Aircrews learn emergencies in safe environment

Published Oct. 25, 2011
By Airman 1st Class Jacob Morgan
436th Airlift Wing Public Affairs

DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. -- C-17 Globemaster III pilots and loadmasters have procedures they consider critical. These procedures are called boldface, which are immediate action items the aircrew has to memorize. It is not often these procedures can be practiced in an aircraft, but they are required for training.

At Dover Air Force Base, Del., C-17 pilots and loadmasters use a simulator complex to train on special requirements multiple times a month. The pilot simulator runs more than 18 hours a day training 12 students a day. The loadmasters have one training session a day. Together, both of these simulators save the Air Force up to 90 percent of the actual cost of flying.

"The simulator helps us build sharper skills so when we fly real missions, we fly them as efficiently and safely as possible," said Capt. Charlie Murphy, a C-17 pilot with the 3rd Airlift Squadron. "This is a smart way to make the best use of our flight hours without wasting taxpayer dollars."

The boldface and emergency procedures are consistently practiced in a safe and secure environment so the crew can correctly analyze a problem, maintain control of the aircraft and coordinate with each other, said Murphy.

The simulator complex is comprised of two separate simulators; a cockpit and a fuselage - making up an entire virtual C-17. According to Bob Schroeder, the aircrew training manager with the 436th Operations Support Squadron, a majority of situations that can arise on the C-17 can be programmed into both simulators.

The cockpit portion of the simulator is not operated by hydraulics like most traditional simulators. It is operated by electric power, which pushes a large screw system inside beams, to create the movements of a real C-17. This system is 60 to 70 percent more efficient than the hydraulic systems.

"Two things that are very important for the pilot's orientation are their eyes and ears," said Schroeder. "When the simulator moves down, or takes off a runway, it gives the pilots a feeling similar to the real thing."

Out on the flightline in an aircraft, it can take multiple hours to complete a local training mission. In the simulator, these missions can be loaded into the computer at a moment's notice. Pilots and loadmasters even get the feel for the terrain of a deployed location, as maps based from satellite imagery can be loaded into the system.

"A lot of procedures, such as assault landings, could be dangerous if conducted for the first time in an aircraft," said Murphy. "We stay proficient using this simulator."
Pilots and loadmasters don't always stay proficient in their training separately. The two simulators can be linked to each other. This gives the loadmasters and the pilots a chance to work together.

The loadmaster, who sits in a simulated fuselage, can simulate air drops, combat offloads and night-vision-goggle scenarios. Recently, a lot of the training procedures completed on an aircraft have been moved to the simulator due to its realistic nature.

"The simulator gives us the ability to develop habit patterns and learn every procedure," said Tech. Sgt. Teddy Pierre, the C-17 loadmaster training manager with the 436th. "It's very important training and always a good refresher."