More sim, the ATP written

Linda and I got together for one last sim session going through multi-engine procedures before moving on to the airplane.

I'm finally starting to get my head around the procedures and don't have to think quite so much about every movement I make, which translates into good fun.

Linda ran me through a simulated check ride and it went reasonably well, I suppose. My ATP stalls (technically they're an “approach to stall” since you recover at the first indication of the stall rather than taking the stall through the break) went pretty well. The first two were within about 20-40 feet and I managed to fly the last one with virtually no altitude deviations, so I'm happy with that.

Steep turns worked out reasonably well to boot and I managed to handle an engine failure during an ILS without the spastic deviations that cropped up the first time I tried one.

We did a couple more engine failures, one during the takeoff roll and one just after the gear came up and while they weren't things of beauty I still haven't crashed the sim.

Next up I'll grab an instructor and head out in the airplane. Should be fun.

Less fun has been studying for the ATP written. I hate FAA written test questions because I find most of them not particularly relevant to real-world flying. The ATP written takes the typical FAA written questions to the next level and are incredibly picky, obscure and maddeningly obtuse.

I still go nuts every time a question about the Microwave Landing System crops up. I don't know that there is a single MLS in use, much less the required hardware installed on any flyable airplane. Furthermore, why on earth it matters to know that an MLS back course is updated at half the frequency of the front course or that the front course is generally usable to 20 miles while the back is only usable to 7 miles is quite simply beyond me.

On the upside, the ATP written test bank contains the first references to GPS that I've seen. Even more amazing, the GPS questions are actually quite practical and test stuff you need to know in every day flying, which makes them easy.

The most difficult part has been learning how to use the various performance charts that are used as the basis for some of the questions. The charts themselves aren't particularly difficult once you work a few problems but it takes a fair amount of time to work each question properly and there are a lot of questions that deal with performance charts.

The regulations questions are nicely obscure as well.

Knowing the required fuel reserves for a flag carrier flying out of the country to a remote area in a four-engine reciprocating aircraft vs. a supplemental air carrier in a jet probably has some real-world application in some parallel universe but I figure if I'm ever flying a jet there will be an operations specification manual that will contain my required fuel reserves plus answers to anything else I might want to know.

Anyhow, it's a challenge and it will be good to get the ATP written out of the way. I don't particularly need it right now since I'm not at ATP minimums time-wise but it's just something I want to get done.

I have the week off so my plan is to study, get more comfortable with the performance charts, get as much of the rest into short-term memory then take the test. About 30 seconds after the test is over I suspect I'll never use 95% of what I just studied ever again but who knows.