ChrisFlyer
Established Member
- Joined
- Jun 4, 2009
- Posts
- 1,736
BNE, SYD, MEL, AVV, JFK and LHR, all in a day! (Qantas Flight Simulator)
As some of you know from the QF topic, I visited the Qantas Flight Training Centre in Sydney on Friday, to try my hand at flying a Qantas Boeing 747-400. As I live in BNE, I flew down for the day. In line with most other TRs on here, I'll also mention details of my (real) flights (BNE-SYD-BNE). However, as I realise that most people reading this topic will have a greater interest in the simulator than my connections, I'll use bold headings to make it easier to skip down if desired!
Flight from Brisbane:
Qantas Airways 8
Date: 14/12/2012
Route: BNE-SYD
Aircraft: Boeing 747-400ER, VH-OEJ (Wunala)
Seat: 43C (Y, aisle seat at first-row bulkhead)
Notes: This is a domestic flight that departs from the international terminal (after operating DFW-BNE). On check-in, the agent refused to accept my ID, despite it being on the list of acceptable IDs for 'domestic sectors of international flights' - as available on the QF website, and as detailed in the Migration Act. When I argued this, she called someone, who also said no. I then had to dig through my bag to find my driver's licence (she indicated that she would only accept a D/L or a passport - which is wrong on her part). She also wouldn't give me an Express Path card, despite being a published WP entitlement for flights from this terminal. I then had to argue with the guardian of the Express line in order to access the priority queue (I was eventually successful). On board, my IFE wasn't working, and required the crew to reset my seat. Later on, one of the crew came to offer a CL greeting during the flight, however addressed my by the wrong name. I then advised her that I wasn't this person and that I was Platinum, not CL - when she said "oh, you must have moved seats". I then told her that I selected my seat about a month ago, was sitting in the seat shown on my BP, and that perhaps she was using the manifest from the previous DFW-BNE flight. She responded with "oh yeah, my bad, don't worry about it". Overall, a tad on the abysmal side when compared to my other QF flights, but on the plus side, I got to experience the 'new' 747 cabin, as well as the bulkhead seats. A serious improvement on the older cabin, and when the IFE is working, it's also a great improvement on the old product. While similar to the A380 IFE, this IFE seemed to be running slightly newer software than what I'm used to on the A380 (while still being the same Panasonic unit). Basic look and feel is the same, though the 'flight path' screens are different, and folders and A/V titles only require a single tap (instead of 1 tap to highlight the folder, and another to actually 'select' it). To the bulkhead seats, I'd happily sit here again (I usually only ever travel in exit rows when in int'l Y), though I think I'll opt for a window seat instead of an aisle next time, as the angled bulkhead in 43C does impede your ability to extend your right leg without crossing your feet. On a short flight like BNE-SYD, it's a non-issue, though as this cabin is now always seen on the SYD-DFW-BNE-SYD route, I'd find it to be rather uncomfortable on what is set to soon be the world's longest flight.
Surprisingly, QF8 made an on-time arrival into SYD (not 'QF-late' today!). As I was planning to walk to the Flight Traning Centre, I caught the airside transfer bus to the domestic (a shorter walking distance than from the international), using my iPhone Passbook BP (for the flight home that night) without issue. After a long lunch in the Dom J lounge, and running into trippin_the_rift on my way out, I walked from the airport to the Flight Traning Centre. At a moderate pace, it took about 25 minutes. QF do recommend organising a taxi from the airport to the centre, but I found the walk to be rather pleasant. For anyone thinking of doing the same thing, simply turn left when exiting the arrivals area of SYD T3, and follow the path along until you reach Ninth St on the left-hand side (the street sign is facing the wrong way, but that's the street). Follow that street until you reach the end, and then turn left onto Qantas Drive. Simply follow that road, and once it snakes around to the left, you'll find the entry to the QF Jetbase on the left-hand side (very easy to spot when there's a 747 parked right up against the fence!).
Anyway, to the part you're all waiting for!
