Also, the "lessons learned" go both ways. Many human psychology / limits issues that affect airline pilots are also relevant for glider pilots. As the topic is much better documented/researched/popularized in the context of "serious flying", these (airline industry) materials are used in the training of glider pilots (just last week we had a lecture on these issues during a KSS/GSS Zar camp).



On Saturday, November 16, 2013 10:48:06 AM UTC+1, Bill Palmer wrote:
As an A330 Captain, long time instructor on the airplane, and the author of the book "Understanding Air France 447," I have to agree 100% with the article.



I fly with pilots every day who NEVER turn the flight director off, and who fly with captains that would never let them.



Instrument flying skills, flying skills in general, and the ability to maintain or regain control of the aircraft during an upset event, like any skill erode with non-use.



When the flight director stops working, or provides erroneous information, it will add to the difficulty of handling the upset recovery if one is not trained in how to properly handle the situation and practiced in manual control.



As one example: Until fairly recently jet airliner stall recovery consisted mostly of power application and a focus on the minimization of altitude loss. Many will cite that the AF447 crew did not react to the stall warning.. But I contend that they did - and exactly how they were trained - by applying full power. Unfortunately, at high altitude, virtually no additional power is available.





Recovery training in a simulator, even with the best intentions, is limited in its possible effectiveness by the inherent lack of g-forces and the knowledge that no matter what happens, you'll get out just fine in a few hours. It's hard to teach "unloading" in a simulator, when you can't feel it.

You'll never hang by your seatbelt or see the dirt fly off the floor in a simulator. You don't want to be doing so for the first time in the weather, in the dark, with a couple hundred passengers behind you.

Performing these maneuvers in a glider or other acrobatic aircraft adds the missing dimensions to drive home the principles of upset recovery.



Bill Palmer

understandingAF447.com





On Wednesday, November 13, 2013 9:15:54 AM UTC-8, JS wrote:

News from the Royal Aeronautical Society conference, picked up on the [Aus-Soaring] newsgroup, and deposited below.



Jim







http://media.aerosociety.com/aerospa...industry/8629/