It's never
routine. Even the inevitable emergencies aren't routine.
Different instructor, different sim partner, slightly different sim
behavior and older brain cells, all add variety. Here is one account of a
trip to "the box" that was actually rather enjoyable.
Bad Engine, Bad Engine!
One emergency you can count on is the "V1 cut." It's
where the sinister instructor clears you for takeoff and watches
blissfully with his hand poised on...the button.
Every takeoff is calculated with a decision speed called V1. It gives
the best margin while considering available runway, obstructions and
single engine climb capabilities. If there's a major problem before V1,
you reject the takeoff, which we also rehearse. If something happens
after V1, you continue
with very few exceptions. The non flying (monitoring) pilot calls
"V1" as the airspeed approaches it.
It's actually kind of fun. Much like steering the paraglider with a 50%
wing collapse. With the paraglider, if done right, with the just the right amount of input, it
looks effortless. Same with the Boeing. And it feels good when you're all
"cleaned up", climbing at the right speed and spot on heading (or turn when
required).
Flying through the V1 cut is a challenging maneuver made harder by the
lack of any vertical G force—a pilot's "seat of the pants."
Simulators can't reproduce that sensation whatsoever. Flying airplanes
transfer even
the smallest control column pull or push into changing pressures on the
body. Without that pressure, pilots must concentrate almost unnaturally on the
instruments. That's why flying the simulator can humble even the best
"sticks." I love the challenge but am respectful—I've watched two very capable
pilots pull the airplane into an impossible climb or bank because of this,
always when something else bad was happening. In the airplane, they would
have nailed it. But the sim did them in.
The Machine
Every year,
airline captains face the simulator twice (co pilots once). First is the
checkride then, 6 months later, a training event. They are actually pretty
much alike but the checkride has less "wiggle room." You must
show your stuff during an evaluation. Training is generally more flexible and
carries less stress.
Fortunately I've never had to find out what failing either one is like but
it does occasionally happen to very capable pilots. They get another
chance but, continued struggle will result in job loss and, even worse,
loss of their license. It's extremely rare but makes us take sim sessions very seriously. Plus, pilots naturally
want to shine.
   
   
      
Row 1: 1-3) Milt handles a rudder hardover,
climbs then mount Ranier pops into view. 4-5) Instructor Wendell, who
spent 33 years as a pilot with Braniff, continues on as an instructor. He
inflicts much pain from this panel. 6) Airline pilot father brings son in
to see the sim. Now can you imagine being that kid? 7) The visual
includes accurate portrayals of our gates. 8) This flight information
display is a handy addition to the break room.
Row 2: 1) I didn't even this floor existed. It's
below the sims. 2) Bundles and bundles of wires eminate from where
the little wizard makes everything happen. 3 & 4) the Box and its
catwalks and legs. 5) Hugely accurate graphics makes Wendells job easier
as he pushes buttons on a paper computer display unit. 6) This group of
interviewees were checking out the training center and interviewing. Good
luck. They're all currently captains of something. 8) I passed!
The box itself is an extraordinarily accurate representation of one
particular 737. I've been told that, if a change is made to that
airplane, the change is made to the simulator that represents it. No two
are exactly alike. I don't know if that's still the case given our growing
fleet of sims.
The software to run these behemoths must be fine tuned to accurately
replicate flight including noises and sensations. While the sim cannot
reproduce vertical G's, it can shake, rattle and roll—leaving you immersed in the sensations of flight.
The instructor station lets him save points in time,
dole out emergencies, erroneous instrument readings and
a host of other evils. It records pilot
input and flight path for analysis if necessary. After bad things happened in
real airplanes, investigators usually try to duplicate the scenario in one
of these advanced simulators to improve understanding and test hypothesis. Stress Relief
Being prepared
helps in many ways. Mostly it reduces stress. There are memory items to be
refreshed and systems/procedures knowledge to bone up on. Changes to
standard operating procedures (SOPs) are endemic and this is a good
opportunity to review them.
The airlines have done an exceptional job of identifying risk areas and
rehearsing to reduce them. It's always a cost/benefit battle because we
could spend twice as much time in the box and not cover every possible
event. For example, one unique thing we did on this session had to do with
unusual attitude recovery. Besides the usual "decrease angle of
attack before righting the roll" (rolling the Boeing is, by the way,
almost trivial) we did another exercise. He put in a rudder hardover,
meaning the rudder moved to it's maximum hydraulic authority without pilot
input. Let me tell you, that does a lot more than yaw the nose! The
airplane first swings then rolls abruptly. You can counter it with the
control wheel at high speed but it takes quite a bit. Using a bit of
spoiler reduces the necessary roll input. Use some opposite throttle and
it requires even less. Just for grins, I slowed all the way down to a 150
knot, 700 fpm stabilized descent at full flaps just to see how that felt.
Very enlightening but I sure hope it never happens. The touchdown would be
sporty at best. To my knowledge, it has NEVER happened in a 737 so
this was mostly academic.
Swapping Seats
The senior guy usually goes first and, in our case we had two captains
so we had to change seats. After spending a lot of time in the left seat,
making captain calls and moves, it's surprising how challenging it is to
swap seats. We muddle through it well enough.
Sim sessions are in three parts: briefing, pilot 1 session then pilot 2
session, with each segment lasting 2 hours. So the total sim time is 4
hours.
It's very much a two man cockpit. If the flying pilot is not doing
something he should, the monitoring pilot is expected, either verbally or
by hand motion, to let him know. Putting a hand to the gear lever, flap
lever or making the requisite call-outs is as important in the simulator
as it is on line. And even if your "ride" is over, don't just
sit there. One time, after my checkride was "done", the FO was
doing a takeoff when something happened. I immediately rejected. Then I
felt bad because I thought it was a mistake since I was done with my
portion. Not so, he did it intentionally just for that reason. Fortunately
I did the right thing by rejecting. Such extras are rare because of how
packed these sessions have become. We were obviously ahead of the clock. The Training Center
I've seen our
airline triple in size since I arrived. The facility has necessarily kept
pace and even improved dramatically, in size, comfort and effectiveness.
Southwest works hard to create an inviting atmosphere and it's helpful. So
far, all of my 26 visits to the training center have been enjoyable.
       
