A few of you know I have a couple part-time jobs to help with the staying of the financially afloat; VAF ain’t Amazon ;^). One of those part time side hustles is seat support in a Phenom 300 simulator near KDFW. I've been doing it now about four years (Sunday was sim session #480) and have gone through many iterations of knee boards and iPads and scratch pads and towels and printed out charts in 3-ring binders. Lights hanging around my neck, lights strapped to my forehead - those little book reading lights. Everything. I finally got it whittled down to a gear setup that works best for me. It’s…
…a microfiber rag folded over twice resting on my right thigh. On that rag is an iPhone 14 Pro Max running ForeFlight. That’s pretty much it.
The left button at the bottom of the screen is configured to be the scratch pad, which I can activate with my already-hovering–over–it thumb, leaving my index finger in the perfect position to take down the next instructions from the IP. We are going to do at least four, possibly five approaches every session. The thumb and scratch pad get used a lot. The second button from the left is plates. Whatever approach we’re doing is quickly there (I can also write on it with my fingertip). The third button is documents, I have PDF versions of all the QRHs, AFMs, POHs, MELs, etc. All the checklists accessible in less than one second. Have created bookmarks so I can quickly jump to engine fire, one engine inoperative approach and landing, hydraulic failure, etc. I also have a little PDF in there where I have typed up the landing speeds based on various fuel states and flaps settings. Useful for me, because I'm the one that has to put in the landing speeds, and you usually have to look those up in the QRH, and do math in your head, while jiggling around in turbulence in simulated night. Math is hard, and for me it’s harder when you’re getting bumped around. The paper copy of the QRH is right there beside me if the electrons fail me. They never have.
My goal is to give the client what they’re asking for within one second. You need to have a few bookmarks in place to pull that off, and you don’t have time with this goal to reach for a pencil.
I've used all the electronic EFBs…..all of them….and FF is the best IMHO for what I do (RV, simulator, contract work). You can file a flight plan with your phone in 15 seconds. You can change the flight plan at the run up pad in 5 seconds. I’ve seen me do it....a lot! <g>.
Like I told a friend, “I’m down to a phone on a rag”. But it really is so much more. It boggles my mind that I have a scratch pad, every approach plate for North America and Europe, and all of the documents that I need for the jet in the palm of my hand. And nearly instantaneously accessible. And internally lit. All the paper stuff is there if I need it, but I don’t.
I supported a checkride on Sunday, and we knocked that thing out in record time. He was solid. I was two moves ahead of the instructor and four moves on the client pretty much the whole time, though. Technology, minimal hand motion, and bookmarks for the win.
Phone, rag, some readers set to the distance of the instrument panel, a tiny toothbrush, a little tube of toothpaste and my ID lanyard all fit in a Maxpedition H-1 I bought 15 years ago. They might make a better version for this now, but I already own this. When I see some of the other support people in the building with gigantic backpacks and huge gear bags, I just smile. They stand in the back of the sim unpacking all their gear for a couple minutes. I climb in the seat w/my pocket bag and am ready to go in 15 seconds - I have the cockpit safety inspection checklist ready to go before I even latch my belts. Time is money, and time saved on the front end can be used to perfect single engine go arounds on the back end.
Simply amazing technology. I use the same setup when I'm contract flying the Phenom or King Air (another side job), the only additional piece of equipment being a Sentry suction cup to the window.
Nerds of the world unite! ForeFlight rocks. What a great time to be flying.
v/r,dr
PS: Thank you so much if you're helping populate the OSH’24 PIREPs thread (below). It's up to 7000 views. It is very much appreciated.
Fingers crossed for a little RV hop Monday morning before life gets busy.
RV News That Caught My Eye Over The Last Day or So ….dr
__________________________
First Flight of N861FM
www.vansairforce.net
OSH’24 Field Reports (PIREPs / News / Pics / Recipes)
…submitted by VAF ‘reporters in the field’ and me (pics people sent me)
vansairforce.net
Show Us Your Panel …motodave
vansairforce.net
WDYDWYRTW? (7/25-26/2024)
www.vansairforce.net
OFF TOPIC:
PS: Older issues of the ‘VAF News’ can be found at:
www.vansairforce.net
…a microfiber rag folded over twice resting on my right thigh. On that rag is an iPhone 14 Pro Max running ForeFlight. That’s pretty much it.
