Even if you've done your homework and prepared as per the plan, you are still not ready for the flight.
A thorough pre-flight briefing is crucial in determining your performance for that session. And to be receptive to the briefing, you should be prepared accordingly. If you'd like to get the most out of your flying lesson, use these recommendations below.
"Give me six hours to chop down a tree, and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe."
Use time wisely. Arrive early, at least 45 minutes before your scheduled flight time or before your scheduled meeting time with your instructor. Being ready ahead of time helps you relax for the flight, which in turn supports learning.
Weather
There is no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather. -John Ruskin
You should have already checked the weather forecast the night before your lesson. Listen to the news, and look at significant weather (SIGWX) charts the day before your flight. On the day of your flight, the first thing you should do is check the weather.
Look through the METAR and TAF for the airports you intend to fly and also for other airports around. The Area Forecast will give you an idea of meteorological conditions in the training area where you will be flying. In these reports, you should be looking for weather conditions that would limit you, either due to aircraft limitations, personal minimums, or operational limits for VFR/IFR. Then check if it also meets your operator/company (flight school) policy as well.
Do not merely decode the METAR, create a mental picture of the weather around. At any point in flight, you should have a fair idea of the weather conditions around you.
Pre-Flight
The next thing to do is to check the aircraft. Start with a preliminary walk around, as I call it. A quick walk about the plane to glance at the significant components of the aircraft. Check for any fuel or oil spills on the ground or residue left on the plane. Check if you have the proper amount of fuel and oil required for the duration of the flight. If not, fill it up!
Verify the Aircraft Documents currency and validity.
Do you know what documents for the aircraft you should check?
NOTAMs
An essential step, which most students tend to skip is to check the NOTAMs. They contain critical information related to the safety of the flight. Information like taxiway, runway closures, airport availability hours, airspace restrictions and other such information is crucial to know before the flight.
Do you know the different type of NOTAMs and where you can find them? Don't stop there, also know how to interpret some of the abbreviations used. A complete list of abbreviations is available on the internet.
Aircraft Performance
The above steps complete the majority of your preparation. But there are a few more things you should be doing. Calculating performance numbers! Depending on the duration of your flight, you should have a rough estimate of fuel required and the fuel burn for the duration of the flight.
Do you know how much minimum fuel you need for the flight?
Fill out a Mass and Balance sheet for the aircraft you'll be flying. And then calculate the Take-off and Landing distance required, based on the aircraft weight and density altitude.
And one last thing
Everything we do has specific risk involved with it, and so does flying. Although risk can not be erased, it can be minimised. PAVE is my favourite model of risk management, Pilot, Aircraft, Environment and External factors. You can use the FAA Safety Team's Flight Risk Assessment Tool (FRAT) as a guide.
Understanding weather, knowing the NOTAMs, and knowing your aircraft's limits are also a part of risk management. Moreover preparing all this data will not get you ready for the flight but will also help you take better decisions in flight.
Write in the comments if you used these steps in your training and if it helped you. Also, write back to me if you face any difficulties.
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