Hi Ho, off to SIMCOM I GO!

Dave Siciliano

Final Approach
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Dave Siciliano
So, it's that time of year again. Gotta go and get six to eight hours of sim training again which I copy my wonderful insurer on! Never feel more current and proficient than when I leave there. Also, have to send clothes to the cleaners to remove the perspiration stains!

Won't be very active on here until afterward.

From Dr. Evil: http://www.i-am-bored.com/bored_link.cfm?link_id=11340

Very appropriate <g>

Best,

Dave
 
When I taught sim I always followed the crew out of the bay. Pilot's shirt was always wet, Copilot's was seldom even damp. Bad air conditioner was all I could surmise.

So, it's that time of year again. Gotta go and get six to eight hours of sim training again which I copy my wonderful insurer on! Never feel more current and proficient than when I leave there. Also, have to send clothes to the cleaners to remove the perspiration stains!

Won't be very active on here until afterward.

From Dr. Evil: http://www.i-am-bored.com/bored_link.cfm?link_id=11340

Very appropriate <g>

Best,

Dave
 
Yea, this one's a little simpler, but it really takes a loooooog time to get there, and watch for obstacles on the runway <g>

Best,

Dave
 

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I brought a couple special approached to work on while there, Wayne.
This one looked like fun,

Best,

Dave

I've flown in there, IMC, but I think I used the LOC/DME X. I'll have to check the logbook.
 
some good ones here to in Innsbruck Austria
Have "fun" Dave
 

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I always liked to use SFO on a standard day for high/hot performance-limited takeoff practice. OEI climb with full fuel won't clear the bridge.
 
I always liked to use SFO on a standard day for high/hot performance-limited takeoff practice. OEI climb with full fuel won't clear the bridge.
There's an easy solution to that. Just fly under it. :)
 
Have fun Dave!

Don't party to much - I hear there are wild study parties every evening! :P
 
I always liked to use SFO on a standard day for high/hot performance-limited takeoff practice. OEI climb with full fuel won't clear the bridge.

Did those that didn't make it, go on to successful political careers :rofl:

Best,

Dave
 
There really aren't that many approaches in a sim that are authorized by the FAA for testing purposes (certain approaches at JFK, HOU, and MIA for example). I suppose 135/121 operators may have others that they use for their own training purposes (ASE comes to mind).
However, sim time is expensive and so there is very little time to "let's try this one."
Isn't this correct, Wayne?
If there is a little extra time, they may turn off the motion and let you play around. However most pilots would rather fly under bridges, do rolls and stuff rather than try one more approach :yesnod:
 
There really aren't that many approaches in a sim that are authorized by the FAA for testing purposes (certain approaches at JFK, HOU, and MIA for example). I suppose 135/121 operators may have others that they use for their own training purposes (ASE comes to mind).
However, sim time is expensive and so there is very little time to "let's try this one."
Isn't this correct, Wayne?
If there is a little extra time, they may turn off the motion and let you play around. However most pilots would rather fly under bridges, do rolls and stuff rather than try one more approach :yesnod:

I have a really hard time taking X-Plane or anything like that seriously, since I know it's fake and it's just so much fun to do stuff that I would never do in real life. I suppose I would treat it differently if it was a proper simulator and I needed to do well at it for my job or whatever other reason. :)
 
The problem with the obscure approaches is that many of them aren't modeled in the simulator data bases. From an approval standpoint, the limitation is primarily for circling approaches, of which only a relative few are FAA-blessed for use on checkrides.
There really aren't that many approaches in a sim that are authorized by the FAA for testing purposes (certain approaches at JFK, HOU, and MIA for example). I suppose 135/121 operators may have others that they use for their own training purposes (ASE comes to mind).
However, sim time is expensive and so there is very little time to "let's try this one."
Isn't this correct, Wayne?
If there is a little extra time, they may turn off the motion and let you play around. However most pilots would rather fly under bridges, do rolls and stuff rather than try one more approach :yesnod:
 
We had to do this one in UPT in the T-38 sim. Ah, nothing like cross-tuning radials in a single seat airplane going 300 KIAS....

The sim instructors called it the widow-maker. I think that's a bit extreme, but it definitely caused some extra stress in pilot training. :mad2:
 

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The problem with the obscure approaches is that many of them aren't modeled in the simulator data bases. From an approval standpoint, the limitation is primarily for circling approaches, of which only a relative few are FAA-blessed for use on checkrides.

That's why every ride I have taken in the sim, FOs have done the JFK ILS22L circle 31L and CAs have done the JFK ILS4R circle 31R. No matter what else we do, we'll get those approaches for our circle.
 
