Bergerie1
A quick response for now.
I wonder whether instructors throughout the airline community are taught enough about the limitations of simulators. Are there still people out there who train inappropriately in areas beyond the flight envelope that has been programmed into their particular simulator?
Really 2 questions. Are instructors taught enough about limitations? Undoubtabley no but this issue is not as significant on the latest generation of FSTDs where the instructor and trainee can expect and should demand to experience 100% fidelity with systems and performance and a very high degree of fidelity in all ‘normal’ manoeuvres within the obvious limitations of the device. Within this thread we are really only debating the exceptions, albeit highly important ones.
I also do not think there is a significant issue with instructors using FSTDs outside their designed and/or qualified envelope. The issue I believe is more that (some of) the qualified FSTDs don’t subjectively perform appropriately in areas within their flight envelope!!
I am in total admiration of the trainers and their abilities to utilise these tools in the way that they do, sometimes with very limited knowledge of the specific device.
2. Is the industry doing enough to address the above issue?
I’m not sure what ‘the Industry’ can do about how trainers use the FSTDs (other than make the IOS operation as simplistic and intuitive as possible). This is more an operator/user issue. I would hope that a good CMS and equally good HoT would ensure correct and appropriate usage?
3. Do we really need to spend the additional money to acquire test data in these extreme areas? Or would it be better to concentrate on teaching a greater understanding of the aerodynamic and control principles instead?
I don’t believe that any significant expenditure is needed. Most, if not all of the raw flight data already exists. It just needs to be processed and made available.
As to whether it would be better to concentrate resources as you suggest – I will leave that response to those far more qualified to give their views.