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Old July 12th 03, 12:57 AM
Larry Fransson
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In article ,
"JerryK" wrote:

My understanding is these are labeled A-D, which D
being the best. I think to do 100% of the rating it has to be at least
level C, if not D. Check the FAR/AIMs for the details.


I can never find the reference when I need it. I don't remember where
it is. I'm not sure if you need a Level C simulator for a 100%
checkride or if Level B will do. In any case, you have to meet certain
experience requirements to receive an unrestricted type rating from a
100% simulator check. They include things like previous type ratings or
applicable experience in actual aircraft. Lacking those prerequisites,
you may receive a type rating that requires something on the order of 15
to 25 hours of "supervised PIC experience" which means essentially that
you are carrying out the duties of PIC under the supervision of a
qualified PIC. Once you have that logged, you take your log book down
to the FSDO, they look at it, and then give you a new temporary
certificate with an unrestricted type rating.

At FlightSafety in Tucson where I go for annual recurrent training, they
have two Lear 35 simulators - one a Level B and one a Level C. The
Level B simulator used to be Level A. They got it certified to Level B
so that they could use it more. Used to be we couldn't take our Part
135 checkrides in anything but the Level C sim because the level A sim
somehow didn't meet the requirements. Last time I was there, they said
something about having upgraded the A to a B so that they could use it
for checkrides.

I did some time in a MD-88 level D sim and you can feel the expansion strips
as you taxi. Very impressive.


Level D is supposed to be a much better simulation, and it does
something resembling daylight simulation. It's pretty dark daylight
inside, but certainly better than what they call daylight in a Level C
sim, which is much closer to late dusk than anything else.

I got to fly a 767 simulator a few weeks ago. I'll vouch for its
fidelity to the real thing. When my wife (who doesn't fly except with
me) couldn't remember how to stop after landing, we ended up swerving
down the runway, dragging the left wing, and eventually skidding to a
stop sideways in the grass. I have never dragged a wing in a 767
before, but I imagine the sound we heard was pretty close to what it
would sound like if it really did happen. On the bad landings (which
was most of them - my last one was the only really smooth one, and
that's why it was the last one!), things (and unrestrained people) went
flying around the flight deck. It seemed fairly real to me!

--
Larry Fransson
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