How an aircraft simulator mimics real-life stress
My palms were sweating as I brought the plane into a gradual descent, aiming to land the ATR72-600 smoothly on the runway at Toulouse-Blagnac Airport in France.
That might not seem surprising, especially in light of the fact it was my first time at the controls of an aircraft, but it shocked me.
I mean, I didn't have any passengers on board nor was I responsible for getting a crew safely back on terra firma. In truth, I wasn't even flying a plane. I had the controls of an ATR72-600 in my hot little hands but they were inside a simulator, not the fuselage of an aircraft airborne over France. Of course, I knew this but the experience felt so real, it tricked my body and induced a classic and slippery response to stress – sweaty palms.
The ATR72-600 full-flight simulator at the ATR Training Centre near Toulouse is a marvel of engineering. With its exact controls, movement and ability to replicate real scenarios, it's proving to be a popular way to help bring professional pilots up to speed with flying the new series of ATR turboprop aircraft.
Like the ATR virtual reality booth I also experienced that provides a 3D taste of flying in the future, the simulator can be a lot of fun, too.
Our guide on this simulator adventure, flight examiner Gwenael Met-Evers laughed as he encouraged my fellow New Zealand journalists and me to "play".
"It's a big Game Boy."
After my colleague and I settled ourselves into the pilots' seats, Met-Evers flicked a few switches on the instrument panel and tapped on a computer screen nestled behind the cockpit. Next thing, we appeared to be at the end of a runway at Toulouse-Blagnac Airport with Met-Evers telling us to take off.
I think the steering might have been a bit wonky because I swear I was holding the controls steady yet the aircraft veered left towards the grass. Met-Evers told us not to worry, saying it was "perfect" as we lifted off, managing to get airborne just before we hit the greenery.
We climbed as Met-Evers ensured the landing gear was raised. My colleague and I relaxed a bit once we reached altitude, just as I imagine real pilots do. Met-Evers even engaged the autopilot for a while before getting us to make a few turns and fly towards the Pyrenees mountain range to experience a change in conditions.
The simulator rocks and tips to mimic the feeling of flight. It's fascinating to watch from the outside as the simulator jiggles and rolls on hydraulic stilts. Although it can't replicate the G-forces possible in flight, it can trick your body and does make the experience feel real.
My palms started to sweat as soon as Met-Evers told us it was time to land – and with good reason, it turns out.
I wish I could say we landed that ATR72-600 expertly on the runway at Toulouse-Blagnac Airport but I can't. Met-Evers froze the experience before we clipped a barrier on approach.
The ATR72-600 full flight simulator at the training centre sits next to a "legacy" simulator, says ATR area sales manager training and flight operations Dimitri Boursy. The legacy simulator can replicate other ATR aircraft including the ATR72-500, the ATR42-300 and the ATR72-200.
Met-Evers says most pilots undergo five weeks of training. The course includes computer-based, flat-panel and full-flight training.
"[These] guys are already airline pilots," he says. "We are just talking about the aircraft, how to use an ATR. We don't train pilots."
Boursy says the simulator is the "perfect training tool" to replicate the aircraft environment including the mechanics of flying, the weather and the traffic conditions ... "anything with regard to the flight operation".
"You can do whatever you want to be simulated."
Along with the training centre near Toulouse, ATR has others at Paris, Johannesburg and Singapore.
However, Air New Zealand pilots don't need to hop over to Singapore for training – the national carrier has its own simulators in Auckland. A spokeswoman says Air NZ has 10 operational full-flight simulators for each of its aircraft fleets – Beech 1900D, ATR72-500, ATR72-600, Boeing 787, Boeing 777-300ER, Dash8-Q300, Boeing 767 and two for the Airbus A320. It also continues to operate the Boeing 737-300, although it retired its fleet last year.
They are busy, too, used by pilots from Air NZ and other airlines 16 to 24 hours a day, seven days a week, depending on fleet.
All qualified pilots joining Air NZ and transiting to its aircraft face one month in the classroom, completing computer-based and flat-panel training.
"During this period, they will study a wide range of topics including systems knowledge and how to operate the aircraft in a normal and emergency environment," the spokeswoman says.
Pilots then progress to a simulator "where they will spend the next several weeks learning how to operate the aircraft in a wide variety of scenarios".
Once they pass the ground and simulator phase of training, the pilots move on to flying an Air NZ aircraft under the supervision of a training captain for nearly two months.
"The final phase in the process is a flight with a check captain, who will assesses the pilot over a series of flights to ensure they meet the high standards we set for all our crew."
The spokeswoman declined to reveal the purchase price of a simulator but says Air New Zealand's investment in pilot training is "significant and in the tens of millions of dollars".
I trust all that training means the pilots don't suffer from sweaty palms as they bring an aircraft in to land.
Written by Cherie Sivignon. First appeared on Stuff.co.nz.
Image credit: Stuff / Andy Jackson
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