X-Treme Training

Les Abend

Thursday, November 27, 2008 at 10:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

As a new check airman, the author found his recurrent training preparation less intense due to familiarity with procedures, but approached the session expecting a different challenge than previous trainings.
The check airman training involved "X-treme" simulator sessions designed with highly demanding and often overlapping emergencies, including engine fires, system failures, and a gear collapse, pushing pilots beyond standard check ride expectations.
Despite the deliberately difficult and rapid-fire scenarios experienced from both pilot seats, the author viewed the rigorous training as a valuable and surprisingly "fun" experience that affirmed their ability to ensure passenger safety.

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Wedged into a middle seat of coach, I attempted to concentrate. A 767 operating manual sat on my lap. It was as good a time as any to review again. I was deadheading to DFW for my nine-month recurrent training. It would be the first recurrent training I would attend as a check airman. And I wasn’t sure what to expect.

Although I had followed my normal preparation habit, my study focus hadn’t felt as intense. It was almost as if I was missing a crucial element that would be the key to a successful training experience. I suspected why.