The Qantas Flight Training Centre
On arrival, two lovely young ladies took me from the security waiting room, and through to the facility. They began by pointing out the simulators that we were walking past (through the glass doors at the very bottom), before taking me to a lounge area. Sneakily, the lounge chairs were all MKII Skybeds, and the snacks available were taken from the selections available as domestic 'refreshments'. Also available were soft drinks and espresso coffee. The room has a mock coughpit (no instruments - only printed images), which gives you a brief idea what the simulator will look like. After a short safety briefing (the usual OH&S type - where the exits are, where to meet in an evacuation etc), two more staff arrive (I'm dreadful with names sorry!), and we head to the cabin crew training area.
Cabin Crew Training Area
The tour begins at an A380 exit door (which seemed to replicate M4L, though feel free to correct me). They explained the features of the door, and then came the first of the pop-quiz questions (always relating to things that they hadn't explained)! "What does the arm/disarm lever do?"... My answer was correct - it arms and disarms the evacuation slide (just in case you wanted to know!). Following this, they demonstrated the crew's behaviour during an evacuation. From a seated position, and while opening the door, a crew member shouts "EVACUATE, EVACUATE! Unfasten seatbelts, high-heels off. Form two lines, come this way. Jump and sit, jump and sit". The door opens mechanically after the open lever has been pulled, and can be closed electronically by holding the "close door" button on the control panel. From here, we walk past other exit doors, including an A330 over-wing exit door, and a 737 exit window. We then reach the base of the 747 evacuation slide (which has been deployed), and the staff point out the features of the slide, including a square of material at the bottom of the slide, designed to reduce the speed of the evacuees as they reach the bottom. From here, the staff show the 'survival wall' (containing the survival kits as found on each different aircraft type), followed by clothes that the FAs must wear during their swimming test, and then the pool where ditching evacuations are held. The temperature of the water is rather cold, and they are able to switch from a bright room to only moonlight with very heavy rain (only over the pool - I remain dry). It was very cool, and would simulate a night-time ditching in the middle of a bad storm really quite well. They mentioned that they would be moving to a new facility in ~2018, where a wave pool would replace the one currently in use. Alongside the pool were a couple of other types of rafts (737), which prompted the next question of the pop-quiz: "Where are these rafts usually stored on the aircraft?" Obviously, in the ceiling!
We then head upstairs, and into the mock 747 where real QF FAs are preparing the cabin for a ditching - including life jackets, the brace position, as well as a lengthy speech being read off a yellow card requesting certain types of clothing (that could become caught in the plane or slide) be removed (IIRC this included large earrings and ties). The crew then heard a PA from the 'flight deck' (a couple of people in a control room at the front, watching them through one-way glass), advising them to 'brace' the cabin. The FAs then yell "Brace, brace, brace. Heads down, stay down" repeatedly until all of the 'passengers' (also uniformed FAs) comply. Once the aircraft has hit the water, the cabin starts to fill with smoke, until they turn the smoke machine off. All very realistic I have to say! We then leave them be, but not before opening the exit door above the slide (from earlier)... it is actually much more steep than you would probably imagine, and the crew mentioned that some people who are afraid of heights may pause when getting to the top of the slide. They advised that if this happens, simply push them forward and out of the way - they are in more danger on the plane, and they can't hit their head on anything when falling (only the soft slide behind them). They'll probably thank you later too... After leaving the aircraft, we take a life jacket with us, and they hand it to me, and told me to put it on. I found the packet a bit awkward to open, but quickly worked out how to tear it. I stopped for about 10 seconds, trying to work out which side was the front... they advised that it doesn't matter which way you put it on (remember that in case this happens to you), so I quickly put it over my head, tied the strap, and inflated it! Apparently I was the first person who had done this tour that knew how to tighten the jacket and inflate it without instruction... really??? They show you every single time you board an aircraft - I would expect the other (likely) WPs and SGs doing this tour to know better!!! Early days for the tours though I suppose! It inflated within a second or so, and was *extremely* full (no need to use the mouthpiece to top it up). It was actually too full, and they showed me how to let air out through the mouthpiece. I have to say, it was damn cold!!! I hope to never need this knowledge, but in the event that I do, I'll no doubt be (slightly) less stressed! Finally, the last of the pop-quiz questions - "When do you inflate your lifejacket?"... answer: when you leave the aircraft, so you aren't stuck on the ceiling of the plane (that one should be obvious to some people, but nervous flyers obviously still get that one wrong haha)!
