Another reason to join the local EAA chapter

[N941WR]

This morning EAA 309 went on a tour of US Air's flight training facility and each of us got to try their hand at the full motion Airbus Sim.

To say it was WAY COOL would be an understatement!

That thing is so realistic it just blew us all away and the best part is we can log it as actual flight time, that's how good it is.

I did learn one thing, you can't take an airbus from 7,000 feet AGL and eight miles and do a full deflection slip w/ flaps and make the runway, it just won't come down that fast.

The strange part was starting the flair at 75'. Not something I would suggest in an RV.

[arffguy]

Not really RV related but----Man, I want to be in your EAA chapter! I got to fly a 737-700 full motion sim last spring. It was a blast but it gave me a lot more respect for what happens when things go wrong. My "instructor" gave me an engine failure at rotation and made me fly it all the way around the pattern at Salt Lake City at night down to category 3 minimums. Keep in mind I have no multi-engine time or IFR ticket either. Gotta love the technology in those things! Needless to say it was the ugliest flying I have ever done. Of course, had it been real I would have not done it that way. But it sure blows my fantasy of saving the crippled airliner after the pilots both drop from food poisoning (like a book I read years ago.) What did you think of flying with the Airbus sidestick control? Was it tough to get a smooth landing? It must have been tough for each of you to get your turn. How many people were in your group and how many sims did you use? In my group we had to deal with the short time we were given, so it wasn't very realistic. There's no way I would ever try to log that sim time. But it was still awesome.

[N941WR]

I won't log the sim time but some of the guys said they will.

Turns out the Sims have an N-number and are registered with the FAA as actual airplanes.

Our group was just under 20 and we used two sim's. Seven of us crammed into one sim w/ two flying and the instructor. This allowed the rest of us to watch and when I was flying the gang in back started screeming something about going around, it was just like a real flight with my Ex-wife, in our old T-Craft into some of the short, narrow, tree lined strips here in the mountains.

The side stick wasn't a big deal for anyone and the non-flying pilots were really good at calling speeds, putting down the gear, flaps, etc. Two of the guys with my group have Velocities, one flying and one about to fly. I've flown it from the right seat and it seemed about the same. Slow in all axises, about like a J-3 or T-Craft w/ the 36 foot wing.

It slips nice but after thinking about it some, we should have put out the spoilers, that may have brought it down faster.

Like you, my instructor pulled an engine on take off on me but the Airbus takes care of business and I never really noticed it.

He said I could loop it but it would require me turning off seven computers and then it would take 30 minutes +/- for them to reboot and sync up, just like the real thing so I elected not to go there as the other guys wanted to fly it.

The head trainer (?) is one of our chapter members and is building a -7, he was the guy who got us in and arranged for a 2nd instructor. (I guess this is RV related.)

Salt Lake is an ugly airport to land in, the few times I've taken a big bus in there it is like landing in the bottom of a toilet. I wouldn't want to try it in the conditions you described.

[L.Adamson]

Originally Posted by N941WR

Salt Lake is an ugly airport to land in, the few times I've taken a big bus in there it is like landing in the bottom of a toilet. I wouldn't want to try it in the conditions you described.

Yes, there are rising mountainous terrain in about every direction........ that numerous aircraft have had a tendency to clobber

But, "the bottom of a toilet" description is something that I just can't seem to visualize!

Toilets aren't generally an item of beauty, but the mountains around here can be visually breathtaking!

Other than that, the synthetic computer displayed terrain, and rectangles to an IFR approach, as described in another thread, would kind of be nice around here.

L.Adamson --- KSLC

[rv8ch]

Originally Posted by Bill

I did learn one thing, you can't take an airbus from 7,000 feet AGL and eight miles and do a full deflection slip w/ flaps and make the runway, it just won't come down that fast.

Bill, it's an Airbus. You should have just touched the "LAND" button. It's on the left, underneath the "FLY" button.

[osxuser]

Originally Posted by rv8ch

Bill, it's an Airbus. You should have just touched the "LAND" button. It's on the left, underneath the "FLY" button.

ROFLMAO

No really.

[N941WR]

Originally Posted by L.Adamson

But, "the bottom of a toilet" description is something that I just can't seem to visualize!

Toilets aren't generally an item of beauty, but the mountains around here can be visually breathtaking!

I couldn't agree more. I have spent some time backpacking up that way and of all the backpacking trips I have taken, I would do Utah again in a heart beat!

There are just a few pictures on my web site. The beauty of the place is just outstanding!