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Old 22nd Aug 2020, 13:57
  #326 (permalink)  
Judd
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
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instead of passing out, Cap is told to deliberately fly over limits or recklessly to see what F/O does. This is where F/O should question Cap and eventually take control. That would be a very useful exercise - in fact much better than doing it in a CRM classroom.
In one airline I was with we had an excitable checkie with a short fuse. The simulator session included captain incapacitation at some point in the session. Just before one takeoff the checkie whispered to the captain to be incapacitated during the takeoff run. The F/O was unaware of the plan,

Half way down the runway, the captain suddenly gasped loudly and fell over the controls with admirable acting. The F/O was shocked and genuinely alarmed and reached over to try and help the captain whom he thought was having a real "event." With no one on the controls the aircraft veered off the runway at full power heading towards the control tower. The checkie immediately froze the simulator. The captain miraculously came alive while the F/O wondered what the hell was going on as he thought the captain was a goner real time.

The checke got stuck into the F/O for not taking over control from the simulated incapacitated captain. The F/O protested and said he thought the captain had suffered a heart attack for real. The checkie then ticked the FAIL box on the F/O's records. Naturally this upset the F/O who was a former RAF pilot with real life operational experience during the Cold War days.

After the tea break the F/O became PF. Keep in mind in the company training syllabus incapacitation only ever applied to the captain. Half way down the take off run the F/O without warning suddenly collapsed with a loud groan at the same time stiffening one leg to full rudder.

This was not a briefed exercise and the captain was immediately alarmed and leaned over the pedestal to try and comfort the F/O who by now was making anguished cries. Meanwhile under the influence of full rudder the aircraft headed towards the control tower. The checkie clicked what had happened and froze the simulator and berated the F/O calling him a smart-arse for doing something not in the syllabus. The F/O showed admirable restraint in not snapping back at his unfair treatment.

Interestingly the checkie chose not to criticise the captain for not taking over control when the F/O had his "event.". Rank obviously has its privileges..

Last edited by Judd; 22nd Aug 2020 at 14:11.
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