The Simulator
From here, we went back to the lounge for a refreshment, before a quick photo-op in their office in front of the model A380. My instructor Bob then arrived, and they left me in his capable hands. We then had a chat, before he did a short Keynote presentation (using an iPad with AirPlay, connected to an Apple TV unit). It demonstrated the basic external parts of a 747, the coughpit instruments, and some of the basic controls. He told me about his flying experience, and asked about mine. He then went through what would be possible in the sim, which included taxiing, take-offs, manual and automatic landings, general cruise, and pretty much everything else that the sim can do. After this, it was time to go flying!
Once in Sim #7 (B747-400, VH-OJE), Bob showed me how to get comfortable in the seat and how to use the seatbelts. We began with an auto-landing into Sydney, so that he could demonstrate what to expect to see and feel in the sim. Something mustn't have been configured properly in the autopilot, and the "Sync Rate" warning was heard. A quick restart saw the issue corrected, followed by a successful landing. Now, we jumped back to an altitude of 600ft, where I was taught to do a manual landing. Aspects included monitoring and adjusting airspeed and altitude, lining up the plane with the runway, arming the speed brakes and landing gear brakes so that they would automatically activate when required, flaring (raising the nose slightly while rolling the engines back), touching down, lowering the nose, activating and deactivating the reverse-thrusters, steering the aircraft while going along the runway, and using the foot brakes atop the rudder to bring the plane to a final stop. All great fun! We repeated this a few times, while also learning take-offs, and general flying. After a circuit around Bondi Beach, we headed back to the airport, which is when the sim started acting up. The visualiser (basically, all of the screens) kept cutting out at around 20ft, which required a soft reset. They thought that aspects of the Sydney maps and the clouds were over-loading the computer, so we switched to a landing at AVV, where we had the same problem. As it continued to occur, I practiced finishing one of the blind landings while the sim techs were poking around - I managed to bring the plane to a complete stop, albeit on the grass next to the runway haha!
The techs then said they would need to do a full shutdown and fresh start, so Bob and I went back to the lounge to wait. One of the other QF staff came in and used his barista skills to make me a latte (which was quite good I have to say!). He then pops out, and after about 10 minutes, he points out that a 767-300ER sim is currently free, and suggests that we make use of that while our sim is being fixed. The sim is located in a different part of the Training Centre, so I got more of a tour than would normally be offered (not complaining here)! As this sim hadn't been pre-programmed with the Frequent Flyer setups, we had two sim techs on board to help control the sim. Here, we do a take-off at JFK, before flying around Long Island, circling the Statue of Liberty, and flying around the Manhattan skyline. We then jump to Brisbane, where I take-off, fly over my house, fly over the CBD, and bring the plane in for a completely manual landing (this time, the simulator hasn't been pre-set on final approach). It was much more difficult, particularly when flying one-handed on final approach (the other hand holding the thrust levers), but I was able to land and bring the plane to a complete stop on the runway... very happy with myself! :mrgreen:
Following this, I'm given the option to complete my time in the 767 sim, or to return to the now-working 747 sim. I choose to return to the 747, and then start having a little more fun! I wanted to see what the stick-shaker was like, so I asked if we could try some stall recovery after taking off at BNE. After reaching FL 070, I'm instructed to pull up on the nose a little, and bring the airspeed down to about 180. Bob then points out the colours that are moving up the side of the airspeed indicator, and as we get to the bottom of the yellow indicator, the stick shaker activates. I then recover from the stall by pitching the nose down below the line on the artificial horizon, and pushing forward on the thrust levers. We do a few different stall recoveries, and then practice a failure of engine #3 - and how to use the rudder to keep the plane straight in such a scenario. Following this, we then skipped to LHR for a manual landing. For a bit of fun, I purposely brought the plane down with the wrong heading, so that if it landed, it would immediately start to drive off into the grass. Once we're down low and close to the runway, I pulled back on the yoke, disabled the speed brake, and pushed forward on the thrust levers - a successful go-around! Finally we changed a few settings and did an auto-landing into LHR, in the dark, with heavy snow, and minimum visibility. The plane touches down without a hitch, and there ends the sim session!
