In most regards, I’ve been lucky during the Covid Curse. Both Tim & I have been. We’re healthy were not impacted by unemployment, and had plenty of options for entertainment. Plus, we saw a few close friends regularly so never felt isolated.
Coronavirus did me hard in one area. Here’s the story.
In 2019, after the Boeing 737 Max accidents it looked like we who fly the plane would be getting training on iPads. “Uh oh” I thought.
That essentially means minimally interactive slide minimally interactive slide-shows and videos. The training has continually gotten better, but the max accidents expose how pilots need to practice RESPONDING to situations. Situations that involve sights and sounds. They heard a trim runway AND a stick shaker. How can you prepare for that?
The Switch Flipped
At some point in thinking about this problem a switch flipped. It was much like how I ended up doing the PPG bible in 2003, when a similar switch flipped after realizing how much bad information there was in paramotoring.
When that switch flips I can’t seem to ignore the circuit.
So Tim and I decided to take a plunge like no other, starting a business with the mission of revolutionizing how airline pilots use their iPads for training.
It’s a working simulator that lets pilots practice their airline’s specific reactions to emergency situations. Practice. That’s key. Not watching videos, but learning then PRACTICING in real time by responding to the sights and sounds they would experience in the airplane. I had learned the programming when writing version 2 of Rob’s “Virtual Footflyer” flight code which was done largely in support of this project. That paramotor simulator looks pretty funny given that it used Boeing instrumentation, but boy does it fly better.
After some expensive searching, we have a motivated team that built that got a working product by January, 2020. We’re working to first save the airlines a bunch of training money, to make it worthwhile, but the desired side-effect is improving safety.
Unfortunately, WATS 2020 cancelled so we debuted at WATS 2021. Covid provided the opportunity to dramatically improve the products which have done in spades.
Pain of Passion
It has engulfed my life. It was in this context that PPG Bible 6 had to be finished so you can imagine why I’ve felt so consumed lately. There is no sign of letting up, but I still make escapes, I still plan to visit my parents, to fly, spend time with my people, mostly Tim, and keep plowing on, in a passionate ply for a safer sky.