Tag Archives: Second in Command

SIC Responsibilities, Article 2 in a series – The flight plan

Uncategorized, , , , ,

“You are cleared to taxi to runway 27L with clearance to cross the 32 approach zone.  Clear on Left and Right, Turn right sir…” This article is # 2 in a series to help you understand what makes a good Second in Command so that working with the captain you can ultimately be a number one crew.  A SIC officer is very busy from the beginning to the end.  As a SIC, I try to do as much of the preparation for the flight as possible.  Last week a client called and stated he had a business trip to Chicago and requested a quote.  When customers are looking to pay good money for first class travel, it’s important to get them the information they need and quickly.  So the first thing I did was put a quick flight plan in FltPlan.com to get the fuel burn and flight times that allowed me to figure a trip quote which I sent directly to the client.  In the meantime, I didn’t just sit on my laurels and wait for a go-ahead from the client; I went to work getting the complete flight plan ready. IMG_0374 One of the first thing I did was walk over to the shelf where we have the “Trip Envelopes” and brought one back to my desk and filled out what information I knew, then placed a copy of the trip quote in the envelope.  We have found that with every flight there is so much to keep track of from flight plans, plates, receipts, invoices, etc. that these envelopes help us keep track of all this paperwork.

I then set to work perfecting the flight plan.  Today with internet connected PCs and iPads there are many ways to create a flight plan that are light years beyond the student pilot, hand written NavLogs!    Every organization has their own way of planning flights yet 60% of all IFR flight plans were filed through FltPlan.com and that is what we use.  If needed, I use my iPad to visually plan the IFR route; I then plug my route into FltPlan.com and print out the one page plan with so much information on it its boggling.  One of the things we are very aware of and FltPlan.com is good for is determining the best efficiency of the flight plan.  FltPlan.com - ExtraIt shows clearly how direct the flight will be allowing us to know its efficiency.
The priorities for the operation are 1)Safety 2)Finish the mission and 3)Efficiency and this is one way to keep the flight efficient.  A pilot is paid to safely finish the mission and deal with any issues along the way.  He must be an out of the box thinker and be willing to look at many options.  One situation maybe the closest airport is not the best option, due to the lack of good approaches or services.

Well, with out boring you too much the trip did go, which is not always the case, and the client had a succesful meeting and is still a happy customer.  Next we will discuss organizing the flight plan, charts, plates and other IFR required documents.

Talk to ya next time

SIC Responsibilities, Article 1 in a series

Uncategorized, , , , ,

“You are cleared to taxi to runway 27L with clearance to cross the 32 approach zone.  Clear on Right, Turn right sir…”  A Second in Command or First Officer is very busy.  There is enough competition as a SIC pilot that if you want to fly often you need to make the captain’s job as easy as possible and make him/her look good, this way,  they will want you in the cockpit with them.  This article is one in a series to help you understand what makes a good Second in Command so that working wFlt Planningith the captain you can ultimately be a number one crew.

We all know each flight begins with someone or something needing to go somewhere.  This needs to be identified, then determine what their needs really are, beyond just going from KIND to KNKT .  When are they going, are their special needs, do they need ground transportation when they reach the destination, what kind of snacks, meals, etcetera do they prefer.   When customers are paying this high a price for travel they need to be treated properly so it is critical to know all their needs while they are under your care.  An example I can share, with one trip we were told that the passengers needed to get to Cherokee NC, and we soon found the best airport was almost 60 miles away in Ashville.  So we had to provide the air travel and organize for the ground transportation as well.  We also arranged for the lodging of all the passengers and the crew.  I ended up being the driver of a rented mini van.  Hey, being a full service travel agent is sometimes what is needed.  So being ready to serve the customer completely is very important in making the crew operate at its finest.

When doing the flight planning, are you involved?  You should be.  In fact, I try to do as much of it as possible to take the load off the Captain.   Is the aircraft clean?  Has the line crew been notified of the pull time and if fuel is needed, how much?  Is the aircraft fully stocked, have ice and fresh coffee on board?  These are all simple things a first officer can do to make the trip go smoothly and make the captain relax, stop worrying and do his roll more effectively.  This in turn will make him more willing to request you on the next trip.  These are some of the things we teach at Global Flight Training.  The best pilot is one that does more than just fly the airplane well.

Eric Q. Howlett