This airline training slide explains ‘active monitoring’ – visualize, act, compare. You must look for something, not just at something: It’s easy to say we should be mentally flying the aeroplane, but it’s also kind of a cop out. So it’s a nice addition to have some concrete ideas on how to actually do it.
Great advice on doing the right thing. From one of the best basketball players of all time Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, also known as Airplane! co-pilot Roger Murdock:
“The real need is for a fully aerobatic training aeroplane to be provided so that airline pilots can practise real flying manoeuveres and recovery from unusual attitudes. … There are too many senior transport pilots flying who have just about forgotten how to fly an aeroplane.” The Chief Test Pilot of the UK Airworthiness Authority wrote this in the last paragraph of his classic book. Fifty years ago. Long before AA587, AF447, and so many more. But we still don’t do this. Most airline pilots have never gone past 60 degrees of bank, and our simulators aren’t realistic for high … Continue reading Aerobatic training?
Automation complacency, and the need to stay proficient in manual flying are not new ideas. Fifty years ago the chief test pilot of the UK airworthiness authority warned us, in his (clearly) still relevant book Handling the Big Jets. The full quote, from page 316, is: “Do not become lazy in your professional lives. The autopilot is a great comfort, so are the flight director and approach coupler. But do not get into the position where you need these devices to complete a flight. Keep in practice in raw I.L.S., particularly in crosswinds. Keep in practice in hand-flying the airplane … Continue reading Do not become lazy
American Airlines Flight 383, a Boeing 767, during takeoff roll from ORD suffered an uncontained catastrophic failure of their starboard engine yesterday. Just like the sim. Except in the sim you don’t have 161 passengers, the wing doesn’t melt, and people don’t make meme’s from your super cool pilot picture:
