Sim time again. This one was scheduled to happen about two months ago, but was moved around a couple of times, and then ultimately delayed by the sim going offline for a month. The period offline was to allow for some upgrades. A couple of new systems have been activated (soft go around, which has been in the aircraft for about a year, and 'brake to vacate', which will be activated soon). Also an automated 'upset' system, so that the instructors can throw some quite nasty upsets into the system without have to ask one of us to set it up. It also felt a bit better...more like the aircraft. Like all updated computer systems, it showed a couple of bugs too, but nothing of any consequence.
The exercises were part of new training system that is much less 'sudden' death, and more looking at items in depth, or multiple times. It allows for the instructors to stop and debrief in the middle of the exercises, instead of later when we've totally forgotten what we did anyway. Loading people up is of little value in most exercises, and this moves away from that.
The exercise was all flown at Houston, KIAH. All of the take offs were from 15R, and that requires a special procedure as it's narrower than the normal 380 runway. Basically we take all of the engines up to 30% thrust, then push the inners to TO/GA (or FLX). Then, at 40 knots the outers are pushed up. It's a bit of a hands everywhere exercise, and it's especially fun when one of the outers fails as it winds up. A low speed engine failure can have you off the runway in literally seconds, and is much more of a handful than the high speed case.
FO starts off with a take off, and an engine fails at rotate. Clean it up, and carry out the actions. Over when we decide to restart (or not).
Then straight in to a couple of IPs, instantly positioning the aircraft out at about 15 miles, so that both of us could do a localiser approach. Engine still shut down. Normally we'd use the aircraft FMCs to generate a synthetic glideslope for these approaches, but the CASA matrix required that it be done using a manual pitch mode... FO lands off his approach.
Repeated for me. The take off results in an abort due multiple blown tires. We then get a brake fire, and eventually abandon ship. Engine failure at the same point. The first approach is a go around, due traffic on the runway (they really just want to see 'soft' go around mode used). Repeat it from about half way down, and land.
Now the fog sets in, and it's a low vis package for the next few take offs/landings. Engine failure at low speed and abort. Engine failure at rotate (which is much more fun with very limited visuals). Sort that out. Discuss fuel dump, restart, but they're instantly done by the sim instructor. The particular failure sequence takes away our CATIIIB (no minima capability), so we're limited to 50' radar altitude. You can't see much!. Another approach, and another go around, but this time via the autopilot. Fly the approach again and land.
All engines back, and the weather improves to about a cloud base of 500'. This time we both fly an ILS approach manually, without using the flight directors. Not something you normally do, but there are plenty of failure modes that can lead to it.
A quick setup for the FO, with a two engine approach. We normally practice this is in the hardest case, with both engines out on the one wing, but this was one on each side. It's easier to fly, and has nowhere near the drag (little to no rudder) as well as most systems still working. It's appeared in the Captains matrix a couple of times, so it was time to share it.
Now we jump up to FL250, and try out the 'upset' system. A couple of UA's each, and then when the FO is flying we lose all of the air data (as per AF447). He reacts by basically sitting on his hands. We do the checklist, and tidy things up, but it's really a non event.
Now we go down low to circuit height (1,500'). Instructor drops the aircraft into alternate law (to remove the automatic protections). Roll into a turn to study a golf course, pull the power to idle, and maintain altitude. The aircraft slows rapidly, and we're soon rewarded with 'stall, stall'. Recover and fly way.
Some time left at the end, so we have a look at the brake to vacate system, but this will be the subject of its own sim in a few months. Basically it allows you to pick a target taxiway, and the aircraft will automatically brake to stop at that point. It brakes later, and harder, than we do, so it will take a bit of getting used to. It results in less time on the runway, and cooler brakes.
