This is standard in jets, but how many practice it in light GA?
It’s easy to get chattering passengers, and they can easily distract you. And most PPL passengers do it too. I once took off without any preflight, with a PPL passenger. Admittedly I had done a preflight earlier that day but it still scared me, how easily this could be done. I took off with no flaps, which in the TB20 makes a difference of about 2 seconds but still…
On another occassion, a passenger pressed some buttons on the RH EHSI, effectively rendering it useless. It didn’t matter but still distracted me enough to turn left instead of right on the SID! Fortunately it was VMC and no terrain around.
IMHO one just has to brief people to keep quiet, and it may upset some…
And to not touch anything without asking you – one of my last passengers pulled the emergency canopy handles because he thought they were there to go out easier!
I usually brief passengers to not talk to me during landing except if I talk to them. Also during ATC communication but I usually have to give them a sign because they don’t understand when ATC talks to me.
I have to be really careful when I fly with people who talk … The last stupid thing was a take-off from Heraklion when i forgot to retract the flaps and wondered why the plane wouldn’t really climb for about two minutes! It was 5 a.m., at sunrise and i made a beautiful video (which distracted me too) … and now i can’t publish it because everybody will laugh when they see the flaps hanging out ;-)
I fly with kids quite frequently. Love the ICS Pilot Isolation function 
This is not exactly the one I have but here is the corresponding bit:
You do need to tell people before you flip that switch otherwise they start prodding you to wake you up 
I use that too, a lot, especially in IMC …
Joy of the jet, they don’t have headsets and mine is noise cancelling. And I have a seatbelts switch.
I was always very clear in the PA46. I am going to be very busy from now and won’t be able to chat. After takeoff I will let you know when I have more to time talk normally. Until then I will isolate you all so you can chat amongst yourselves.
In theory I also do the sterile cockpit thing, especially on departure. At the same time, especially when joining a busy circuit, I use my pax as additional plane spotting eyeballs, I even bribe the younger ones with £1 for every relevant plane they spot before me; so I want to keep the audio open to hear them out. Sometimes it works, sometimes they just can’t stop talking – then I isolate the audio…
My 2 cents. Take it as you will…
FIrst some experience in order to understand my prespective: airline pilot with 8 000hrs(flew with 3 different european flag carriers…) avid GA pilot/instructor (1000 hrs instruction)
Sometimes I do aero.
I am from a southern European country.
The reason I tell you this, is very easy: they way you interact with people, especially in situation of moderate stress is ALSO a byproduct of your cultural heritage.
When I fly as PIC WITHOUT FELLOW PILOT/STUDENT, I do not need steril cockpit: PAX can talk to me whenever they want. They will know, just by me raising my index finger(work like a charme) that they need to stop talking.
If the situation get too busy for any type of conversation and they not notice my index finger: I will tell them. When I tell them, I make sure I sound as reassuring as possible, no stress in my voice (take 2-3 deep breath) and I’ll provide a time frame.
Furthermore, before the flight I will brief them about:
-belts on/belts off
-how to get out/when to get out (it is very iportant to have them perform the task after you show/tell them)
-what to do if I am incapacited (very usefull in a cirrus)
-no talking for 2 minutes after takeoff. Please enjoy a the bird defying gravity.
The best advise I have been given on this matter, came from a very old american flight instructor (something like 20000hrs(!!!!!!!) instructing):
i*n a plane, if you need to take a deep breath, make sure nobody is stealing your oxygen.*
Therefor, when you are flying with fellow pilot (most of the time student in my case) and paxs, sterile cokpit make more sense then if you are flying alone with paxs
Regards
I keep pax away from the airplane while I do the preflight. Then brief them not to touch anything, ever and not to talk to me until I ‘release’ them, which in L.A. airspace can be quite some time as you talk to ATC almost constantly. Same on approach and landing. It’s harder if you have more than one pax, as they want to chat with each other. That’s what the ‘isolate’ switch is for! I do sometimes ask them for help with spotting other planes.
Crossed posts with loandslow, so to add: I also brief emergency egress