The left button at the bottom of the screen is configured to be the scratch pad, which I can activate with my already-hovering–over–it thumb, leaving my index finger in the perfect position to take down the next instructions from the IP. We are going to do at least four, possibly five approaches every session. The thumb and scratch pad get used a lot. The second button from the left is plates. Whatever approach we’re doing is quickly there (I can also write on it with my fingertip). The third button is documents, I have PDF versions of all the QRHs, AFMs, POHs, MELs, etc. All the checklists accessible in less than one second. Have created bookmarks so I can quickly jump to engine fire, one engine inoperative approach and landing, hydraulic failure, etc. I also have a little PDF in there where I have typed up the landing speeds based on various fuel states and flaps settings. Useful for me, because I'm the one that has to put in the landing speeds, and you usually have to look those up in the QRH, and do math in your head, while jiggling around in turbulence in simulated night. Math is hard, and for me it’s harder when you’re getting bumped around. The paper copy of the QRH is right there beside me if the electrons fail me. They never have.
My goal is to give the client what they’re asking for within one second. You need to have a few bookmarks in place to pull that off, and you don’t have time with this goal to reach for a pencil.
I've used all the electronic EFBs…..all of them….and FF is the best IMHO for what I do (RV, simulator, contract work). You can file a flight plan with your phone in 15 seconds. You can change the flight plan at the run up pad in 5 seconds. I’ve seen me do it....a lot! <g>.
Like I told a friend, “I’m down to a phone on a rag”. But it really is so much more. It boggles my mind that I have a scratch pad, every approach plate for North America and Europe, and all of the documents that I need for the jet in the palm of my hand. And nearly instantaneously accessible. And internally lit. All the paper stuff is there if I need it, but I don’t.
I supported a checkride on Sunday, and we knocked that thing out in record time. He was solid. I was two moves ahead of the instructor and four moves on the client pretty much the whole time, though. Technology, minimal hand motion, and bookmarks for the win.
Phone, rag, some readers set to the distance of the instrument panel, a tiny toothbrush, a little tube of toothpaste and my ID lanyard all fit in a Maxpedition H-1 I bought 15 years ago. They might make a better version for this now, but I already own this. When I see some of the other support people in the building with gigantic backpacks and huge gear bags, I just smile. They stand in the back of the sim unpacking all their gear for a couple minutes. I climb in the seat w/my pocket bag and am ready to go in 15 seconds - I have the cockpit safety inspection checklist ready to go before I even latch my belts. Time is money, and time saved on the front end can be used to perfect single engine go arounds on the back end.
Simply amazing technology. I use the same setup when I'm contract flying the Phenom or King Air (another side job), the only additional piece of equipment being a Sentry suction cup to the window.
Nerds of the world unite! ForeFlight rocks. What a great time to be flying.
v/r,dr
PS: Thank you so much if you're helping populate the OSH’24 PIREPs thread (below). It's up to 7000 views. It is very much appreciated.
Fingers crossed for a little RV hop Monday morning before life gets busy.
RV News That Caught My Eye Over The Last Day or So ….dr
__________________________
First Flight of N861FM
First Flight of N861FM
Hi All, Today, RV-14A tail number N861FM took to the skies for the first time. It flew beautifully! Solid as a rock, flew straight ahead with no turning tendencies, and was FAST even without wheel pants! The only squawks were a canopy open alarm (fixed after the flight), a very small oil...
www.vansairforce.net
OSH’24 Field Reports (PIREPs / News / Pics / Recipes)
…submitted by VAF ‘reporters in the field’ and me (pics people sent me)
OSH’24 Field Reports (PIREPs / News / Pics .... post your OSH reports here!)
Attn: VAF 'Reporters in the Field'! Well, it’s that time of year again! If you’re at the show, and you feel like posting a note on what you’re seeing, who you’re visiting with, what news you’re picking up, please consider sharing it with us in this thread. You can upload up to 10 pictures in...
vansairforce.net
Show Us Your Panel …motodave
Show us your panel !!!!!
It's alive and working! Love the ability to send a flight plan from ForeFlight via Bluetooth.... so easy. Can't wait to fly it! G3X ranges updated with latest information by Dave Hock, on Flickr
vansairforce.net
WDYDWYRTW? (7/25-26/2024)
WDYDWYRTW? (7/25-26/2024)
…getting this weekend’s thread started. Hope you’re having a nice one. v/r,dr
www.vansairforce.net
OFF TOPIC:
PS: Older issues of the ‘VAF News’ can be found at:
Doug's Area ....The VAF News & my flying resume.
Pushed out every now and then.
www.vansairforce.net
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