A few contributors to this thread seem to have quite a few half baked notions:
dbriglee
And talking about emergencies, with engine failure after take off, for example.
Would you prefer to have a guy who did his IR last year, and knows the THEORY behind what he is doing, and has a feel for the aircraft preventing overcontrol, and correct inputs for a balanced flight....or maybe a captain who hasn't had a REAL engine failure drill.....
Are those our only two rather polar and unrepresentative options? While FFS have their limitations the certainly are no worse at representing engine failures than your instructor and his half mil chart and furthermore can simulate a failure at lower altitude than was possible in the seneca.
feel confident i can handle any emergency under pressure to save the day.
That sounds more like the Hollywood version of your job rather than the correct description which can be found in your company manual. I believe it describes a team effort being lead by the captain, certainly no mention of "saving the day."
Barké
I think Jeremy Clarkson hit the nail on the head last Sunday on TopGear....If people have no interest in driving, then they cannot be good at Driving
That is not true. I have no interest in cutting grass, yet when I have to do it I make a good job of it. Being mindful and conscienciously performing the task in hand (whether driving a car, cutting grass, sweeping the floor, flying an aircraft, cleaning windows) is far more important to a successful outcome than interest in the task itself.
sr