That's why every ride I have taken in the sim, FOs have done the JFK ILS22L circle 31L and CAs have done the JFK ILS4R circle 31R. No matter what else we do, we'll get those approaches for our circle.
I think I've only done the circling approach at JFK in the sim once, a long time ago. Normally it is the ICT VOR 14 circle to 1R or the MEM LOC 27 circle to 18R. However last time on my checkride the examiner surprised me by doing the whole ride in IND with a whole set of approaches I had never seen which was sort of a surprise. He said people were becoming "bored" with ICT and MEM. The circle was the IND LOC 32 circle to 23R. So maybe more circling approaches are slowly being approved. I've always thought the circling approaches in the sim are not taught the way you would really do them because there is very little visibility to the side so they use other tricks like counting seconds and turning to a certain heading.
 
I think I've only done the circling approach at JFK in the sim once, a long time ago. Normally it is the ICT VOR 14 circle to 1R or the MEM LOC 27 circle to 18R. However last time on my checkride the examiner surprised me by doing the whole ride in IND with a whole set of approaches I had never seen which was sort of a surprise. He said people were becoming "bored" with ICT and MEM. The circle was the IND LOC 32 circle to 23R. So maybe more circling approaches are slowly being approved. I've always thought the circling approaches in the sim are not taught the way you would really do them because there is very little visibility to the side so they use other tricks like counting seconds and turning to a certain heading.

I think that's why we always use those JFK circles. The runway you're landing on is far enough downfield that you can maintain sight of it all the way through the maneuver, even with the limited field of view the sim provides. That, and they try to keep us on approach plates that we actually have in our bag so they don't have to remember to print new ones off, which pretty well limits us to the East coast (and bits of TX and LA).
 
Yesterday was all academics for us; presentations from all attending:
Briefs (even though some wore boxers I am told <g>. Pre takeoff; taxi; departure; enroute, approach, etc.
Reviewed the near miss on the ground at Charlotte;
Working the Garman GPS units: off set routes; approaches to IF and from intersections.
A lot of time on aircraft systems. Most of us lift off and accelerate in ground affect to blue line or well after Vmc before climbing on longer fields. Lots of discussion of topics raised by attendees. Does one go through restricted airspace NORDO or proceed on planned path? Etc.

Best,

Dave
 
The 4/31 circle is easy. Just diagonal to offset 4R, fly a parallel runway track while over the golf course until you see the rabbit, then start the turn and descent immediately. If necessary, you can set up a VOR radial for starting the descent/turn.

That's why every ride I have taken in the sim, FOs have done the JFK ILS22L circle 31L and CAs have done the JFK ILS4R circle 31R. No matter what else we do, we'll get those approaches for our circle.
 
Strong headwinds on the return last night; over 50 knots, even low. Kept comparing the ETE in the GPS to the remaining fuel in the shadin and wanted at least 30 minutes at destination. We go close in the middle of the trip around Gulfport and continued. As we passed Alexandria, it became clear we wouldn't have a comfortable margin; so, we decided to stop at the ONLY airport with a large storm cell over it east of Dallas!!.

Wasn't on NEXRAD as we approached, but lightning got our attention. Right after landing, pretty good, say moderate, rain and lightning. Fuel fella in a rain suit didn't want to fuel the plane in the vicinity of lighting; so, we waited quite awhile, but were glad to be on the ground waiting as opposed to in the air wondering.

Walked in the FBO and no one was there, which meant when we wanted to walk out again, no dice. Homeland Security comes to the rescue again!!
Had to wait for the fuel guy to finish and come back to the FBO to let us out!
I sure feel safer after that wonderful experience.

Best,

Dave
 
We practiced a bunch of circle to lands with low ceilings; lots of fun. I did the last on a BC LOC with step down fixes at ORL; low ceiling with circle on one engine. Had to take sedatives to relax enough to bend my back after completion and use a bath towel to wipe off perspiration.
Things would have to be really bad on the approach runway for me to even think about a circle to land with an engine out, but fun stuff in the sim.
Also, great place to learn to ignore people when the co-pilot, sim instructor and an observer that are all hard of hearing (with loud voices) all decide to give you 'tips' on short final and while circling.

Best,

Dave
 
We practiced a bunch of circle to lands with low ceilings; lots of fun. I did the last on a BC LOC with step down fixes at ORL; low ceiling with circle on one engine. Had to take sedatives to relax enough to bend my back after completion and use a bath towel to wipe off perspiration.
Things would have to be really bad on the approach runway for me to even think about a circle to land with an engine out, but fun stuff in the sim.
Also, great place to learn to ignore people when the co-pilot, sim instructor and an observer that are all hard of hearing (with loud voices) all decide to give you 'tips' on short final and while circling.

Best,

Dave
Hey,:blush: all I did was point out where end of the (hard to see) runway you were supposedly aiming for was at when you were distracted by all those flashing lights leading to the wrong runway. The winds remained strong all through the next day but fortunately for me the lake I was skiing on had good protection and the water was quite calm (I combined the Simcom training with some warm water skiing nearby).

It was certainly good to see you and the others again Dave, too bad about those nasty headwinds. I suspected you'd have trouble with groundspeed given the persistent strong westerlies. At least you had some good company in the plane.
 
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