Learning to fly a Boeing 737

While we wait for Hardy to Complete Aerowinx 10, I have been learning to fly a B737 and had the opportunity to fly the Flight Experience simulator at Darling Harbour for 90 minutes on March 19, 2012. I had quite a list of scenarios to attempt and their International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) designation:
  • Night Takeoff Runway 25  in Sydney (YSSY) - we also flew a circuit and did a night visual approach slope indicator (VASI) landing. I once attempted this on the B727 simulator while on a training course at Ansett  and came in way too low; thankfully I have improved thanks to my study of Aerowinx and Airframe Operations. A 7 out of 10
  • Landing in Cairns because it was attractive (YCBS) -this was harder than I thought, as the airport is surrounded by some mountains and a residential area.
  • A Cat 3 into Frankfurt  (EDDF)-this was a cloudy approach flying on Auto systems until flying down the glideslope in manual until the runway was sighted which required sensitive rudder control until touchdown, a definite 'thump' on landing and careful Reverse Thrpttle control.
  • A 'Captain only' approach into Queenstown  (NZQN) which is greatly tempting to pull out of but highly satisfying on touchdown; my sweat rate definitely increased during this exercise.
  • A 'circle' approach into Anchorage, Alaska (PANC) , an approach I had wanted to fly for some time, as I`m a bit of a cargo plane fan, and there are both propliner and jets of all sizes operating out of Alsaka. It`s a huge 'hub' for many international cargo operators.  This was the most satisfying of all.
Joining me for all the fun was my friend Tony Rasmussen from  http://beatlesblogger.wordpress.com/  he`s the one on the right.

What was also satisfying was that I heard via the grapevine that our instructor had gained an Entry position at Cathay Pacific on Boeing 747s.

To really make the time work for you, I suggest save up or wait for a special deal for 90 minutes flying. It`s more challenging, and also gives a more accurate assessment of where you are in your comprehension of training systems like Aerowinx. More about that in teh next post.

Until then,

Keep safe wherever you fly,

Neil

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular Posts