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Simulators Don’t Fly Like Airplanes
Article excerpted from Airline Pilot Careers, June 2000 issue
by Captain Karen M. Kahn

Hopefully, you realized when you were working on your Instrument rating, that it was to be the most important rating of your career and it was not the time to skimp on basics. Developing a good instrument scan is a must for the professional pilot, but that's only the beginning. Keeping that scan in good repair is a constant, on-going battle for everyone from the newly minted IFR pilot to the seasoned airline captain. And like it or not, your scan will "depart the area," with surprising rapidity once you let up on the constant practice required to keep it sharp.

So, if you're just getting into aviation, make sure you pay close attention during your instrument training and plan carefully for the ongoing maintenance of your skills. As you progress into bigger and faster aircraft, the use of simulators will become common and increasingly more important to your career. You'll be expected to demonstrate your IFR skills on every type of simulator from a basic Tabletop model, to a machine that may have been built before you were born, to a state-of-the-art full-motion sim with daytime graphics and every conceivable computerized gadget. That's when a great scan will payoff.

Dealing with the simulator phenomena is very much a mindset. Complaining that the sim you've been given to fly doesn't replicate the airplane is a waste of time. Your job is to know how to fly a simulator. In the process, you’ll need to disregard the make and model hype that can lead you into thinking you’re flying an airplane-you’re not! Think of it as a skill exercise designed to test your "instant accommodation" skills.

Most airline simulators do a good job of replicating the cockpit, but often the flying characteristics leave a lot to be desired. You may think they're a duplicate at first glance, but after you're flown the "real McCoy" for a while, you'll return to the sim, cursing it's insensitivity-or over sensitivity-noting that the airplane flies much better than this soulless beast.

Your job as a pilot applicant is to pass the simulator checkride, and often that can take as much practice-if not more-than what you'll expend studying for written tests or person-to-person interviews. And just because you're currently employed as a pilot, it doesn't mean you can pass a sim check without preparation. To do your best, you'll probably have to spend some time refreshing your sim-flying skills as well.

Don't fall into the trap of thinking that since you fly regularly, you'll have no trouble flying a simulator. Flying regularly is good practice for flying airplanes, not simulators. We've seen too many pilots work hard on their interviewing skills only to brush off the sim check with a "no problem, I'm current" comment. Later, we sometimes learn the applicant was fortunate enough to pass the interview portion, but lost it when "the box" ate his lunch, so to speak.

When preparing for a sim checkride, make sure your practice is focused. Just spending time with a simulator isn't going to provide you with the experience necessary to pass a new-hire checkride. Be sure that your training is just that-training. Take the time (usually a minimum of two to three hours), and spend the money to get some real training that includes dealing with approaches and basic IFR maneuvers. Emergencies and unusual attitudes usually will not be part of a sim checkride.

Become thoroughly acquainted with your sim and its instruments. You will almost always receive a briefing before taking the actual sim check, so make sure to pay attention and ask questions if you're not used to any control or instrument. One pilot, who was unfamiliar with the skypointer type of attitude indicator, became disoriented during his pre-hire check, ruining an otherwise well-flown ride. Rather than receiving a "thumbs up" he was told he could reapply six months later. Had he spent some time in a structured practice environment, his results might have been a class-date offer rather than a “sorry, better-luck-next-time” response.

When preparing for a pre-hire sim check, try to get instruction in a machine similar to the one you’ll take the checkride in. It’s certainly fine to jump into a full-motion, transport-type simulator if the opportunity’s available, but if you know your check will be in a stationary, desktop computer model, try to get practice on a stationary, desktop computer. Although it would offer the best preparation, you don't have to rent a DC-10 simulator just because the airline uses one for testing its applicants. You may want to use a PC-type sim to keep your scan up to grade and then utilize a stand-alone sim and instructor prior to your testing situation. Any type of sim that allows you to practice the various maneuvers and provides an opportunity to utilize CRM skills will help you pass this crucial event.

Beware of thinking that since you flew any sim around the patch a few times, you'll ace the checkride. Take the time to renew your acquaintance and practice. Even if you fly frequently, the practice is worth the investment. The types of flying you do also can make or break your chance at successfully passing a sim check. If you're used to giving scenic tours and find most of your flights are VFR, or perhaps you're giving lots of instruction (even though it may be IFR dual), you'll definitely want to become "sim current" before any pre-hire checkride.

Simulators aren't airplanes-in most cases they don't provide the same sensory clues and cues of real aircraft-however, they do provide us many opportunities that airplanes just can't match. Flying in any kind of weather, at any time of day, and to any destination in the world-simulators offer a great benefit to pilots who may not have the resources to experience a wide range of flight conditions. To see how pilots cope, sim instructors and testers can introduce unusual attitudes and emergencies that might be suicidal in a real airplane, and it's a lot less expensive to spend an hour in a simulator than in a real B-737 with both engines turning.