Why Flight Training For The Simple Stuff Matters
Rapidly changing weather is nothing new to pilots. But sitting in the left seat of a Bombardier Challenger 300 the weather outside the window is changing instantly from clear skies to gray, to snowing, to blowing snow with slush on the runway. Thankfully for the purposes of this training flight, the weather is switched back to a nice day. It’s going to be a day to learn how to handle seemingly simple scenarios that can grow into problems for a flight crew. Though the professional pilots would be going through the difficult stuff as well.
“On a recurrent training flight the pilot never sees both engines running at the same time, let’s put it that way” the instructor says.
Instead of training in a real Bombardier jet, I’m perched about 15 feet above the ground on hydraulic stilts in a full motion simulator made by another Canadian company, CAE. We’re sitting in a rather non-descript office building in suburban New Jersey. Outside, the real weather is gray and overcast. But inside, the weather can be whatever the instructor sitting in the simulator decides is appropriate. Sitting in the right seat is David Cox, chief operating officer of XOJET, a charter jet service that operates a small fleet of Challenger 300s in addition to other jets. He’s also an veteran pilot.
Professional pilots of all types are used to training scenarios that focus on a wide range of very challenging scenarios that are hopefully never experienced during a flight. But rather than demonstrating the challenge of flying in difficult weather or on a single engine or no engines, Cox is busy describing the challenge of training pilots to handle the wide range of simple scenarios they might face beyond the standard training regimes used by most jet operators.
Just about every pilot flying a jet these days whether it be the airlines, the military or charter pilots, spends a fair amount of time simulators every year. And most of the time is spent training how to handle various malfunctions, difficult weather or equipment failures. XOJET pilot training is no different. But in addition to covering emergencies, those in the charter business find they have another set of unplanned scenarios to train for that isn’t on the list used by the airlines.
“An airliner is never going to go back to Dulles because a passenger forgot their passport” Cox says. While a passenger forgetting a passport after check-in might not warrant an airline turning the airplane around, Cox says in the charter business such a diversion can happen. “You’re not going to take him to Toronto and hand him to the authorities.”
Full motion simulators provide a very realistic flying experience.
The unusual situations might sound like there is a very simple solution, and often there is. And companies like XOJET and the airlines train on how handle an equipment failure during take off routinely. But Cox points out what might start out as a simple problem can be amplified if a flight crew isn’t prepared to handle it. XOJET found when they presented these kinds of scenarios in the simulator, they pilots all handled them slightly differently.
Blake Hirth is the company’s chief pilot. He says the solution is the same as it is with the classic emergencies such as losing power in an engine during flight. Develop procedures that provide a predictable, safe outcome to something as easy as being told you have to return to an airport to retrieve a bag or passport just as you’re wheels are leaving the ground.
“It’s not the ILS down to minimums that the pilots have a problem with” Hirth says referring to an approach in bad weather. “It’s the easy stuff. It’s the visual conditions out of Aspen and having to turn around.”
The introduction of what appear to be simple variables is something both the airlines and charter operators have learned can create the biggest problems.
We’re about to fly an example of how returning to an airport can be more difficult than simply turning the airplane around. Out the cockpit window I can see runway 33 at the Aspen airport in Colorado. It fits the stereotype of a charter jet destination to be sure, but it also happens to be one of the more challenging airports where pilots operate the faster jets. Beyond the weather issues that can plague the airport located at nearly 8,000 feet, mountains surround the runway making navigation all the more important.
Cockpit of the Challenger 300 simulator from CAE.
XOJET pilots will spend four days in a simulator during a recurrent training session, and that’s after two days in the classroom. Hirth says the extra time is spent practicing many of the scenarios we’re about to experience.
After pushing thrust levers forward and giggling a bit at the sensation of accelerating much faster than I’m used in a vintage taildragger, the Challenger 300 is climbing out on the SARDD ONE departure. Moments after take-off a voice from the back of the simulator says he forgot a bag and needs to go back and get it. He reminds us that we’re also already behind schedule.
A simple and straight forward series of events unfold next. And that’s the goal, to keep an easy situation easy and familiar. As I continue to climb, Cox coordinates a return to the airport with air traffic control that begins with a hold at a predetermined point established by the FAA in the sky above Aspen. Once in the holding procedure, the crew has to determine if landing is even possible based on the weather and the weight of the airplane (most jets cannot land with full fuel).
The procedure is defined by the company and includes contacting the headquarters via a satellite phone or using the onboard wifi.
“It’s built in pause point to slow the crew down” Hirth says, “call the company and let them know what’s going on.”
He adds that one of important parts of contacting headquarters is to get input from a person not directly connected to the flight or under the pressure of a client. Many private jet accidents have been at least partially blamed on pilots making poor decisions under the pressure from the passengers in the back of the airplane. XOJET points out that pilots always have the ability to say ‘no’ to a passenger, but it’s often helpful to get an unattached opinion on what to do.
Eventually we return safely to the airport with a rookie jet pilot induced thump – the realistic motion of the sim isn’t so welcome after a less than perfect touchdown.
The entire scenario lasted less than 20 minutes and at no time did it appear there was anything that would prove to be very challenging for a professional pilot. For them, there are plenty of difficult emergencies to be practiced during training. This kind of training is to show the simple stuff needs to stay simple.
Top and bottom photos: Jason Paur/Wired.com. Middle photo: XOJET
Via: Autopia
