Is Your Life Worth More Than Airline Profits? (w/Guest Charles Sauer)

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

5. Exactly right.

That used to be my job. We'd train pilots to handle all kinds of emergencies and system failures that would have been unsafe even to demonstrate in an airplane. Some of these situations can be simulated quite effectively even in level B and C simulators, which have lower standards of motion and visual displays, but you can throw them something like an electrical or hydraulic system failure or a flight instrument failure, make them run the checklist and handle whatever configuration changes are necessary. The type ride is always in a level D simulator and it will be scenario-based, but will cover certain kinds of emergencies or malfunctions as approved by the FAA. Yes, the training in a simulator is far superior to anything that could be safely done in the real airplane. You're not going to be failing an engine on takeoff, or "simulating" a dual engine failure, or shutting down a flight management computer in a real airplane without causing a very dangerous situation.