Simmulator Training??
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Simmulator Training??
I am a training captain in a company that is trying to determine if simmulator training might be bennificial to our offshore line pilots. If you have done simmulator training, I would appreciate your comments on the subject, either pro or con. In particular, we want to establish wether or not a simmulator trained pilot is a better and safer pilot. Additional, we would like to determine how cost effective simmulator training is. Many thanks from your sim deprived compatriots.
Thanks for your responses, but some of you have missed the point of the question. I am very familiar with benefits of sim training, but our management has no such knowledge
. Level D sim training is being offered on site, and the training dept is hoping to use your responses to convince management to take advantage of the opportunity. Glib or sarcastic responses will be of no value to that end.
If you look at the reply from soggyboxers, you'll see exactly what I'm looking for. Hopefully, with enough testimonials like this, we can convince out fearless leaders to seize the opportunity!
Thanks for your responses, but some of you have missed the point of the question. I am very familiar with benefits of sim training, but our management has no such knowledge
. Level D sim training is being offered on site, and the training dept is hoping to use your responses to convince management to take advantage of the opportunity. Glib or sarcastic responses will be of no value to that end.If you look at the reply from soggyboxers, you'll see exactly what I'm looking for. Hopefully, with enough testimonials like this, we can convince out fearless leaders to seize the opportunity!
Last edited by almost there; 2nd Dec 2007 at 04:15. Reason: Addition and clarification
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As a training captain, I believe you know the answers to your own question 
I guess for starter,pick up your company's emergency checklist and let us know the benefits of being able to simulate the emergencies from that checklist. An excellent training tool
I guess for starter,pick up your company's emergency checklist and let us know the benefits of being able to simulate the emergencies from that checklist. An excellent training tool
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sim training
It's not just the flight manual emergency proceedures, inadvertant IMC/brown or whiteout conditions/IFR approaches with no ATC delays/etc.
Simulators are great, they may not fly just like "the real thing", but are invaluable training aids.
Simulators are great, they may not fly just like "the real thing", but are invaluable training aids.
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An Absolute Essential These Days
almost there,
The simulator is an invaluable tool for training. It enables pilots to experience things which are impossible to experience during a normal training flight, such as tail rotor drive shaft failure and main gearbox failure. Whilst it is true that most simulators do not completely faithfully reproduce the actual aircraft, they are close enough that the training benefit is enormous.
More companies now have realised that a mix of level B and level D simulators enables all training to be carried out synthetically, and the new level B simulators are sufficiently realistic that they can be used for a high percentage of what can be done in a level D simulator at a much lower cost. This is leading companies such as Bristow and CHC to purchase their own level B simulators.
In Nigeria, as with many other countries, shortage of aircraft for training because of the amount of commercial flying and reluctance of oil companies or operational management to release them for training is such that consideration is being given to pilots carrying out all their non-revenue training on simulators.
The simulator is a very powerful tool for good effective training, but misused, it is also a powerful tool for destroying pilot confidence. It is an unfamiliar environment for most pilots and it is easy for them to become disoriented and make more mistakes than they would when carrying out similar manoeuvres in the real helicopter. It is important if this happens to give the training needed to be able to succeed such that pilots will look forward to a visit to the simulator as something which may stretch them and make them sweat but will also make them enjoy the experience of leaving it as a more confident, competent aviator.
As more companies are realising the benefits of simulator training, more aviation authorities are legislating their compulsory use for recurrent training and our industry is expanding, more simulators are being built and there is now a shortage of synthetic flight instructors. Most larger companies have their own in-house simulator instructors so they already know what they are getting. Most smaller companies cannot afford that and have to rely on the instructors being provided by the simulator operators or constructors (often one and the same thing). Most of those from large, well-established companies such as Flight Safety are active helicopter pilots or pilots who have finished active flying for medical, retirement or personal reasons. Some simulator companies have recently thought that it is okay to hire non-pilots or very inexperienced pilots. This, in my opinion, is a big mistake: if you went to carry out a conversion onto an actual medium or large helicopter such as an AW139 or EC225, you'd probably be rather surprised and disappointed if you found that your instructor was a 200 hour CPL who'd never flown anything bigger than a 206.
For offshore operations where many contracts may be IFR contracts, but where procedural IMC is rarely encountered or flown (such as many out here in Africa) simulators give an excellent opportunity to practice procedural instrument flying, offshore radar approaches in marginal weather, controlled ditchings, and for pilots new to the offshore environment to practice good offshore approach techniques (even if, as is often the case, they are unable to actually hover over the helideck) and engine failures during rig take-offs. They are also a good opportunity for an instructor to observe real crew CRM and to teach good two crew co-operation techniques for two-pilot operations. They sometimes highlight a total lack of CRM in some of we older pilots and with the use of cockpit videos during debriefings may help show a pilot just how bad his CRM is.
For me, there's no question of it: simulator training is a must these days. I hope you'll be able to persuade your company to start as soon as possible
The simulator is an invaluable tool for training. It enables pilots to experience things which are impossible to experience during a normal training flight, such as tail rotor drive shaft failure and main gearbox failure. Whilst it is true that most simulators do not completely faithfully reproduce the actual aircraft, they are close enough that the training benefit is enormous.
More companies now have realised that a mix of level B and level D simulators enables all training to be carried out synthetically, and the new level B simulators are sufficiently realistic that they can be used for a high percentage of what can be done in a level D simulator at a much lower cost. This is leading companies such as Bristow and CHC to purchase their own level B simulators.
In Nigeria, as with many other countries, shortage of aircraft for training because of the amount of commercial flying and reluctance of oil companies or operational management to release them for training is such that consideration is being given to pilots carrying out all their non-revenue training on simulators.
