Kellwolf's Upgrade Updates

Sim 4 - aka Mountain Flying for dummies

Start out on the runway in Helena, MT, 52,000 lbs and it's 25C outside. Which means the airplane is gonna climb even worse than it normally does. Takeoff roll, and lose the left engine at V1. Now, Helena is basically in the bottom of a fishbowl with mountains forming the sides, so we have a company procedure for engine out climbs. So, we start flying that procedure while doing the SE takeoff profile. And lemme tell ya, we had PLENTY of time to make the calls. This thing climbs like a DOG when it's heavy, hot and single engine. Finish up the company procedure and get repositioned to FL370.

Now it's time for some of the fun stuff. Jet upset, unusual attitudes, mach buffet and mach tuck demo and a dutch roll demo. I wasn't totaly comfortable flying in the left seat, but after doing all of those, I feel TONS better over there. Then we had an explosive decompression to an emergency descent with the masks on. Finished that up, and did a max rate descent down to 7000 ft for a CFIT/GPWS demo. Basically it was to show us what the system will do when you start getting close to the things that will make you go "splat." Did the recovery manuever from the GPWS warning and leveled out.

Next was some flight control malfunctions. First off was an aileron PCU runway. Not much to do other than catch it and fight the airplane. 'Course I found out the left seat in this particular sim aparently doesn't have full travel on the ailerons. Plane rolled over on it's back even though I was about to break the friggin yoke. The FO's side still had plenty of travel, but the CA side was to the stops. Me thinks someone needs to re-calibrate. Anyway, averted that crisis by running the QRH procedures. Then we got the dreaded stab trim runaway. I felt the yoke start to push back against me....hard, so I hit the disconnect button. I hit it too soon for the teaching part of the lesson, though. It wasn't out of trim very badly, so the instructor spun my trim up so I could feel what it's like to fly it fighting the stab trim (AP doesn't work in this situation).

So, fighting this beast (left arm was totally extended just to keep the nose down and in level flight), I flew the southern DME arc into the ILS 27 into Helena.....and no runway in sight at minimum. So, now I do the go around out of trim. Reset to about a 5 mile final, and then land it out of trim.

Normal takeoff out of Helena for vectors on the northern DME arc for the ILS 27.....no FMS. So, we do the whole thing green needles with the RMI up for the VOR. It's just like doing a DME arc in a Seminole with an RMI, you're just going really fast. Come in on that approach, land and I'm done.

All in all, the lesson went really well. I forgot to de-select 1/2 bank when I got to Vt on the SE procedure, but other than that I managed to shuffle my way through without any other screw ups.

Tomorrow I've got the insanely early 4 am sim slot, and it's winter ops procedures, an ISIS only approach, an RA recovery and a LOC BC approach. After that, it's one more sim, and on to the checkrides.
 
Sim #5.....which started before the sun was even up this morning.

I went second, so I started out on the ground in Jackson, TN. Departed runway 20 and got vectors to the Jackson VOR. Cleared for the full approach, LOC BC 20. Went out, did the procedure turn, came back and flew the approach to a landing. No problems. Take off, climb up to 5K and did a steep turn to the left and one to the right. Takeoff stall and landing stall both went okay. No longer concerned about stalls and steep turns on the checkride.

Zapped to MEM, where there's a 1/2 inch of snow on the runway, and do the contaminated runway takeoff. Climb up, and get an ICE DET FAIL. Dispatch and MX say "go back to MEM," so we go back for a two engine ILS 36L to a normal landing with poor braking. Zapped out to the OM and did the ISIS only approach. Best way to do this is for the PF to control pitch and bank while the PM controls thrust levers and speed. Normal landing.


Take off again, and we get an N1 fan burst at V1. Deal with the single engine stuff.....poorly. I don't know whether it was just early in the morning or just a total brain fart, but I forgot to call flaps up. Everything happened fast, and he failed the AP on me right when I called for it on. Wouldn't actualy happen on a checkride since they're not supposed to give you more than one failure without telling you, but that's no excuse for not catching the AP not coming on. Anyway, back around for a single engine ILS to 36C, and no problems on the approach.

I was really disappointed with my performance on this one. This close to the checkride, I shouldn't be flubbing calls on any of the profiles. So, I'm gonna berate myself for about ......7 more minutes and let it go. Tomorrow's the last sim, so assuming I do well with everything (and I think I'll be okay tomorrow), checkride is on Thurs.
 