My simulator time started at around 3:30pm, and we finished at 6pm (significantly more than the 1 hour specified when booking, though this extra time does include all the downtime in between sims). Bob was so embarrassed about the sim issues that he offered to give me a lift back to the airport (after already staying past the scheduled finishing time so that I could get my advertised 1hr in the actual B744 sim) - he didn't have to do that, but I was more than happy to accept his offer! He was very friendly, and seemed like a very good instructor (having previously been an A380 captain before 'retiring' at age 65 to take on the role of instructor). I was also advised that a couple of extra items had been added to my gift pack. It was a black tote bag with the white QF Kangaroo in the corner, containing a model A380 (the same that QF sell through their in-flight duty-free, retail value $35), two black QF Flight Simulator caps, a black QF Flight Training compendium, and an old A380 poster from before QF had taken delivery of any (it shows the old First suite promo photo with a bottle of Dom), and a note from John Borghetti (then the QF EGM). Finally, it contained a printed photo of me in the captain's seat in a cardboard display folder, along with a certificate of completion (a shame they spelled my name incorrectly though - I didn't notice this until after I got home).
Flight from Sydney:
Qantas Airways 552
Date: 14/12/2012
Route: SYD-BNE
Aircraft: Boeing 767-300ER, VH-OGR (City of Corowa)
Seat: 35A (Y, exit row window)
Notes: Priority boarding actually worked!!! However, on-board, I was ignored during the drinks service (the FA skipped our row), and I had to press the call bell to be served (I didn't realise she would be skipping us until she suddenly moved her trolley back and served people further back). My seatmate seemed happy that I brought this to their attention, as he was thirsty also haha! A sincere apology from the FA that answered the call bell, though I heard her mention this to the offending FA when next passing, and she seemed to think it was a bit of a joke and rather funny... Aside from that, the aircraft has the new QStreaming service, however I was unable to actually get it to stream anything, despite rebooting the iPad several times. When clicking on a title, it would just sit there and do nothing (I even patiently sat there and let it load for 5 mins... it just didn't do anything). I also tried on my iPhone, but it had the same result. Luckily the old entertainment system was also switched on, so I just watched that.
Overall, it was a fantastic experience (the unusually rubbish service and IFE problems on both flights aside), and I would highly recommend it! If you're not invited for free as a WP1, and don't have a spare 115,000 points, you can still book with 69,000 points, and a cash component of about $354 instead of paying the full 115,000. As a side note, Red Roo confirmed at the Tweet and Greet last weekend that simulator sessions would also become available on Thursdays due to popular demand. I'm not sure if they are available yet, but if Fridays don't work for you, keep this in mind for a possible future session!
Thanks to QF for the experience - it's something that I can't see VA ever offering (in their own full-motion sims at least)! Only a week after the Tweet and Greet, it was great to spend some more time in the coughpit - as our time in the A380 coughpit was a little rushed to let everyone have a turn - though enough for a photo or two. It's also given me a further insight into the aviation industry - part of me is now extremely tempted to consider a career in aviation if my current planned career path doesn't eventuate. I'm 22 with a completed degree, but jobs in my industry are quite rare and are often contract/short-term... unless you make it closer to the top, which would involve year-round international travel, respectable pay and 'working' for about 2-3 hours a day (... exactly!). If by age 25, things haven't even started to progress to that stage (don't need to be *that* successful at 25, but some kind of reliable employment would be nice), I'll likely seriously consider knocking on QF's door (provided that there are jobs available) - all of the staff there (the cabin crew managers, pilots I ran into, trainers, and office staff) all really loved their jobs!
I forgot to take any photos/videos in the simulator, so I have none to share I'm afraid! Does this still count as a Trip Report though, or does it really need a shot of the legroom in the captain's seat to qualify?
