PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - Preventing the loss of pure flying skills in jet transport aircraft.
Old 31st May 2016, 03:53
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Centaurus
 
Join Date: Jun 2000
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The suggestions are all about additional emphasis on non-automatics practical handling practice during simulator training
During recurrent simulator training in the 737 Classic, the initial task was to give crews practice at 30 knot crosswind component landings in fine weather. Unlimited visibility and steady non-gusting crosswind component. In other word basic crosswind handling skills. The objective was to touch down with zero drift. In almost every case pilots were touching down with 10-12 degrees of drift still applied because of slow application of rudder to align the aircraft with the centre-line. It took about five approach and landings for each pilot (captains and copilots) to get it right and avoid landing sideways each time. This was on a dry runway.

For some, they were happy to landing with excessive drift still applied claiming the 737 was up to it. The true answer was they did not have the basic handling ability possibly because of lack of opportunity to get crosswind landings. Either the captain always did the crosswind landing because he didn't trust his F/O to land it safely without squealing of tortured tyres. Or the co-pilot was restricted by company regulations to a maximum crosswind of 15 knots or something like that.

This surely is where proper simulator training comes into its own especially as crosswind landings take real skill to attain perfection.
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