Getting used to the Sim

[Density]

Heya All

I am just wondering if anyone out there has any advice on how to perfect the sim. I'm currently a pilot on a jet fleet and have been attempting to work out if there is some sort of magic formula for performing very well in the sim. My outcomes are always safe and ok but can't help but go over and over the scenarios everytime I step out wondering if 'there must be a better way!'.

So if anyone has some words of wisdom that may assist it would be greatly appreciated.

[greybeard]

You will never be perfect in the Sim

It is an electronic likeness of life, depending on some non flying elctronics engineer, the maintainance and the skill of the panel operator/Instructor.

I did Lear 31, which was a nightmare initially and took ages to be an accurate panel Instuctor as the base info was for reverser engines and we didn't have reversers. Most performance was dedicated to N1 spool numbers.

Fokker 100 was better and a fair representative of life but in my time the vison was crap Much better now and google earth realism, colour and a better maintained Sim I am led to believe.

I have aout 3000 hrs as an Instructor in the box, best fun ever if done with care and profesionalism. So much hinges on the operator as to how it all goes as sometimes the system doesn't do what you expect and "recovery" has to be done so as not to spook the canditate to much.

God luck, get used to it many years to go I hope for you

:ok:

[Wally Mk2]

The Sim is an interesting place, bit like a dream:-)

There is no secret to a Sim I reckon, you just do what ya gotta do & get the hell out of there!:)

Have you ever noticed that a Sim or even the building the Sim/s are in have a particular smell to them. Revisiting these places activates one of yr senses (smell) every time you step into them & lets face it when we first went there we had a certain level of fear & that's how our brain links that sense (smell) to the Sim from the very first day, with some level of fear.

They are an amazing invention imagine how it would be if we could just go in there & fly the damned thing/s as we do day in day out, we would actually enjoy it. What's not real (as in real world day 2 day) about a Sim is what happens in there during a reval, we get multiple failures time & time again where as in the real world we would deal with a failure, land, shut down & debrief then go home but ah no not in a Sim we go right back to the threshold & do it all over again with another failure & another failure 'till at times it's almost neg training!
Time=money, there's the main problem with a Sim.

Still it's part of the glamor of being a pilot...cough cough cough:E


Wmk2

[Centaurus]

So if anyone has some words of wisdom that may assist it would be greatly appreciated.

No words of wisdom I am afraid. Just a personal viewpoint. Just like undergoing line checks in the actual aircraft, much of the success or otherwise, depends largely on the quality of the check pilot/ simulator instructor. You don't have much choice on who you get. In the simulator you see top class pilots among those undergoing training or testing and you get lousy pilots. The top class are usually naturals while often the others have trouble coping.

A common denominator to a successful outcome from a simulator session is how well you know the contents of the pertinent manuals, FCOM, QRH, Flight crew Training Manuals and so on. There is a lot of deep reading there and you need to study the manuals regularly - not just before a sim session.

You may be fortunate to be one of those natural pilots who can hand fly beautifully. But if you are too laid back and ever so cool to study the manuals - and this often shows up in simulator sessions - you have only yourself to blame if you stuff up when airmanship and technical knowledge is required - not just pure handling skills.

Conversely, if you are not one of the few naturals, a simulator instructor will be inclined to forgive some ropey handling (within reason) as long as he can see you have absorbed what is in the manuals - in particularly in the detailed stuff like knowledge of aircraft performance and the nitty gritty of icing theory, braking capability, radar theory, ETOPS, tail-strike mitigation and things like that. In other words, go into the horror box fully prepared for what hopefully will turn out to be a enjoyable trip, rather than tension filled where very little is learned. The ball is in your court.

[redned]

Density,listen to Centauris,he is a very capable instructor,but I would add one more thing.Before going into the sim prepare yourself by flying the lounge room.Make it real time,and go thru the sequences again and again.If you lose concentration even near the end of the imagined sequence,start again.Even use your hands so they are also part of the exercise.Its always been a help in the hundreds and hundreds of the bloody things ive done.

[Aussie Bob]

Listen also to Redned. I have an exceptional student, so good I asked him his secret. He stated that he carefully flew the aircraft in his lounge the night before each lesson. Done properly the mind can't really tell the difference, so he told me. Worked for him, he soloed in CTA in less than 10 hours and given his current progress I am anticipating PPL standard at minimum hours.

Now back to the Sim ...

[mustafagander]

As greybeard says, a sim is really a sophisticated video game. One consequence of this is that it performs "to the numbers", meaning that if you set the right attitude and power, you will be close to the desired performance, only requiring minor adjustments.

Learn the numbers!! Set the numbers, then tidy up the flight path.

As with Aussie Bob's student, "armchair fly" each session a couple of times. I don't mean give it a little thought over your morning coffee, I mean really put yourself in the seat mentally and carefully, deliberately, imagine each action you will take. This means move your hands and feet as necessary. It really works for me and I have a record of sim checks over 40 years long!