Well, that's it! After ~3,500 words, does anyone have any questions?
As some of you know from the QF topic, I visited the Qantas Flight Training Centre in Sydney on Friday, to try my hand at flying a Qantas Boeing 747-400. As I live in BNE, I flew down for the day. In line with most other TRs on here, I'll also mention details of my (real) flights (BNE-SYD-BNE). However, as I realise that most people reading this topic will have a greater interest in the simulator than my connections, I'll use bold headings to make it easier to skip down if desired!
Flight from Brisbane:
Qantas Airways 8
Date: 14/12/2012
Route: BNE-SYD
Aircraft: Boeing 747-400ER, VH-OEJ (Wunala)
Seat: 43C (Y, aisle seat at first-row bulkhead)
Notes: This is a domestic flight that departs from the international terminal (after operating DFW-BNE). On check-in, the agent refused to accept my ID, despite it being on the list of acceptable IDs for 'domestic sectors of international flights' - as available on the QF website, and as detailed in the Migration Act. When I argued this, she called someone, who also said no. I then had to dig through my bag to find my driver's licence (she indicated that she would only accept a D/L or a passport - which is wrong on her part). She also wouldn't give me an Express Path card, despite being a published WP entitlement for flights from this terminal. I then had to argue with the guardian of the Express line in order to access the priority queue (I was eventually successful). On board, my IFE wasn't working, and required the crew to reset my seat. Later on, one of the crew came to offer a CL greeting during the flight, however addressed my by the wrong name. I then advised her that I wasn't this person and that I was Platinum, not CL - when she said "oh, you must have moved seats". I then told her that I selected my seat about a month ago, was sitting in the seat shown on my BP, and that perhaps she was using the manifest from the previous DFW-BNE flight. She responded with "oh yeah, my bad, don't worry about it". Overall, a tad on the abysmal side when compared to my other QF flights, but on the plus side, I got to experience the 'new' 747 cabin, as well as the bulkhead seats. A serious improvement on the older cabin, and when the IFE is working, it's also a great improvement on the old product. While similar to the A380 IFE, this IFE seemed to be running slightly newer software than what I'm used to on the A380 (while still being the same Panasonic unit). Basic look and feel is the same, though the 'flight path' screens are different, and folders and A/V titles only require a single tap (instead of 1 tap to highlight the folder, and another to actually 'select' it). To the bulkhead seats, I'd happily sit here again (I usually only ever travel in exit rows when in int'l Y), though I think I'll opt for a window seat instead of an aisle next time, as the angled bulkhead in 43C does impede your ability to extend your right leg without crossing your feet. On a short flight like BNE-SYD, it's a non-issue, though as this cabin is now always seen on the SYD-DFW-BNE-SYD route, I'd find it to be rather uncomfortable on what is set to soon be the world's longest flight.
Surprisingly, QF8 made an on-time arrival into SYD (not 'QF-late' today!). As I was planning to walk to the Flight Traning Centre, I caught the airside transfer bus to the domestic (a shorter walking distance than from the international), using my iPhone Passbook BP (for the flight home that night) without issue. After a long lunch in the Dom J lounge, and running into trippin_the_rift on my way out, I walked from the airport to the Flight Traning Centre. At a moderate pace, it took about 25 minutes. QF do recommend organising a taxi from the airport to the centre, but I found the walk to be rather pleasant. For anyone thinking of doing the same thing, simply turn left when exiting the arrivals area of SYD T3, and follow the path along until you reach Ninth St on the left-hand side (the street sign is facing the wrong way, but that's the street). Follow that street until you reach the end, and then turn left onto Qantas Drive. Simply follow that road, and once it snakes around to the left, you'll find the entry to the QF Jetbase on the left-hand side (very easy to spot when there's a 747 parked right up against the fence!).
Anyway, to the part you're all waiting for!
