Compared to landing, taking off is relatively simple. Our instructor lets us make the first takeoff of our very first flying lesson—or at least makes us think we made the takeoff. If everything goes right, it’s easy. But how do you know everything is going right? And how do you know what to do in the scant seconds available if something is going wrong?
As an instructor, I don’t find many general aviation pilots who consciously brief themselves for takeoff. I doubt most flight instructors teach the concept. Yet the only way you’ll swiftly and correctly make the right decisions and do the right thing if things go wrong on takeoff is to have “right” at the top of your mind. Generations of commercial and military pilots have learned that the best way to prepare for takeoff—both normal and emergency situations—is to brief the takeoff procedure just before taking the runway for departure.
