In both the previous airlines for whom I worked we did assy NPAs with a GA from the MDA in the sim.
I distinctly remember arriving at the MDA after a loft excercise where I had essentially lost almost everything. The Checky had decided to go beresk with the buttons
We had lost an engine, therefor half the hydraulics(F28)and had to do an alt extension + wind up the gear doors, then the flaps failed requiring alt extension also, then they jammed at 6 or 7 degrees requiring Vref recalc(+1kt for every degree of unavail flap).
It was my sector on the LOFT(F/O in those days) and the Capt was working like a dog, out of his seat to wind up the gear doors etc
We got to the MDA and were visual but no airport
Night graphics by the way. Well I firewalled the trusty remaining Spey and we sorta looked left and right but we were on track so it should've been right in front! We were fast approaching the Mapt but what are you gonna do with the gear stuck down and the flaps jammed?
About this time we heard the checky muttering to himself about why couldn't he get the graphics to work, and that if we were not visual we should go around anyway.
My fearless leader turned in his seat and said "and where the F**K would you like us to go in the peice of crap you've left us to fly?"
The Checky (Fleet Captain in fact) hit the freeze button!
The Skipper whinged long and hard after about the stupidity of simulating multiple failures as a teaching tool.
My attitude was, and is, if you're in a sim why not? If the graphics had worked we'd have landed no probs! As long as it's used as a learning experience and not a fail item I see no problem with 'testing to distruction'.
Chuck.
PS While not ideal, as we have no sim, I do give my pilots assy NPAs on their 6 monthly prof checks in our Falcon. But it's MDA + a bit, quick glance and GO AROUND!!
[ 07 December 2001: Message edited by: Chimbu chuckles ]