The Qantas Flight Training Centre
On arrival, two lovely young ladies took me from the security waiting room, and through to the facility. They began by pointing out the simulators that we were walking past (through the glass doors at the very bottom), before taking me to a lounge area. Sneakily, the lounge chairs were all MKII Skybeds, and the snacks available were taken from the selections available as domestic 'refreshments'. Also available were soft drinks and espresso coffee. The room has a mock coughpit (no instruments - only printed images), which gives you a brief idea what the simulator will look like. After a short safety briefing (the usual OH&S type - where the exits are, where to meet in an evacuation etc), two more staff arrive (I'm dreadful with names sorry!), and we head to the cabin crew training area.
Cabin Crew Training Area
The tour begins at an A380 exit door (which seemed to replicate M4L, though feel free to correct me). They explained the features of the door, and then came the first of the pop-quiz questions (always relating to things that they hadn't explained)! "What does the arm/disarm lever do?"... My answer was correct - it arms and disarms the evacuation slide (just in case you wanted to know!). Following this, they demonstrated the crew's behaviour during an evacuation. From a seated position, and while opening the door, a crew member shouts "EVACUATE, EVACUATE! Unfasten seatbelts, high-heels off. Form two lines, come this way. Jump and sit, jump and sit". The door opens mechanically after the open lever has been pulled, and can be closed electronically by holding the "close door" button on the control panel. From here, we walk past other exit doors, including an A330 over-wing exit door, and a 737 exit window. We then reach the base of the 747 evacuation slide (which has been deployed), and the staff point out the features of the slide, including a square of material at the bottom of the slide, designed to reduce the speed of the evacuees as they reach the bottom. From here, the staff show the 'survival wall' (containing the survival kits as found on each different aircraft type), followed by clothes that the FAs must wear during their swimming test, and then the pool where ditching evacuations are held. The temperature of the water is rather cold, and they are able to switch from a bright room to only moonlight with very heavy rain (only over the pool - I remain dry).
It was very cool, and would simulate a night-time ditching in the middle of a bad storm really quite well. They mentioned that they would be moving to a new facility in ~2018, where a wave pool would replace the one currently in use. Alongside the pool were a couple of other types of rafts (737), which prompted the next question of the pop-quiz: "Where are these rafts usually stored on the aircraft?" Obviously, in the ceiling! We then head upstairs, and into the mock 747 where real QF FAs are preparing the cabin for a ditching - including life jackets, the brace position, as well as a lengthy speech being read off a yellow card requesting certain types of clothing (that could become caught in the plane or slide) be removed (IIRC this included large earrings and ties). The crew then heard a PA from the 'flight deck' (a couple of people in a control room at the front, watching them through one-way glass), advising them to 'brace' the cabin. The FAs then yell "Brace, brace, brace. Heads down, stay down" repeatedly until all of the 'passengers' (also uniformed FAs) comply. Once the aircraft has hit the water, the cabin starts to fill with smoke, until they turn the smoke machine off. All very realistic I have to say! We then leave them be, but not before opening the exit door above the slide (from earlier)... it is actually much more steep than you would probably imagine, and the crew mentioned that some people who are afraid of heights may pause when getting to the top of the slide. They advised that if this happens, simply push them forward and out of the way - they are in more danger on the plane, and they can't hit their head on anything when falling (only the soft slide behind them). They'll probably thank you later too
... After leaving the aircraft, we take a life jacket with us, and they hand it to me, and told me to put it on. I found the packet a bit awkward to open, but quickly worked out how to tear it. I stopped for about 10 seconds, trying to work out which side was the front... they advised that it doesn't matter which way you put it on (remember that in case this happens to you), so I quickly put it over my head, tied the strap, and inflated it! Apparently I was the first person who had done this tour that knew how to tighten the jacket and inflate it without instruction... really??? They show you every single time you board an aircraft - I would expect the other (likely) WPs and SGs doing this tour to know better!!! Early days for the tours though I suppose! It inflated within a second or so, and was *extremely* full (no need to use the mouthpiece to top it up). It was actually too full, and they showed me how to let air out through the mouthpiece. I have to say, it was damn cold!!! I hope to never need this knowledge, but in the event that I do, I'll no doubt be (slightly) less stressed! Finally, the last of the pop-quiz questions - "When do you inflate your lifejacket?"... answer: when you leave the aircraft, so you aren't stuck on the ceiling of the plane (that one should be obvious to some people, but nervous flyers obviously still get that one wrong haha)!The Simulator
From here, we went back to the lounge for a refreshment, before a quick photo-op in their office in front of the model A380. My instructor Bob then arrived, and they left me in his capable hands. We then had a chat, before he did a short Keynote presentation (using an iPad with AirPlay, connected to an Apple TV unit). It demonstrated the basic external parts of a 747, the coughpit instruments, and some of the basic controls. He told me about his flying experience, and asked about mine. He then went through what would be possible in the sim, which included taxiing, take-offs, manual and automatic landings, general cruise, and pretty much everything else that the sim can do. After this, it was time to go flying!
