HELP - EFIS versus legacy cockpits
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HELP - EFIS versus legacy cockpits
I am trying to gain some hard info on the problems related to training flight crew for EFIS operation then putting them into a legacy cockpit containing analogue instruments.
I realise many operators have had fleets within fleets and interested how they dealt with this.
I realise many operators have had fleets within fleets and interested how they dealt with this.
Join Date: Dec 1997
Location: Suffolk UK
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OK, now we're in the right place I can make some comment!
Virgin has had this experience with aircrew trained on the A340 who then moved to the B747-200 on promotion to command. The problems were significant. Regaining spatial and situational awareness using the limited aids and, more significantly, displays of the Classic was very difficult for those transitioning from the A340. This was, as I saw it (ex-mil trainer and QFI, but new to Virgin at the time), a more serious problem either than regaining the basic instrument scan, or than flying an aeroplane with few built-in protections against mishandling.
There was no easy answer to the problem other than more hours - mainly in the simulator. Some good pilots failed to successfully master the old technology, however.
Virgin has had this experience with aircrew trained on the A340 who then moved to the B747-200 on promotion to command. The problems were significant. Regaining spatial and situational awareness using the limited aids and, more significantly, displays of the Classic was very difficult for those transitioning from the A340. This was, as I saw it (ex-mil trainer and QFI, but new to Virgin at the time), a more serious problem either than regaining the basic instrument scan, or than flying an aeroplane with few built-in protections against mishandling.
There was no easy answer to the problem other than more hours - mainly in the simulator. Some good pilots failed to successfully master the old technology, however.
Interesting points made. In terms of pure instrument flying scans and basic skills, it is my experience that pilots converting for the first time to glass cockpit flight instruments from say a 737-200 have no trouble with basic instrument manual flying handling. After all the EHSI and EADI are just pretty little instruments with fancy colours. Kids "fly" them on their PC's all the time.
Depending largely on the quality of the instruction, the problem as most are aware, is the button pressing part of the job - autopilot, autothrottle, VNav and all those sort of goodies. Many a fine airline pilot has come to grief and been scrubbed not because he does not have the skill to fly the aircraft, but because he needs more time to learn the button pressing routine. If cursed with an unsympathetic or impatient irritable instructor, then it is all downhill from there.
But it certainly is food for thought when results show that pilots going back from years on glass cockpits to basic instrument panels and autopilots, strike trouble with simple instrument flying. One wonders how on earth these crews would cope with a loss of display screens and automatics and having to fall back on manual flying skills on standby ADI/RMI info. With accent on LOFT in cyclic simulator exercises and no serious practice at manual handling on basic flight instruments sans automatics,is it any wonder the aces of the A340 have significant problems coping with basic flying skills when returning to older aircraft.
Depending largely on the quality of the instruction, the problem as most are aware, is the button pressing part of the job - autopilot, autothrottle, VNav and all those sort of goodies. Many a fine airline pilot has come to grief and been scrubbed not because he does not have the skill to fly the aircraft, but because he needs more time to learn the button pressing routine. If cursed with an unsympathetic or impatient irritable instructor, then it is all downhill from there.
But it certainly is food for thought when results show that pilots going back from years on glass cockpits to basic instrument panels and autopilots, strike trouble with simple instrument flying. One wonders how on earth these crews would cope with a loss of display screens and automatics and having to fall back on manual flying skills on standby ADI/RMI info. With accent on LOFT in cyclic simulator exercises and no serious practice at manual handling on basic flight instruments sans automatics,is it any wonder the aces of the A340 have significant problems coping with basic flying skills when returning to older aircraft.
See 'European Collaboration On Transition Training Research for Increased Safety' (ECOTTRIS), check the downloadable reports (side panel) i.e. WP4 Final Report.
