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has some other benefits. One, it doesn’t burn any Jet A, so you’re saving about 800 lbs/hour! Secondly, you can do what the instructor refers to as “batting practice.” Remem­ ber earlier, I gave the scenario of a departure that went awry at 95 knots? You can practice this same scenario multiple times in a fraction of the time required to do it in the actual aircraft. Once you takeoff, go through the process of flying the aircraft and running your checklist, they can freeze the simulator and reposition you back at the beginning of the runway for you to do it again. Also, for debriefing purposes only, they can track you on the airport diagram/departure plate. This allows you to see how well you tracked the centerline and course profile along with other parameters such as airspeed, vertical speed and altitude creating a very objective experience.
Full motion simulators simply allow you to practice scenarios and emergencies you can’t safely perform in the actual aircraft. The engineering behind these state­ of­the­art machines also creates the environment of “the real thing,” along with the pressures and control inputs required to manipulate the controls. I still vividly remember my initial course 15 years ago. With only 450 hours total time, I went through the initial class at CAE. Once I returned from training, our chief pilot put me in the right seat of the aircraft and assigned another pilot to the left seat. We went out and performed three takeoff and landings – me being the sole manipulator
of the controls. The aircraft flew just like the simulator, only the airplane was easier to land. I left CAE with the confidence to fly the aircraft in the deepest of emergencies while in the most inclement weather conditions. The airshow industry offers great advice to the performers, the gist of it is, never try a new maneuver for the first time during an airshow. This same advice applies to us as King Air pilots, let’s not try the most complex of emergencies in the worst of IMC conditions without rehearsing first in the simulator.
The FAA believes in full­motion based simulators, that’s why you can get an ATP license and type ratings in them. Insurance companies believe in them too; many times, pilots can get out of the simulator and jump right into the cockpit and have insurance approval with no IOE requirements unless imposed by the FAA. So, as far as the best insurance carriers are concerned, if you do the best training, they’ll give you the “Cadillac” plan for the Chevy Cruze price! In the words of CAE, “Elevate Your Training.” Your insurance carrier will reward you and you will be at the top of your game. KA
Kyle P. White is the CEO of Aviation Solutions, a Marsh & McLennan Agency company, an insurance brokerage and risk management company, and a former professional King Air pilot holding an ATP and MEII license. He can be reached by e-mail at Kyle.white@marshmma.com.
JANUARY 2017
KING AIR MAGAZINE • 15