1) An artist painted this gorgeous mural in the main
foyer and break room area.
2) Classrooms feature projected video and audio with a
new testing technology that allows each student to answer test questions
by pressing a button on a remote. Monitors below the tables are no longer
used. Oh how technology changes, those monitors went obsolete within 3
years.
3) The building was expandable and has now been
expanded. It can accommodate 4 more sims.
4) Someday we'll look at this room saying "I
remember when we had paper charts." The electronic flight bag is
slated to replace our current charts by the end of 2008. No more Jeppesen
revisions. This room has current copies of every required chart carried by
each pilot. Airports typically have about 8 pages and we serve over 60
airports.
5) Several former astronauts fly for Southwest. When I
was looking for work I would joke that "It's gotten easier to hire
onto an airline. Where it used to take at least three moon landings, now a
few laps around the planet will suffice."
6) This 6 foot wingspan model hangs over the main
stairway leading to 2nd floor which is where you go for all training.
7) Priorities. Never, ever forget the chocolate!
8) New hires are interviewed here.
The building itself is impressive beyond first impressions. The
simulator bays have a concrete floor to support the pylons that exert
enormous force as pilots are tossed about reining in their various
emergencies. Until this visit, I thought that was the bottom of the
building. But this time I was scouring for pictures and wandered into the
bowels. Deep they go! Turns out there's an entire extra floor beneath the
simulators. There are computer rooms, one behind each simulator, that run
the works.
The building has been recently expanded and looks like it can
accomodate probably 4 more sims. That makes sense, the airline is growing
at about 10% per year which, if it continues, will make it the largest
U.S. Airline within about 5 years. It's already the largest by several
measures. The Experience
It's all
perspective, I suppose. It'll definitely be less fun if age or other
problems make it a struggle. It's work, to be sure, and checkrides carry a
healthy trepidation that gets you soundly into the books. That's some of
what it's for.
I've been at companies where training was a far more threatening
environment and that was not fun. I learn more in this environment and
suspect that other do too. On several occasions, primarily during training
events, I've accepted the offer to do other things that we don't normally
get to practice. I've done 3 double engine out landings from altitude and
a manual reversion where there was no hydraulics at all. Very
enlightening. It would be fun to someday go in without the job pressure
but alas, at a huge hourly cost and tight schedule, they don't allow that.
Too bad.
I'll just have to make do with opportunities as they come up and
hopefully will feel comfortable taking advantage of them. I'm glad too
have the chance! |
3000
PSI hydraulics surge through these hoses and actuators to move the
simulator up and down, back and forth while swiveling left/right and
pitching fore/aft. As impressive as that sounds, it cannot simulate
vertical G loading, a critical pilot input. Horizontal G loading is
simulated using tilt. If you hit the brakes, the sim quickly moves
backwards as it tilts downward so the occupant feels like he's being
thrown forward by the brakes. It's quite effective in that regard. 
Milt (right) was the senior guy and went first. Then we
swapped and I took my turn at the helm.
We have an ingeniously designed Quick Reference
Handbook that can quickly guide pilots through complicated problems. It is
laid out for quick access and obvious interpretation and is vastly
improved from when I first arrived at the airline. Most emergency
situations start with "Pleas run the xxx checklist."
Phoenix flight operations developed a nearly
identical-looking Quick Recipe Handbook to improve emergency culinary
creations.
Ping pong anyone? Ever since I can remember there's
been a table setup in the break room. Simulators are just behind those
windows. |
