George Robertson wrote:
>
> To All,
> The article referred to appeared in Flight International a few weeks ago
> and seemed to suggest that flying modern automated aeroplanes had become
> some kind of rocket science that only degree holders can manage.
Major discussion currently going on right now at the BLUECOAT forum
regarding advanced flight deck automation
http://www.neosoft.com/~sky/BLUECOAT/
No, education surely is not a must; I have experimented and after an
hour in the sim. I have had teenage computer nerds (average IQ) flying
the aircraft (sim.) on average far better than some professional pilots!
> I have a university degree myself as do many of my colleagues, however the
> problem as I see it is not one of pilot educational qualification so much
> as the quality and adequacy of training materials and information provided
> by the aircraft manufacturers.
Typically, manufacturers have a pilots reference manual, with a system
overview and usually surface info., not at all in depth; the manuals
however do not tell you how to fly the plane!!
The problem IMHO is we trainers and checkers (flight instructors & LCA)
do NOT do a very good job. Few people understand automation philosophies
and the average line pilot coming through does not get quality
instruction that is specific to airplanes with advanced flight deck
automation!!
> Take the Boeing 757/767 on which I am current. I have to depend on the
> Boeing produced operations manuals for systems knowledge. These are about
> as user unfriendly as you could imagine. To find out about the automated
> systems I have to look in the Navigation, Flight Instruments, and Automatic
> Flight sections as well as in the Normal and Supplementary procedures. The
> layout and typesetting is poor and the graphics are all monochrome line
> drawings to describe a system that depends heavily on colour displays. If I
> had spent 50 million dollars of my own money on one of their products, I
> would expect better than this. I have singled out Boeing here as I fly
> their aircraft, but I doubt if Airbus or the others are any better in this
> respect.
You CANNOT get skills and experience reading any manual from any
manufacturer.
> The FMS fumblings which were a factor in the Cali accident, and the lack of
> systems knowledge in the Birgenair accident at Puerto Plata are symptomatic
> of a training problem quite separate from any HF issues. Poor systems
> knowledge is more likely caused by lack of adequate information and
> training opportunites, than the lack of ability of pilots to absorb it.
We have a VERY serious problem here, WORLDWIDE! We are NOT properly
understanding and teaching AUTOMATION!! The automation can GREATLY
reduce pilot workload and help insure safety, yet many, many pilots and
LCA still say if you don't know "what it is doing now", turn it all off!
IMHO, that is VERY wrong! If you don't know what it is doing, you simply
do not know your airplane. If you have MAGIC in your airplane, you
simply do not understand your airplane! The pilot must at all times be
the master of his/her airplane!!
Regards-
Lonny