John Fiscus, the Chief Pilot of The Flight Academy, has recently posted a video on to the Cirrus Owners & Pilots Association (COPA) website where he demonstrates a VFR departure briefing and then a departure which utilizes some of that briefing. In his post, John made an interesting point that:
Many people I train with aren’t as ready as they ought to be for anything beyond the norm to happen in those first few seconds of flight. Performing a VFR departure briefing is a good way to prepare for the unexpected… and ensure the appropriate (and timely) reaction!
He also noted that:
A VFR departure briefing is going to be difficult for most established pilots to start performing. I have heard the excuses, but they really boil down to, "I have been flying this long and it works fine. I know what to do if something happens, I can handle this."
However, John then mentioned that when he see pilots doing simulator training, many aren’t all that prepared to make a tough call fast. Furthermore, he noted that many experienced Cirrus pilots don’t pull the CAPS handle soon enough – especially when a low altitude engine failure is simulated and time is short.
The video is less than six minutes long and hence is worth watching.