Pilots of airlines undergo intensive training on sophisticated simulators that allow them to move in full motion. Simulators provide an extremely realistic training program that can be used by any pilot with the right flight experience.
Simulator instructors can create complex emergency situations that are difficult to replicate in real aircraft.
One effective flight simulation technique is chair flying. What is it, and how do you do it as a beginner?
Find out everything in this article!
Chair Flying – Engage All Senses
Imagine yourself flying in different conditions, feeling different sounds and feelings.
Try to focus on one sense at a time and repeat this exercise till you’re confident enough. There are three main learning types: auditory, visual, and kinesthetic.
Ask yourself – what type of learner do you think you are?
Visual learners make up the majority of people. They take most of their cues through their eyes. Auditory learners draw their cues from what they hear.
On the other hand, kinesthetic learners focus on their “feelings” and take cues from touch, smell, and unspoken communication.
While practicing, try to focus on something other than your natural sensory system. This will help you increase their perception field. Visual learners who focus on auditory or kinesthetic cues in their learning will be more resilient to stressful situations.
A kinesthetic or an auditory learner would enjoy the same benefits by focusing on visual hints.
Get Your Copilot
When you can, involve your best buddy in the process. You can create your flight school class to create an airport-like environment, maybe a room within the living room.
The dining table can act as a runway and pretend to “fly” across the table. You can make the bean bag your cockpit and quiz with your copilot on their limitations and procedures.
Positive Self-Talk
To win, athletes learn to talk to themselves. To achieve peak performance, Olympians employ “positive self-talk.”
Guess what, you’ve to do the same.
The body’s stress levels increase with a stressful situation, which causes blood vessels and heart rate to constrict and increases breathing. This results in “tunnel vision” or shrinking of the sensory-perceptual field.”
Now imagine your plane is about to crash. All processing power has been used.
In this stressful time, you need to remember that crosswind landings are commonplace for fight or flight reactions. Pilots may feel like their arms are stuck in concrete and are unable to respond. To get out of this situation, you can use keywords.
Pilots may use keywords when landing flares are being used, such as “Eyes up,” “Hand back,” “Eyes open,” “Smooth Pull,” and “Eyes Open.”
The brain does not need to process the command “Eyes up.” The brain must translate the command “Eyes up” into the motor movements needed. If you use words that command motor movements, your brain will naturally learn motor skills.
Other Useful Tips
- You can speak in a calm location, free from distractions and noise.
- Use the ARSim Aviation Simulator to develop muscle memory and master radio communications through all six phases of flight (taxi-out, taxi out, takeoff and landing, airport entry and transition and approach, and taxi in).
- Use a cockpit poster that has avionics like your trainer plane if you are at home.
- Use your aircraft checklists and your knuckleboard. Take a picture of the checklist from your school and laminate it.
- You will get more comfortable if you repeat the process.
- You can also request your pilot training school to create a chair flying environment within the premises.
Final Word
These tips mentioned above can improve your ground training and cost a fraction of a single flight lesson.
They can also save you hundreds of bucks by reducing time in the plane and with your instructor. So, when you finally get your pilot license, you know you’ll be worth it!