Sim 6 - Phase check sim

Well, this one went quite well. Started off at the gate like I had just accepted the aircraft from another crew. Did the flight deck inspection check, before start, cleared to start and pushed back. Got a no light off on the engine start, so that wasn't too bad. Taxi to 18R (RVR 700) and do the checklists on the way out. Got an N1 fan burst on the takeoff, so we aborted the takeoff. Zapped back to the end of the runway and did a normal takeoff. Climbed up to 10K for steep turn, takeoff stall and landing stall. Honestly, they were the best steep turns and stalls I've ever done. Told to intercept a radial outbound, and as we intercept we get a R FUEL FILTER caution message. MX says bring it back to MEM, so we go back for the LOC 18R. Lots of step down fixes on this one, so we did that....and FedEx was on the runway. Go around, and the engine caught fire about 500 AGL on the go around. Come back around for a SE ILS 36L to a landing. Zapped to the end of the runway again, and get a left engine flame out at V1. Get through the profile and the malfunction is reset. Then we get a FLAPS FAIL caution message and get vectors for the RNAV 36C. Do that just fine, and I'm done for the day.

After my sim partner had his turn, we still had FORTY FIVE MINUTES left in the lesson. So, he opted to do another takeoff stall since his was a little shaky. His last one was right on the money, though. My landings were shaky (kept floating), and we discovered it was b/c I try to land the sim like the actual airplane. It won't do it. You just have to more or less thump it on. Once I got that figured out, it was in the first 1500 ft everytime. Two engines, one engine, no flaps. Didn't matter. Once I got it figured out that you really DON'T flare in the sim, it was cool. Basically, the thrust vector generated by pulling the engines to idle pulls the nose up (yeah, it's backwards from GA airplanes b/c the engines are in the TAIL). It actually pulls the nose up into a near perfect flare when you do it. Works in the sim. You'll rupture someone's spleen doing that in the real plane, though. :)

So, I'm officially signed off for the checkride on Thurs. I'm off tomorrow, my sim partner goes on Wed, and my turn is at 10 am on Thurs. If things go well, we've got LOFT on Fri and Cat II training on Mon.
 
Best of luck to you, man!

You guys do a separate sim for Cat II? We have ours combined with the LOFT.
 
6 sims before your checkride? At CHQ, you only get 4.

Would have been nice to get the extra time. You sound prepared and relaxed.

Enjoy the rest of upgrade.
 
Well, my sim partner's checkride was yesterday, and that one didn't go so well. I had mine today.

Started out by meeting the check airman at around noonish. We went through the paperwork, verified the 8710, medical, license, etc. Finally got in the box about 20 minutes later. Started off at the gate with the flight deck saftey and flight deck inspection checks already done. So, all we had to do was set it up for a flight from MEM to MOB, and start from there. Did my takeoff briefing, the before start flow and the before start check. Cleared to start flow and checklist, had the ground crew capture us, and got clearance to pushback. Pushed back, one good engine start, so I released the ground crew. Second engine had a non-starter cutout. Ran the procedure and the QRH and went from there. Taxiied out to 18R with no issues, running checklists along the way. Cleared to takeoff, and got an N2 vib on takeoff. Rejected takeoff and shut the engine down. Ran the checklists and reset to the end of the runway.

Normal takeoff and climb. Did some intercepting and tracking with the FMS, and then did a steep turn. No problem. Set up to do a takeoff stall, and the demons returned. Lost about 300 ft in the stall, but just kept flying the airplane. It's the examiner's choice to do another stall, and he opted to have me do a stall in the landing config, which I nailed perfectly. Cleared to 12K, but then ATC says MOB has closed due to security issues. Dispatch says return to MEM. So, we head back to MEM for an ILS 36L. Go around at 50 ft due to a mower on the runway, and lose an engine in the go around.

Climb single engine in the published missed and hold at MREON. Get setup for the GPS 18R. Go back, do a single engine GPS 18R with no runway at the PDP. Single engine missed approach and back for the ILS 36L, except this time the AP failed during the approach, so I was hand flying. I somehow pulled out a greaser in the sim single engine, which I didn't think was even possible.....

Reset on the runway, takeoff with a V1 cut. Climb up to 4000, run the checklists, and then reset with both engines back......and the flaps fail. Run the QRH and get vectors for either 36L or 36C. I opted for 36C since it's the longer one. Break out about 100 above MDA, click the AP off and landed with a slight sideload (12 kt crosswind). Stopped, told to turn left, contact ground. Ground clears us to taxi to gate C2. Park it, run the shutdown check and I'm told "Congrats. Good job."

So, there ya go. I've got an ATP with a CL-65 type rating now. I've got LOFT tomorrow and Cat II on Monday. Honestly, it feels like someone has lifted a 3 ton truck off of me. :)
 
Congrats!!! Sounds like the ride went real well since he combined a bunch of maneuvers.

I wanna hear about the first line flight when you sign the book, and turn your head left and ask the window if it's ready to go.:D
 
What went wrong with your sim partners ride?

Congrats to a job well-done, you earned and deserve it! Appreciate all the informative updates.
 
kellwolf said:
Climb single engine in the published missed and hold at MREON. Get setup for the GPS 18R. Go back, do a single engine GPS 18R with no runway at the PDP. :)
Click to expand...

Congrats sir! :nana2:

btw...are you guys approved for GPS approaches? We are not unfortunately, only terminal & enroute for now.
 
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