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Exits
Passenger briefings on airliners always include information on the location and operation of
doors, and yours must do no less. The location of the door -- or doors, depending on the
model -- is no mystery on most GA airplanes,so your briefing can be limited to door
operation. Make sure that your passengers know how to open the door(s) in the event of an
emergency evacuation. Since no one needs the distraction and discomfort of a door opening in
flight, it is also important to brief your passengers on properly securing the door(s).
Emergencies
If your aircraft has doors on both sides of the fuselage, it is a good idea to develop and
brief specific exit procedures to facilitate rapid evacuation of the aircraft. For example,
you might plan on keeping your seat forward to allow rear seat passengers to exit via the
left door, while you follow the right-seat passenger out the starboard door. This method
allows you, as PIC and captain of your ship, to oversee the passenger evacuation before
leaving the aircraft yourself. For aircraft with a single right-side door, consider
what works best for a given group of passengers. You might want to have the right seat
passenger exit and move the seat to allow rear seat passengers to follow, with you departing
last. Alternatively, you might want to follow the right-seat passenger but remain at the
door to assist in the evacuation of those in the rear seats. There is no single correct
evacuation strategy, so the most important thing is to think it through in advance and
communicate the plan to your passengers.
Another part of the emergency exit briefing is to designate a gathering point (e.g., walk
aft to avoid the prop and gather at the rear of the aircraft). If you carry survival
equipment, point it out to all passengers. Stress that safe and expeditious evacuation is
the most important consideration, but consider designating one of your rearseat passengers
to be in charge of carrying survival equipment out of the aircraft if circumstances permit.
Equipment
Finally, be sure to explain any equipment, such as supplemental oxygen, that passengers are
expected to use during the flight.
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