Glass Simulator Center doubles sim training capability

Posted on April 29, 2009
Filed Under Aviation Interest, Simulation | 1 Comment

This recent upgrade to the Glass Simulation Center in Chicago provides a major boost to training capacity at this key regional general aviation facility. — Andy

By Janice Wood GeneralAviationNews.com· April 10, 2009

glasssimulatorcenterGlass Simulator Center, located at the Chicago-Aurora Municipal Airport, has doubled its general aviation training capability with the addition of three new Frasca Flight Training Devices (FTDs).

The new simulators are in addition to school’s Frasca King Air, Frasca TruFlite 142 and Frasca 141 FTDs. The delivery of the new simulators follows on the heels of a major expansion and refurbishment of Glass Simulator Center’s facilities, company officials note.

The new simulators include a Frasca Mentor featuring the leading edge, WAAS-capable Garmin G1000 system with integrated GFC 700 autopilot and flight director. The MentorFrasca Mentor Garmin 1000 was designed by Frasca specifically for training pilots who want to fly Technically Advanced Aircraft (TAA) equipped with advanced avionics. The Mentor has an FAA-approved flight data package based on Cessna’s popular 172 Skyhawk SP. It includes Jeppeson Nav data, full size fight controls including rudder pedals and toe brakes, multi-channel-sound simulation and a TruVision visual system.

Glass Simulator Center has also added a new Frasca Cirrus SR22 FTD for pilots who are checking out in this new TAA, for those who want recurrent training and for pilots who want to see what flying the Cirrus is all about. The simulator even provides a realistic recreation of the deployment of the CAPS whole-aircraft parachute system, school officials said. The simulator is equipped with the Avidyne Entegra Advanced Avionics system, dual Garmin GPS 430’s an S-TEC autopilot and a TruVision visual system.

Glass Simulator Center’s new Frasca TruFlite H Robinson Helicopter FTD is configured to represent the Robinson R22 and R44 helicopters. Pilots can practice instrument flight procedures or a range of visual-reference maneuvers including liftoffs, hovering, transitions to forward flight, traffic patterns, approaches, landings and touch-down autorotations. The visual-system database includes helipads on a hospital, an oil rig and on an airport as well as a traffic-accident scene.

For more information: GlassSimulator.com

U.S. Provisional Patent Filing

Posted on March 9, 2009
Filed Under Simulation, Techniques | 3 Comments

ALURE Technology SampleThe ALURE ™ Technology Team has received a provisional patent for key aircraft simulation technology.  This patent is described as a “METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR ENHANCED 3D COMPUTER-BASED TRAINING”, and represents over a year of development and testing guided by FlightSafety Courseware Support.

US Air Traffic Training Bottleneck

Posted on June 11, 2008
Filed Under Aviation Interest | Leave a Comment




Plane in Flight

Interesting coverage here from our friends across the Pond (BBC News) regarding FAA air control staffing.

-Andy

The US Federal Administration has hired so many new air traffic controllers that it cannot train them efficiently, according to a report.

It has exceeded its own quotas for inexperienced staff at more than 20% of its facilities, the US Department’s inspector general said.

It found the FAA had underestimated how many controllers would retire or leave, leading to a surge in hiring trainees.

The FAA has accepted most of the report’s recommendations.

FAA spokeswoman Laura Brown told Reuters news agency that there had been other occasions over the years when the percentage of controllers in training went up.

“We’ve been able to maintain a safe system,” she said.

It can take up to three years before new recruits and controllers transferred from other control towers are fully trained to cover all positions at a facility.

Confusion

The inspector general’s report said that the FAA had taken on so many new staff that it had exceeded its own maximum trainee quota at 22% of its 314 air traffic control facilities.

The FAA says that each facility can accommodate up to 35% inexperienced controllers while still operating effectively and training the new staff.

The inspector general found that 52% of controllers were inexperienced at one New Jersey control tower last December.

The report also found confusion within the FAA over who was responsible for hiring and training employees and errors in its training database.

“Facility managers, training managers and even headquarters officials were unable to tell us who or what office was ultimately responsible for facility training,” the report said.

The FAA had proposed strengthening controller training protocols in 2004 but never followed through on the policy, the inspector general found.

The US House of Representatives is due to hold a hearing on Wednesday on air traffic controller staffing.

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