What if scenario practice ....

[freshgasflow]

I am keen to import aviation ideas into medical practice in the operating room in hospital. i have heard that airline pilots , at moments of low activity, my practice "what if scenarios", e.g. hydraulic failiure : they will go through the motions without actually changing any switches. Is this real or have i heard wrong ?

Thank you.

[Exaviator]

Funny you should ask that question. I was talking to a medical practitioner just a few months ago and he mentioned that his hospital was following some aviation procedures - like the use of check lists - as well. In answer to your question all airline pilots spend from two to four sessions a year in the flight simulator for the sole purpose of maintaining their handling skills, practicing various emergencies and ensuring that they are maintaining the required standard of proficiency.

It is also not uncommon for a pilot to review the aircraft flight and/or the emergency procedure manuals during periods of low activity during a flight - particularly if he is approaching his six monthly check ride. :ok:

[low n' slow]

Hi.
I have never seen what you suggest as some sort of mandatory training.
However, it is up to each pilot to keep his/her skills to the required level. The half year mandatory checks mentioned in the previous post is the way to check this is done.

In many of our emergency and abnormal checklist we have what's known as memory items, recall items, vital actions. There are many names for it, but these are the actions that need to be taken immediately if a certain situation would arise. It depends on who I fly with, but with some colleagues the discussion topic is often training or flight safety and we usually challenge each other on the memory items. For example the actions to be taken if both engines were to flame out at the same time. When we practice this, we verbally go through the motions and physically indicate towards each switch/gauge/lever etc. Combining the verbal part and the motion for each item makes me remember things better.

This is used extensively during a type rating when we sit in a paper tiger. A mockup of the cockpit basically in which we "dry fly". Verbally going through motions and reading the checklists and following the general SOP. This creates a good basis on which to move on with later on in the full motion simulator.

/LnS

[Gulfstreamaviator]

what ifs as a brain storming session in flight are a fantastic way to kill the 12 hours of boredom, that Mr Gulfstream permits.

The regular sim sessions are normally a predicable sequence of events that have very little variety allowed. So not WHAT IFS in the way the question is asked.

The most fun is the "spare" time that is available in the sim.

Many moons ago, when flying with a respected peer we would have these brain storming sessions, as well as some practical implications, such as piston twin, VFR, at night, and all the panel lights OFF, (RHS still visible). App and land with power indicators covered. and the ASI covered.

When conducting initial training, my criteria for a pass, was the power idle from the overhead, landing. This demonstrated the concept of energy management, and knowledge of the speed height drag of this aircraft. But perhaps lastly the confidence to fly the aircraft, not the manual or checklist.

I always assumed that the medical surgery professions had very formal check list, conduct by the theatre sister.

There are surgical simulators available if I remember correctly.

[wap101]

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[Tee Emm]

The most fun is the "spare" time that is available in the sim.Paradoxically, you will invariably find the "fun" time is more valuable in terms of basic flying skills than interminable automatic pilot button pushing. The pity being that most simulator instructors/check pilots and so on, see spare time fun exercises as a joke and not to be taken seriously. The Boeing 767 "Gimli Glider" episode where the aircraft lost both engines due fuel exhaustion, is a case in point. The captain conducted a well executed dead stick landing on a relatively short runway. Later he said that if only he could have had just one practice dead stick landing in the simulator he would have approached his real dead stick landing with considerably more confidence. But his airline would not allow this training as it was considered an extremely unlikely event.
The blinkers are often well and truly attached in simulator training.