Use Of Trained Ground Staff/escorts To Complete Passenger Briefings As Per 723.39

[Freewheel]

Are their any pilots/operators currently using trained ground staff to conduct part or all of the compliance requirents of 703.39/723.39 Passenger Briefings?

[Skidz]

None of the companies I've worked for have had provisions in their Ops Manuals for persons other than "Flight crew" to give pax briefings. I've always been told that the pilot is ultimately responsible for briefing pax.

 

I don't see any provision in the CARs for it either. CARs clearly states "The standard safety briefing shall consist of an oral briefing provided by a flight crew member or by audio or audiovisual means which includes the following information, as applicable to the helicopter, equipment, and operation:"

 

I have on occasion used ground crew (ie low-time pilots) to give briefings, but under my direct supervision (like I could hear them give the talk). The only other times were while doing emergency evacuations for fires where it was not possible to shut down (like landing "light" on a flimsy dock or such), in which case I would have a fireman disembark with a safety card in hand to brief the pax.

 

IMHO it's all a matter of CYA. Last thing you want to hear in court is "no your honor, the pilot did not give me a briefing prior to takeoff, but the guy pumping gas into the chopper showed my how to open the door and buckle my seat belt while the pilot was at the loo..."

[Freewheel]

 

I don't see any provision in the CARs for it either. CARs clearly states "The standard safety briefing shall consist of an oral briefing provided by a flight crew member or by audio or audiovisual means which includes the following information, as applicable to the helicopter, equipment, and operation:"

Define "audio" and/or "audiovisual" means

[Heliian]

As far as i know, It can be done by trained staff, a video, an audio track or the PIC if need be. I'm sure companies that do high volume tours have their systems in place. Just write it up into your ops manual.

[Harmonic_Vibe]

CARs:

 

703.39 (1) The pilot-in-command shall ensure that passengers are given a safety briefing in accordance with the Commercial Air Service Standards

 

The Standards:

 

(1) Standard Safety Briefing

The standard safety briefing shall consist of an oral briefing provided by a flight crew member or by audio or audiovisual means which includes the following information, as applicable to the helicopter, equipment, and operation:

(a) etc...

It would hold up in court to train someone, as PIC, that would handle briefings... audiovisual means can be a person. a video, a hallucination, etc...

HV

[Helilog56]

Yep.....don't see to many airline captains showing seatbelt, flotation device, floor lighting to emergency exit, and oxygen mask demonstrations...!!!??!!

[Skidz]

Yep.....don't see to many airline captains showing seatbelt, flotation device, floor lighting to emergency exit, and oxygen mask demonstrations...!!!??!!

No, but flight attendants are members of flight crew Bob.

 

The nuance with audiovisual support is that it's quality can be audited and you know it won't change from one delivery to the next. I think that's why more and more airlines show videos and/or have recorded pax briefings with the attendants doing only the smiling and gesturing. On some of the um, more "rustic" airlines I take on a regular basis, you can hardly make out what the bored attendant is saying because the audio quality is horrendous, but nobody cares because most of them fly on that very plane at least three or four times a month and know the briefing by rote...

 

I'd be curious to know if anyone has managed to have "qualified personnel" added to their ops manual. I think it would make a whole lot of sense if ground crew give pax briefings, although if I think of some of the AME's I've worked with in the past giving pax briefings, I can imagine all kinds of hilarious scenarios. Imagine Yosemite Sam giving a pax briefing!!! :lol:

[AlphaMike]

No, but flight attendants are members of flight crew Bob.

 

...

 

Well, if you want to get specific ...

 

As was stated above, CARS says that "The standard safety briefing shall consist of an oral briefing provided by a flight crew member ..."

 

And if you look at the definition of flight crew member in CARS, you'll find this: "a crew member assigned to act as pilot or flight engineer of an aircraft during flight time;"

 

And, again according to CARS: "flight attendant" - means a crew member, other than a flight crew member, who has been assigned duties to be performed in the interest of the passengers in a passenger-carrying aircraft".

 

So, if flight attendants aren't flight crew members, does that mean they've been doing illegal safety briefings all these years? Personally, I think it's just another example of poor and imprecise language in CARS (flight time vs. air time, anyone?), and I'd like to think the important thing is simply that a proper safety briefing has been given by someone.

 

FWIW, I've worked for two companies doing sightseeing work, and the PIC rarely, if ever, gave a safety briefing. A video was the usual means, but ground crew was also trained to give the briefings when showing the video was impractical. I can't remember if there was anything special in the OPS manuals for that, though.

[Freewheel]

I received these definitions from Cabin Safety through my POI on January 10/13:

 

" I contacted Terry Long as planned and everything below is what she had to say regarding your proposed amendment. I am away this week and most of next week but I am checking my emails each evening.

 

"...audio or audiovisual" is quoted directly from 723.39(1):

"Audio" means through the public address system, usually using pre-recorded announcements.

"Audiovisual" is pre-recorded, is shown on a monitor/screen and includes at least those items required by regulation to be demonstrated to the passengers."

 

As far as I can tell, neither of these definitions are in the CARs. I have asked TC where these definitions come from, but have received no response.

[Freewheel]

Response Jan 10/13

 

Ok jamie, Thanks. I'll give Janice a call. I'll need to see supporting documentation about the audiovisual definition. As it stands, I don't see these definitions in the CARs, and our COM is approved as being in accordance with the CARS.

 

We may apply for an exemption