Once in Sim #7 (B747-400, VH-OJE), Bob showed me how to get comfortable in the seat and how to use the seatbelts. We began with an auto-landing into Sydney, so that he could demonstrate what to expect to see and feel in the sim. Something mustn't have been configured properly in the autopilot, and the "Sync Rate" warning was heard. A quick restart saw the issue corrected, followed by a successful landing. Now, we jumped back to an altitude of 600ft, where I was taught to do a manual landing. Aspects included monitoring and adjusting airspeed and altitude, lining up the plane with the runway, arming the speed brakes and landing gear brakes so that they would automatically activate when required, flaring (raising the nose slightly while rolling the engines back), touching down, lowering the nose, activating and deactivating the reverse-thrusters, steering the aircraft while going along the runway, and using the foot brakes atop the rudder to bring the plane to a final stop. All great fun! We repeated this a few times, while also learning take-offs, and general flying. After a circuit around Bondi Beach, we headed back to the airport, which is when the sim started acting up. The visualiser (basically, all of the screens) kept cutting out at around 20ft, which required a soft reset. They thought that aspects of the Sydney maps and the clouds were over-loading the computer, so we switched to a landing at AVV, where we had the same problem. As it continued to occur, I practiced finishing one of the blind landings while the sim techs were poking around - I managed to bring the plane to a complete stop, albeit on the grass next to the runway haha!
The techs then said they would need to do a full shutdown and fresh start, so Bob and I went back to the lounge to wait. One of the other QF staff came in and used his barista skills to make me a latte (which was quite good I have to say!). He then pops out, and after about 10 minutes, he points out that a 767-300ER sim is currently free, and suggests that we make use of that while our sim is being fixed. The sim is located in a different part of the Training Centre, so I got more of a tour than would normally be offered (not complaining here)! As this sim hadn't been pre-programmed with the Frequent Flyer setups, we had two sim techs on board to help control the sim. Here, we do a take-off at JFK, before flying around Long Island, circling the Statue of Liberty, and flying around the Manhattan skyline. We then jump to Brisbane, where I take-off, fly over my house, fly over the CBD, and bring the plane in for a completely manual landing (this time, the simulator hasn't been pre-set on final approach). It was much more difficult, particularly when flying one-handed on final approach (the other hand holding the thrust levers), but I was able to land and bring the plane to a complete stop on the runway... very happy with myself! :mrgreen:
Following this, I'm given the option to complete my time in the 767 sim, or to return to the now-working 747 sim. I choose to return to the 747, and then start having a little more fun! I wanted to see what the stick-shaker was like, so I asked if we could try some stall recovery after taking off at BNE. After reaching FL 070, I'm instructed to pull up on the nose a little, and bring the airspeed down to about 180. Bob then points out the colours that are moving up the side of the airspeed indicator, and as we get to the bottom of the yellow indicator, the stick shaker activates. I then recover from the stall by pitching the nose down below the line on the artificial horizon, and pushing forward on the thrust levers. We do a few different stall recoveries, and then practice a failure of engine #3 - and how to use the rudder to keep the plane straight in such a scenario. Following this, we then skipped to LHR for a manual landing. For a bit of fun, I purposely brought the plane down with the wrong heading, so that if it landed, it would immediately start to drive off into the grass. Once we're down low and close to the runway, I pulled back on the yoke, disabled the speed brake, and pushed forward on the thrust levers - a successful go-around! Finally we changed a few settings and did an auto-landing into LHR, in the dark, with heavy snow, and minimum visibility. The plane touches down without a hitch, and there ends the sim session!
