No matter where you fly or who you work for, approach briefings are a regular occurrence. Even for visual approaches, it’s a good idea to brief specifics for the airport and the runway you expect to use. The approach brief is a refresher of details as well as a verbalized plan of action for what your monitoring pilot, or passenger, can expect.
The briefing should flow from start to finish just as the airplane will fly on the approach. Start with an overview, then narrow it down to the details as you continue through the briefing.
Consider this fictitious approach to the Runway 22 Right ILS: “We’re approaching the airport from the south and I’m expecting radar vectors to join the final approach course for the ILS to Runway 22 Right somewhere outside the final approach fix (FAF). The chart is 11-1, dated and effective May 1, 2010. The minimum safe altitude is 3,500 feet msl and the highest obstacle is in the southern quadrant. The final approach course is 221 degrees and frequency 111.50 is set in both nav radios. Once established on the final the target speed will be 134 knots. The intermediate altitude on final is 2,200 feet msl and we will cross the outer marker on glideslope at 2,200 feet msl. We will be flying to category 1 ILS minimums with a decision altitude (DA) of 200 feet msl, which is 200 feet above touchdown (DH), and the airport elevation is 672 feet msl and the touchdown elevation is 648 msl. The approach lights are an ALSF-II system with a PAPI on the right side of the runway. We require 2,400 feet RVR for this approach and field conditions currently report one statute mile of visibility.
“We require 6,500 feet on this wet runway with 10,000 feet available and I will be applying idle thrust reverse after touchdown. I plan on slowing the aircraft to taxi speed prior to Taxiway Kilo and we should plan on a left turn at Kilo toward the ramp. There are no hot spots along our expected taxi route. Should we not find the approach lights or the runway we will execute a missed approach by flying straight ahead to 1,000 feet, then joining the 230-degree radial from the VOR, which is set in standby on both nav radios. The missed approach holding is at XYZ, identified by 12 DME from the VOR, and will require a teardrop entry into the holding pattern.”
It’s unrealistic to brief every approach with this amount of detail, so tailor it to each approach as appropriate. Depending on the field conditions, field visibility, and your approach clearance, you can cover all the details required for a safe and effective approach briefing.
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