Training Day

The Aircraft Simulator Bays

As pilots it seems like we are constantly being evaluated. We get put through the paces every nine months in the aircraft simulator, we get an extensive flight physical every six months as well as all of the continued training pilots do to maintain their Air Marshall qualifications. We have line check airmen that ride in the cockpit to evaluate our skills in line flying duties several times a year as well. All of these tests are pass/fail and if failed could mean a whole new saying. "Would you like fries with that"? "How about a hot apple pie"? (No Pressure)

This month it is the simulator. We are tested running through many emergency situations. Engine fires, failures, cockpits that fill with smoke, landing gear that fails to come down etc. You get the idea. It is grueling and very difficult. All of the sessions are video taped so you can see all of your mistakes up close, learn from them and practice again. We are then tested, scored and after several days let loose to get ready for the next series of tests.

These pictures are what the simulators look like that we train and test in. Super cool! They are amazing how real they are and how hard they make you work to survive. It seems very real and amazing what they can simulate, even pumping smoke into the device that makes it very difficult to fly, just like it would be in real life. If you can see the computer screens in the back of the simulator, that is where the check airmen sits and enters the malfunctions into the sim.