Last week found me back in Dallas. This time for taxi & run up training. With my past work injuries, my taxi & engine run up release had expired a while back. During that time, the training program was changed twice. Once from a paper test to a computer test, then to a program with training in the simulator. The program was also changed so that two currently licensed mechanics be in the cockpit sitting at the controls for taxiing. It used to be only one current mechanic and another person to act as an observer and operate the radio was required. These changes came about by ever increasing runway incursions through out the industry.
So we are safer and more qualified now. We were going for 16 hours in the classroom and 8 hours in the simulators. The simulator time was divided over two nights, after daily pilot training. We were told it was divided into two, 4 hour sessions because an eight hour session was too long to endure. We soon found out why. The first night we flew one of the Boeing 737-700 simulators and the second night we flew in the Boeing 737-300 simulator. Not too much difference in the two. One thing all the simulators had in common was that the simulator technicians hang a rubber chicken off the right rear corner of all simulators. Our instructor was a mechanic with Delta Airlines for 24 years and he said all the simulators at Delta have a hanging rubber chicken. It is a tradition. If you know what the tradition is, please tell me.
The day before I left for training, my parents kitchen stove caught on fire. Everyone seemed to be fine when I got there. There was some smoke damage through out the house. I called the insurance company and they would check it out when I was in Dallas. As I was leaving for Dallas, I called to see how Mom and Dad were. My brother said Dad needed to go to the doctor. I went over and talked Dad into going to see the doctor to check him for smoke inhalation. I then left. Two hours later I called to ask what the doctor said and my brother told me Dad didn't go. While in class the next day, I called to check up on Mom and Dad. My brother then told me Dad was in the hospital for some tests. The tests just showed what we already knew, he had an irregular heartbeat and high blood sugar count, Diabetes.
So we are safer and more qualified now. We were going for 16 hours in the classroom and 8 hours in the simulators. The simulator time was divided over two nights, after daily pilot training. We were told it was divided into two, 4 hour sessions because an eight hour session was too long to endure. We soon found out why. The first night we flew one of the Boeing 737-700 simulators and the second night we flew in the Boeing 737-300 simulator. Not too much difference in the two. One thing all the simulators had in common was that the simulator technicians hang a rubber chicken off the right rear corner of all simulators. Our instructor was a mechanic with Delta Airlines for 24 years and he said all the simulators at Delta have a hanging rubber chicken. It is a tradition. If you know what the tradition is, please tell me.
I made it up to Dallas the night before class started. I took with me a cold that Luke gave me. The morning of the class, I woke up with a sore throat. Great! No going home sick now. I made it through the week taking medicine for my congestion and dripping vinegar down my throat to "pickle that bug". Class was easy and we sailed through the computer tests. Tuesday brought thoughts of the coming training in the "box", as the instructor was calling the simulator. Would I know what to do when the fire bells went off? Would I screw up? My mind tends to run a muck if I let it. As it turned out I was the first one in the "hot" seat, the captain's seat. From the start, our instructor was throwing everything he could think of at us. A starter that wouldn't release. An engine that wouldn't gain rpm. An engine that started "hot". A hot start is when the engine's exhaust gas temperature exceeds manufacturer limits. It would ruin the engine or worse. We were also getting more intense training on taking directions over the radio, so the simple instructions from the tower to taxi from the terminal gate to the hangar became a round about, don't get lost, exercise around the airport. The first time I taxied across the "active" runway, the fire bells and lights came on for #2 engine. I immediately shut that engine off and then told the mechanic in the right seat (my co pilot) to fight the fire while I got us across the runway. We were taught to stop and take care of the problem, before getting into more trouble. Getting the plane off the runway was stressed numerous times because a plane may be fixing to land on top of you . So I taxied across the runway and then stopped. The whole class is designed to teach us to work as a team. We did. We got a........"Y'all did good", from the instructor after we were through. After an hour of drills and taxing, we took a break. I needed it as I tense. We were not using the simulator's motion, as it was turned off. But we had a dark cockpit and the view out the windows almost looked real. While trying not to screw up, you get tense as it all seems real. You react like it is real. Our class of 4 did well. We didn't burn up any parts of the aircraft the first night. Overall we did well with the computer tests also. No one failed. If you failed, your computer had to be reset. The instructor commented our class was the first class he hadn't reset a computer. The second night we practiced taking engine readings at take off power and making sure the plane is safe to do run at high power sittings. We were taught to fasten our seat belts and showed a photo of an Airbus that went through a fence during a high power engine run. Accidents happen, be prepared.
There was no simulator maintenance scheduled after our training class, so we got to fly for two hours. On my second landing, I finally landed that big Boeing 737-700. Definitely different from driving the Big Red Beast! Flying the simulators gave me a look at what pilots go through to fly their dreams.
The day before I left for training, my parents kitchen stove caught on fire. Everyone seemed to be fine when I got there. There was some smoke damage through out the house. I called the insurance company and they would check it out when I was in Dallas. As I was leaving for Dallas, I called to see how Mom and Dad were. My brother said Dad needed to go to the doctor. I went over and talked Dad into going to see the doctor to check him for smoke inhalation. I then left. Two hours later I called to ask what the doctor said and my brother told me Dad didn't go. While in class the next day, I called to check up on Mom and Dad. My brother then told me Dad was in the hospital for some tests. The tests just showed what we already knew, he had an irregular heartbeat and high blood sugar count, Diabetes.
I did get some seat time yesterday on my Mahindra. I spent 4 hours hauling and spreading clay on the neighbor's driveway. It is maybe a quarter mile long. The 6520's loader strained the front tires every trip. Now I hope we get a little rain! Tomorrow I go to the doctor, as my cold has been with me a week. Check out the photos I uploaded here. Please stop by later for more from Booger and all of us.
hugs, Brandi
No comments:
Post a Comment