Sim Research

[TFive]

Hi just new to the forum and I'm hoping someone can help point me in the right direction for info on a research paper I'm doing.

I'm looking into best practice for simulator training; LOS verses LOFT, validating handling of emergencies, CRM, etc and I seem to be having trouble finding any specifics on this.

There is loads of info available on technical requirements for certification of simulators themselves but before I contact airlines directly does anyone know if there is information available online for simulator syllabi?

Thanks for the help

[Nightrider]

Airlines have to assure that their crews are properly trained and checked. To run through all non-normal conditions as per the appropriate checklists AND provide adequate training it will take a couple of days every year in the simulator, let's talk about a week minimum.
Beside the simulator there is also a ground refresher of the systems, CRM, fire training and some other topics, again at least a week.
To put this all in one year, you can employ several extra crew to cover only for the training / checking of operating crew.

To make this all a bit more feasible, the individual authorities have established a system or rules and recurrent training requirements. Airlines have to follow these rules to assure the a.m. training / checking in the prescribed way; they do this with the training / checking syllabi you are looking for. These docs are usually prepared and issued by the training department and cover a two years period. This will ensure that mandatory items are checked on a 6-monthly / 12-monthly / 24-monthly basis as the law requires.

Doubtful if you will ever find one guideline for these docs as the basis are the many orders, laws, rules the individual authorities have issued, all put together in a workable scenario called syllabus. The guidelines are these laws or whatever they are called.

You may have to approach individual training departments and have them answer your question on how they compiled their docs.....good luck for that.

[TFive]

Thanks for that .... much as I suspected: I think I'm going to have to contact companies directly.

Still I am very surprised that JAR hasn't regulated this i.e. during recurrency a pilot must carry out a rejected take off (failure before V1), continued take off (with fire), receive a hyd failure in the cruise, carry out a go around from minimums, or the like ....

[Denti]

You should check the relevant documents (JAR-FCL, EU-OPS, FARs etc) about that stuff.

In the outfits i flew for so far we had to rotate through all ATA chapters within a 3 year period which meant we had to do different chapters every six months as one training session (LOFT) and one check session per 6 months was (still is) required. Ground training nowadays is an online CBT which ends with a questionnaire which in turn has to be passed, again around 3 ATA chapters every 6 months and some additional stuff (work safety rules, radiation, cold weather operation etc) in between.

The LOFT (day 1) usually has 2 LOFT scenarios, one for each crew member as PF and then some additional training, for example airwork, visual circuits, circling approaches, general hands on flying and sometimes some CAT III training. Flight preparation for the first LOFT scenario has to be done in full, including loadsheet and performance calculation based on information given during the briefing, usually done before we enter the simulator.

In the check session (day 2) we do have 2 shortish LOFT sessions, again one for each pilot and after that each pilot has to do the usual OEI stuff, V1 cut, OEI procedure, checklist work, pattern back for an approach, go-around at or below minimum, normal G/A procedure, pattern back and another approach. At least one non precision approach and one precision approach has to be covered in both scenarios, however we do not need to do the OEI-G/A and the following approach raw data anymore (our loss actually), the captain has to do at least one rejected take off. If we didn't cover the LVP stuff on day 1 we do it on day 2, on day 2 we usually train additionally stall recovery techniques, if there is still some time left at the end we do whatever exercise the trainees want.

The major points are indeed required by regulation, however i do not know exactly if european or local regulation in this case.

[Nightrider]

And that corresponds exactly with EU-OPS 1.965 Appendix 1, (a), (1), (i) and (ii) as well as Appendix 1, (a), (2), (i) :ok:

as said before all is covered somewhere in the law, a syllabus just brings all these requirements in one workable solution. 3 years is the maximum time frame to cover all required subjects again.

[Denti]

Yup, just that it takes quite a lot less time than 2 weeks per crew member. Actually, around one week all in all. Four days of simulator training, two days of scheduled duty period for the online CBT stuff, however we can do it whenever we want. But i would think quality carriers do plan 2 weeks and do some more in depth training.

[Exaviator]

An airlines crew training program including simulator forms part of its Operating Certificate and is approved by the local aviation authority (CAA). Having had the program approved annual audits by that authority will ensure that it is being maintained.

Most airlines follow a four sessions per year format at three month intervals - two as base checks for licence & I.R. renewal and two as re-current training, one of which will usually be a Loft Program. The more budget minded outfits reduce it to two sessions and try and pack every thing in to the two sessions. :ok:

[TFive]

Thanks all for the help.

[Bungfai]

My airline got one day loft(3 pilots for 2 man crew aircraft to save cost) and the next day for training and checking. Used to be one day for CBT but they cut it. This is for every 6 month. No requirement to cover all ATA in 3 years. Every time is the same.