My simulator time started at around 3:30pm, and we finished at 6pm (significantly more than the 1 hour specified when booking, though this extra time does include all the downtime in between sims). Bob was so embarrassed about the sim issues that he offered to give me a lift back to the airport (after already staying past the scheduled finishing time so that I could get my advertised 1hr in the actual B744 sim) - he didn't have to do that, but I was more than happy to accept his offer! He was very friendly, and seemed like a very good instructor (having previously been an A380 captain before 'retiring' at age 65 to take on the role of instructor). I was also advised that a couple of extra items had been added to my gift pack. It was a black tote bag with the white QF Kangaroo in the corner, containing a model A380 (the same that QF sell through their in-flight duty-free, retail value $35), two black QF Flight Simulator caps, a black QF Flight Training compendium, and an old A380 poster from before QF had taken delivery of any (it shows the old First suite promo photo with a bottle of Dom), and a note from John Borghetti (then the QF EGM). Finally, it contained a printed photo of me in the captain's seat in a cardboard display folder, along with a certificate of completion (a shame they spelled my name incorrectly though - I didn't notice this until after I got home).
Flight from Sydney:
Qantas Airways 552
Date: 14/12/2012
Route: SYD-BNE
Aircraft: Boeing 767-300ER, VH-OGR (City of Corowa)
Seat: 35A (Y, exit row window)
Notes: Priority boarding actually worked!!! However, on-board, I was ignored during the drinks service (the FA skipped our row), and I had to press the call bell to be served (I didn't realise she would be skipping us until she suddenly moved her trolley back and served people further back). My seatmate seemed happy that I brought this to their attention, as he was thirsty also haha! A sincere apology from the FA that answered the call bell, though I heard her mention this to the offending FA when next passing, and she seemed to think it was a bit of a joke and rather funny... Aside from that, the aircraft has the new QStreaming service, however I was unable to actually get it to stream anything, despite rebooting the iPad several times. When clicking on a title, it would just sit there and do nothing (I even patiently sat there and let it load for 5 mins... it just didn't do anything). I also tried on my iPhone, but it had the same result. Luckily the old entertainment system was also switched on, so I just watched that.
Overall, it was a fantastic experience (the unusually rubbish service and IFE problems on both flights aside), and I would highly recommend it! If you're not invited for free as a WP1, and don't have a spare 115,000 points, you can still book with 69,000 points, and a cash component of about $354 instead of paying the full 115,000. As a side note, Red Roo confirmed at the Tweet and Greet last weekend that simulator sessions would also become available on Thursdays due to popular demand. I'm not sure if they are available yet, but if Fridays don't work for you, keep this in mind for a possible future session!
Thanks to QF for the experience - it's something that I can't see VA ever offering (in their own full-motion sims at least)! Only a week after the Tweet and Greet, it was great to spend some more time in the coughpit - as our time in the A380 coughpit was a little rushed to let everyone have a turn - though enough for a photo or two. It's also given me a further insight into the aviation industry - part of me is now extremely tempted to consider a career in aviation if my current planned career path doesn't eventuate. I'm 22 with a completed degree, but jobs in my industry are quite rare and are often contract/short-term... unless you make it closer to the top, which would involve year-round international travel, respectable pay and 'working' for about 2-3 hours a day (... exactly!
). If by age 25, things haven't even started to progress to that stage (don't need to be *that* successful at 25, but some kind of reliable employment would be nice), I'll likely seriously consider knocking on QF's door (provided that there are jobs available) - all of the staff there (the cabin crew managers, pilots I ran into, trainers, and office staff) all really loved their jobs!I forgot to take any photos/videos in the simulator, so I have none to share I'm afraid! Does this still count as a Trip Report though, or does it really need a shot of the legroom in the captain's seat to qualify?
Well, that's it! After ~3,500 words, does anyone have any questions?
Last edited:
