draw, and listen rather than present. The two safety-critical pieces — deciding early and the inspection pattern — are the heart of this briefing; the student should be able to talk both back to you before you walk to the aircraft.

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

The aim of the flight

Ask — "From the theory: what are we setting out to do today?"

Expect — in the student's own words:

• practise deciding early, configuring the aeroplane, and flying the inspection pattern over a simulated precautionary-landing field
• select and inspect a suitable field, applying the criteria from Lesson 17 plus today's additions
• make the PAN call and brief the passengers
• fly a short-field landing, revising Lesson 22
• complete the pre-flight actions and documents properly — maintenance release, MEL, NOTAMs, GNSS RAIM, ERSA and AIP are assessed today

Write the aim on the board — everything else hangs off decide, search, select, land.

Ask — "Talk me through your workbook answer for landing distance — what do you need today, and how does it compare with 400 m?"

Expect — the right pressure and density altitude for today's temperature and QNH, the ground roll and distance over 50 ft from the aircraft's own POH, corrections applied, and a margin. Check the figures against the POH for today's aircraft, then ask how the field you'll use today compares.

Ask — "Show me the checklist you drew up. Talk me through it in order."

Expect — their own draft of the seven steps, with the precautionary cruise configuration (RPM, speed, flap) taken from the POH. Check it against the POH and fix anything out of order or unsafe, but keep their wording. Gaps are expected — note them and fill them in on the whiteboard below. The student keeps the refined checklist for the flight. Also check their ERSA and AIP workbook answers, and that the maintenance release, MEL (if applicable), NOTAMs and GNSS RAIM are ready to be checked before the flight.

Today's flight — whiteboard walk-through

Draw — the flight as a path across the board: taxi → take-off → climb → training area → exercises → return. Fill in your local details:

• Runway: ______    Circuit direction: ______
• Training area: ______    Approved practice fields: ______
• Safe height — recovery complete by ______ ft AGL (per your operator's minimum)
• Precautionary cruise configuration for your aircraft (check against the student's checklist) — RPM: ______    KIAS: ______    Flaps: ______    Gear: ______ (if retractable)
• Who handles the first simulated scenario: ______ (you demonstrate the first one, then hand over)

Draw — the exercises as a numbered list, top to bottom:

1. Simulated trigger (deteriorating weather, low fuel, an engine indication, a sick passenger…) declared in the training area
2. Decide → configure → select → PAN and passenger brief → inspect the field (500 ft pass, low pass, dummy approach — circuits at 500 ft)
3. Short-field landing at the approved practice field, or go-around (per your operator's minimum height)
4. Repeat from varying positions
5. Revise short-field take-off on departure from the practice field (if used)
6. Return to the aerodrome and land

Ask — "Who's flying each part?"

Expect — the student flies the sequence; you fly and narrate the first one, then hand over. Confirm the minimum height for solo/dual practice per your operator's procedures — this is never flown to an actual touchdown outside an approved area or aerodrome unless a genuine short-field landing there is part of your operator's procedures.

Threats and how we'll manage them

I'M SAFE and PAVE are standing checks before every flight — by now the student runs them, rather than being taught them.

Ask — "Run me through your I'M SAFE — any flags today?"

Expect — honest self-assessment.

Ask — "Apply PAVE to today's flight — what stands out?"

Expect — Pilot, Aircraft, enVironment, External. Listen for the enVironment angle — suitable fields, cloud base, wind, and other traffic all bound where and how we practise today.

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

Ask — apply TEAM to each: "What are our options?"

• Transfer · Eliminate · Accept · Mitigate

Likely ones to surface: low-flying hazards (mitigate — dedicated lookout, avoid livestock/people); misjudging the field (mitigate — the inspection pattern exists to catch this); carrying the exercise too low (eliminate — agree and stick to the minimum height for go-around).

Airmanship emphasis — deciding early

The judgement call in this lesson is when to decide, not how to react to something unmistakable — that's what makes it different from Lesson 17.

Ask — "If you were flying to get home for something important, what's one sign that would make you decide now rather than wait and see?"

Expect — a concrete answer (lowering cloud, reducing visibility, fuel getting tight, daylight running out, an oil pressure that won't settle, a passenger feeling unwell) rather than a generic one. The point is to name the sign while there's no pressure to get home, so it's easier to act on when there is.

Set expectations — tell the student plainly: we're flying today only to practise this, so there's no destination to get to and no reason to rush. Treat it as real: make the decision, make the PAN call, and fly the sequence. Add: if at any point you're uncomfortable, say so — we'll pause, talk, and try again.

Ask — "Talk me through the inspection pattern from memory."

Expect — PAN call and passenger brief, join on the normal crosswind and time the field on downwind, a wider 500 ft pass to time it again, then stay at 500 ft for the circuit, a first low pass ~200 ft to the right of the landing path (full power two-thirds of the way along the runway), circuit at 500 ft, second (dummy) pass ~50–100 ft, decide.

Questions, then fly

Ask — "Any questions before we head out?"

Quick recap as you pack up the whiteboard:

• Decide early — while you're still in full control
• PAN call and passenger brief first, then inspect properly — time the field, 500 ft pass, low pass, dummy approach, circuits at 500 ft — before you commit
• PAN early, upgrade to MAYDAY if things get worse
• Keep the field in sight throughout

Go flying.