Training's new great pretender

摘要

If you're flying across the Atlantic in a giant Boeing or Airbus, you'll be grateful that somebody invented and developed sophisticated and complex flight simulators so the pilots have a pretty good idea how to deal with any situation which may arise in one of those monsters as they guide them through the skies and, perhaps more importantly, get them back onto an airport runway with all components, crew and passengers in one piece. British Airways Flight Training, which is host to more than 1,250 pilots from British Airways and its customers each year, is just one of many companies which offer trainee pilots simulated experience of what it feels like to fly, while sitting safely in a state-of-the-art school facility on the ground. Pilots aren't the only ones up there with your life in their hands. Crew need to know how to deal with emergencies, such as decompression, emergency landing, fire and smoke in the cabin, ditching, and even fights among passengers. So, nervous passengers take note: while the pilot is in his or her simulator having all sorts of imitation experiences thrown their way, flight crew can also have a virtual reality experience of how to cope should the unthinkable happen. Part of the job of a training course designer is to think the unthinkable.