Make sure your curtains are closed or your neighbours may well think that you are a very sick puppy!

Good luck. :ok:

[PAPI-74]

If that fails, throw your toys about, call the other person a t##t and go inverted!
Gets me a pass every 6 months.....:8

[bucks_raj]

GTA Madrid .... The box is known to be so F$&%^$ up that if I land on the CL my instructor tells me I did some thing wrong thats why I was able to accomplish a ldg on the CL

[Mach E Avelli]

Although it is supposed to accurately replicate the real thing, the fidelity of simulators does vary from excellent to bloody awful. Even the same simulator can drift off calibration over time.
So, if you don't always get it on the centreline don't let that put you off. In simulated IMC you probably won't be so aware of discrepancies between input and result but it may become noticeable when visual and may get worse the closer to the ground you get. This is not to say you shouldn't strive for accuracy. Just avoid over-controlling to compensate.
A good sim instructor will recognise your technique and decision-making for what it is and make allowances for the machine.
If you are really struggling and the sim instructor does not allow any slack, invite him to demonstrate. If he can do it, given some practice you should eventually be able to do it too. If he can't or is not prepared to demonstrate, there is something wrong.

[Density]

Wally

I agree completely with your keen sense of smell. I had a few issues to start off with and ever since everytime I enter that bloody building I start to feel that fear factor you mention. I've been told Im a bloody good pilot on line but for some reason every time I get in the sim I start making silly mistakes that I wouldnt necessarily make online....or maybe I would which concerns me!

My manipulation skills are actually pretty good I think it comes down to more my decision making (even though Im an FO) and I have a tendency to rush things (even after telling myself "don't rush").

Centaurus thanks for your personal viewpoint very insightful. I guess I just treat it as a learning experience and hopefully even after 12 years in the bloody sim it gets easier!!!

[Anthill]

Many in Aviation Land (myself) use MS Flight Sim as a low fidelity trainer prior to sim checks. It gives you the practice of flying the sim profile in real time and accessing QRH, doing check lists and talking the talk as you would during your simulator exercise.

Remember to Aviate, Navigate, Communicate, have a short term safety plan (climb to MSA, enter holding pattern) and then Assess, Action, Manage.

As has been stated before, the simulator is a machine and a computer. There are lag periods where the computer will take time to calculate the response to any control input. Therefore, don't make big corrections in flight control inputs. If you 'stir the pot' with the yoke and/or rudders, the machine will take some time to figure out how to respond and it will get messy.

On the other hand, the requirement to think ahead as to what you are trying to achieve from your control inputs will help to improve your line flying stick and rudder skills.

[autoflight]

Immediate ability to go to the correct checklist for the circumstances, including knowing the page number in the manual. Usually, there is a prior list of sequences, so there is no excuse for not knowing the procedures.

Talk the talk and walk the walk! Not only do you need to know your stuff, but you must show the appropriate level of confidence.

The actual hand flying of a sim can be a bit of a handfull with engine out, inoperative systems etc. If you know all the power settings, pitch attitudes etc, less effort is required, enabling smoother operation.

All the normal procedures need to be second nature. All checklist responses and approaching altitude calls have to be second nature. Allows more effort for anything unusual, and prevents brain overloading. The intention is not normally to overload you, but there are just so many sequences need to be covered in a typical 4 hour session, you just have to be ready to move on to the next item.

[Checkboard]

The more you can anticipate the exercise, the easier it is in your own mind to follow it along.

Get used to the "standard pattern" that a revalidation requires - that is you know that each pilot has to fly a V1 cut, single engine approach and go-around and return - and there are only so many ways that sequence can be put together efficiently. You should mentally be able to sit on the couch and run through all of the calls, procedures and decisions.

ie. Captain's go (they usually fly first, to allow the less senior pilot more time to settle in) Engine problem on start, deal with that then "quick start", Taxi out with low vis ops to the runway, take-off for an abort before V1, running through to the evacuate decision. Reset to the threshold, take off for a V1 cut and continue. Recall items to deal with that, single engine procedure, complete checklists, stabilise in the hold/on a safe heading, gather information (ie weather, runway still available or full of metal?), make your decision (usually to return), inform ATC, brief cabin crew, make PA, set up for return, brief approach & complete approach checklist (single engine), fly single engine ILS to Go-Around (damn that unreliable weather!), check fuel balance, gather information (weather, ILS failure, radar availability), make decision (to return for non-precision approach), brief cabin crew, make PA, set up approach, brief approach, complete approach checklists (Single engine), fly non-precision approach to landing.

15 minute break for tea & chocolate bar.

Return to sim, which has been repositioned to threshold, second pilot's go, take-off to V1 cut ... etc etc.