3 ms·
I know two pilots in their 50s (husband and wife, who met through their work). Because of covid, they're back in flight simulators. For them, it's very very wei
by raffraffraff 6y ago
I know two pilots in their 50s (husband and wife, who met through their work). Because of covid, they're back in flight simulators. For them, it's very very weird to be in a simulator unless it's for extreme scenarios like zero visibility, treacherous wind, engine failure etc. He's had a handful of flights in the last few months so his licence is ok, but she's got to fly as co-pilot for a while because she hasn't flown for 3 months. There's a critical mass issue though... If an airline doesn't have enough pilots who can fly, it takes a while for the rest to get the co-pilot fly time. So now she's in the simulator, and the instruction is simply "Take off from London, touch down in Dublin".
I thought it was like riding a bicycle - you don't forget. While that's true to an extent, I was told that you do "lose your edge" without constant practice. (I'm sure every developer knows what is like to go back to a language after a year of not using it).
I'm not suggesting that it's a factor here, just wanted to give a different angle to the low flight volume.
- dehrmann 6y agoI don't feel like I'm as good of a driver after only driving a few miles per week. I can do it, but I definitely feel a little out of practice.
- dmitrygr 6y agoIt is not like riding a bike at all. A few weeks of not flying, and I notice my landings getting sloppier and less smooth.
- FabHK 6y agoParticularly IFR.
- nexuist 6y agoIndeed, a leading cause of fatalities in general aviation is CFIT (controlled flight into terrain) often induced by a on-again-off-again pilot with very distanced hours. They fool themselves into thinking they are just as good as the pilot they used to be months ago, and as a result miss obvious warning signs and fail to adhere to procedure causing a disaster.
- mulmen 6y agoThis reminds me of Blancolirio speaking of “perishable skills” in a recent video: https://youtu.be/u19R0zfusiQ&t=14m30s https://youtu.be/u19R0zfusiQ&t=14m30s That was in regard to mid-air refueling but I’m sure it extends to other skills as well.