The simulator is a very powerful tool for good effective training, but misused, it is also a powerful tool for destroying pilot confidence. It is an unfamiliar environment for most pilots and it is easy for them to become disoriented and make more mistakes than they would when carrying out similar manoeuvres in the real helicopter. It is important if this happens to give the training needed to be able to succeed such that pilots will look forward to a visit to the simulator as something which may stretch them and make them sweat but will also make them enjoy the experience of leaving it as a more confident, competent aviator.
As more companies are realising the benefits of simulator training, more aviation authorities are legislating their compulsory use for recurrent training and our industry is expanding, more simulators are being built and there is now a shortage of synthetic flight instructors. Most larger companies have their own in-house simulator instructors so they already know what they are getting. Most smaller companies cannot afford that and have to rely on the instructors being provided by the simulator operators or constructors (often one and the same thing). Most of those from large, well-established companies such as Flight Safety are active helicopter pilots or pilots who have finished active flying for medical, retirement or personal reasons. Some simulator companies have recently thought that it is okay to hire non-pilots or very inexperienced pilots. This, in my opinion, is a big mistake: if you went to carry out a conversion onto an actual medium or large helicopter such as an AW139 or EC225, you'd probably be rather surprised and disappointed if you found that your instructor was a 200 hour CPL who'd never flown anything bigger than a 206.
For offshore operations where many contracts may be IFR contracts, but where procedural IMC is rarely encountered or flown (such as many out here in Africa) simulators give an excellent opportunity to practice procedural instrument flying, offshore radar approaches in marginal weather, controlled ditchings, and for pilots new to the offshore environment to practice good offshore approach techniques (even if, as is often the case, they are unable to actually hover over the helideck) and engine failures during rig take-offs. They are also a good opportunity for an instructor to observe real crew CRM and to teach good two crew co-operation techniques for two-pilot operations. They sometimes highlight a total lack of CRM in some of we older pilots and with the use of cockpit videos during debriefings may help show a pilot just how bad his CRM is.
For me, there's no question of it: simulator training is a must these days. I hope you'll be able to persuade your company to start as soon as possible
Hi,
nearly everthing said.
A current simulator is quite a benifit to the pilot.
And not only for the type you train in the sim, crewcoordination, smooth approaches etc. work also in other types.
(had to shut down an engine and to do an real OEI-approach on another type close to MTOW - shorty after a sim-session - what a piece of cake without any stress because I've had done several in the sim)
About the money? It could be quite a difference if after an failure the bird the pilot is trained enough to land it in one piece or bends it...
To save money - buy large amount of hours, may be together with another company, that brings the price down.
I think very well spend money in case anything happens in the real machine.
Greetings
Flying Bull
nearly everthing said.
A current simulator is quite a benifit to the pilot.
And not only for the type you train in the sim, crewcoordination, smooth approaches etc. work also in other types.
(had to shut down an engine and to do an real OEI-approach on another type close to MTOW - shorty after a sim-session - what a piece of cake without any stress because I've had done several in the sim)
About the money? It could be quite a difference if after an failure the bird the pilot is trained enough to land it in one piece or bends it...
To save money - buy large amount of hours, may be together with another company, that brings the price down.
I think very well spend money in case anything happens in the real machine.
Greetings
Flying Bull
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simulator training
there are a few places that offer Sim training.
Tiger Helicopters in the UK have one, I think Bristows have one too.
As far as I can tell, it makes everything more affordable.
Check out their websites.
Tiger Helicopters in the UK have one, I think Bristows have one too.
As far as I can tell, it makes everything more affordable.
Check out their websites.
almost there
You don't mention the size of helicopter you fly and whether single or 2 pilot. Simulators have the greatest benefit for complex heavy types that are flown 2 crew, because complex system malfunctions can be covered, and because the examiner/instructor is not part of the crew - he can see the pilots acting as a real crew.
Shift down to single pilot, shift down to smaller simpler singles and the benefit decreases but there is still benefit.
If you are down to the Bell 407 or whatever, the training benefit is small because the stuff you want to do (engine off landings etc) is not particularly well replicated in many sims. OK you can do tail rotor drive/control failures and some engine malfunctions but a 407 driver is a "real pilot" and not a system manager as with some complex types. The emphasis in training and testing is likely to be more towards handling, and handling near the ground at low speed is something that many sims still struggle with.
Of course even with a 407-type, there is still one big advantage in Sims - its much safer! You have to weigh up the poorer training of doing the handling in the Sim (being a non-perfect replication of the real thing) versus the possibility of killing/injuring your pilots and (more probably) having an aircraft offline for bent skids or worse.
Overall, sims are great but not 100% competant at completely replacing the visual handling excercises. One day hopefully they will be.
HC
You don't mention the size of helicopter you fly and whether single or 2 pilot. Simulators have the greatest benefit for complex heavy types that are flown 2 crew, because complex system malfunctions can be covered, and because the examiner/instructor is not part of the crew - he can see the pilots acting as a real crew.
Shift down to single pilot, shift down to smaller simpler singles and the benefit decreases but there is still benefit.
If you are down to the Bell 407 or whatever, the training benefit is small because the stuff you want to do (engine off landings etc) is not particularly well replicated in many sims. OK you can do tail rotor drive/control failures and some engine malfunctions but a 407 driver is a "real pilot" and not a system manager as with some complex types. The emphasis in training and testing is likely to be more towards handling, and handling near the ground at low speed is something that many sims still struggle with.
Of course even with a 407-type, there is still one big advantage in Sims - its much safer! You have to weigh up the poorer training of doing the handling in the Sim (being a non-perfect replication of the real thing) versus the possibility of killing/injuring your pilots and (more probably) having an aircraft offline for bent skids or worse.
Overall, sims are great but not 100% competant at completely replacing the visual handling excercises. One day hopefully they will be.
HC
