Discussion
I retired from an American Airline as a B-747 400 Captain, with a 400 rating that can used on an 800. SSG is licensed by Boeing to use actual photorealistic graphics of an B-748 to control their simulation, run with X-Plane V 11.0 or higher. I was able to load the SSG B-748 aircraft model into X- Plane, and fly the simulation immediately with the same procedures and check lists I used to fly the real airplane. The simulation is controlled exactly like the airplane with exact replicas of a CDU’s using a Line Select interface running the Boeing/Honeywell dialect of FMS. You use the same logic sequence used in a real airplane starting with payload from standard loading forms, to fueling using standard loading to predict CG from the Zero Fuel Weight computation. The route is loaded on the RTE Page of the CDU or from a log of canned (CO) Routes at R3 on the RTE Page. The FMS in programed with one of three CDU’s in the same sequence, prompted at R6. The takeoff pages allow for reduced thrust, and TO Bug values that are transferred to the PFD. A TO Stab Setting is computed on the Takeoff Page, and used for transfer to the Stab setting box at the lower right on the Center EICAS. The MCP is programed in preparation for TO, starting from left to right selecting full auto flight using LNAV and VNAV or FLCH (Alt SEL with AS or Thrust), just like the real thing. TOGA is used to start a hand flown Takeoff with Auto-Flight selection at pilot’s discretion. The 47 400 and 800 are both CAT III qualified, and the SSG simulation will simulate and enunciate a complete Autoland ILS, including Flare, Rollout Steering, and Autobraking. X-Plane can network all EFB’s that use I-pads or PC’s. I use Foreflight with synthetic vision for flight planning and inflight route monitoring using digital charts that are geo-refed with weather and traffic. X-Plane can generate selectable traffic target aircraft through AI that can display a traffic tag on the Foreflight route map, and can be visually identified out the window in the sim, if you are lucky, like real life. Those of you that are professional pilots might say this sounds like a procedural trainer. As a Retired Line Check Airman, I think it can be used this way to practice an anticipated real flight operation on the ground before flight or Sim check. The optional EFB can be taken, ready to go, to the airplane the next day with custom notes that will create incredible situational awareness, that feels like you flew a real flight the day before. For those that are furloughed, it is a perfect system to help remain current. For those pilots looking for a job, it is perfect practice to prepare for an 0ral, and Sim Check. For the retired pilot, it helps maintain your skill set, in the event you want to return to an Aviation job; at the very least it significantly delays the onset on cognitive decline.
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