But isn't the intention of the synthetic training to make sure that the edge of the envelope always remains out of reach?
I think you'll find that the modern airline pilot has absolutely no idea where the edge of the envelope is, or how close of far away from it they are at any given time. The box of most a/c is quite large. The SOP box of most airlines is extremely small. The buffer margin is enormous. This ignorance can cause problems when events conspire to move you out of your comfort zone. As a young F/O my comfort zone was small. It was experience/knowledge based. As I flew the line with the old farts in/out of old age low tech airports my experience/knowledge base grew and so my comfort zone expanded until I felt it large enough for me to cross over and feel comfortable with handling what the environment could throw at me.
Today that apprenticeship is no more. Commands are given away in half the time. Stringent trained monkey SOP's are a straight-jacket to knowledge of the a/c. Many captain's comfort zone is likely smaller than mine was 1/2 way through my F/O apprenticeship: and it will likely stay that way. Thus think what little knowledge is passed on, and then think how tiny the comfort zone will be of the following generation. Hardly the progression we might wish for. I am an advocate of SOP's, but when the SOP is maximum use of automatics at all times; full procedural approaches even in VMC etc. I wonder if there in lies the answer to having a tiny comfort zone.
Last edited by RAT 5; 15th Feb 2014 at 16:14.