Definition
A structured discussion conducted by an instructor with a student or group after a flight or training exercise to review what occurred, evaluate performance against the lesson objectives, identify errors and their causes, reinforce correct procedures, and set goals for the next session.
Plain English
A sit-down talk after the flight where the instructor and student go over how it went, what was done well, what needs work, and what to focus on next time.
Context Anchor
You encounter this term in flight training, usually after landing and shutdown, when the instructor reviews the lesson with the student.
Derivation
Post-' is Latin for 'after,' and 'briefing' comes from 'brief,' meaning a short, focused summary. So a postflight briefing is literally a focused summary session held after the flight.
Why Pilots Care
Allows the student to consolidate what was practiced, correct mistakes before they become habits, and prepare more effectively for the next flight.
Intuition Check
Do not read “postflight briefing” as just any conversation after flying. In training, it means a purposeful review of the flight, with clear feedback and next steps.
Example Sentence 1
During the postflight briefing, the instructor walked through the student's two unstable approaches and helped him identify why his power management was late.
Example Sentence 2
During the postflight briefing the student realized why the approach had been too fast.