News

Simulator provides realistic training to pilots while saving Air Force money

  • Published
  • By Karen Abeyasekere
  • 100th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
RAF MILDENHALL, England --  A white half dome with a yellow cooling pipe underneath it, being moved slowly about in different directions by a hydraulic motion system, doesn't look very impressive. But get inside, and it's a whole different story. 

The device is actually the KC-135 Stratotanker simulator, and while it cost about $25 million, it saves the Air Force a lot of money. 

One hour of training in the simulator costs around one-tenth the amount it costs to fly an actual jet for the same amount of time, according to Bruce Golson, Team Mildenhall KC-135 simulator site manager. 

"We can simulate just about any place in the world where there's a runway, and we have about 30 custom databases, which means all the buildings and (air traffic control) towers will be in all the right places," Mr. Golson said. 

"We also use a generic database (to simulate other places pilots may fly to) which means although the buildings and such might not be in the right places, we can make the navigation aids and runway alignment realistic to the conditions," he added. 

A crew of five Flight Safety Services Corporation contractors runs the simulator, which provides continuous training for all KC-135 crewmembers. Additionally, the simulator is used by Turkish pilots, who have a squadron of seven KC-135s, for their continuation training. 

"There are four scenarios we use for continuation training, and 12 scenarios for initial training," Mr. Golson said. "This is a full-motion sim, providing a visual that goes about 220 degrees, left to right. It has five television projectors on top. We can simulate just about any kind of malfunction that would actually happen on the airplane, and have a realistic scenario going. 

"In fact, we can do things that you can't do on a plane. For instance, we can show (the pilots) what a fire light looks like. Short of going out and holding a match under an engine, we're not going to get that fire light to happen in the aircraft," he said. "We can also simulate two engines out at the same time, which it is forbidden to do in the airplane and would be very dangerous to do in the first place." 

The five contractors work in shifts, working two profiles a day, to ensure everything is working correctly. The two contractors maintaining the simulator have a military background in various capacities, including being former engine mechanics. Those who are instructors are former KC-135 pilots. 

Pilots who train in the simulator say it provides realistic scenarios. 

"You get to see how different emergencies affect how the plane reacts," said 1st Lt. Jessica Bishop, 351st Air Refueling Squadron co-pilot. "It shows what lights come on, which switches you have to press and what procedures to go through - and it gives you a really good idea of what (could) happen in the jet. 

"There are a lot of things you can't actually do in the jet, including big emergencies, such as a fire light," she said. "So it's nice to have an idea of what to do, be able to practice it in the 'jet,' and see how your crew resource management works using the tools you have and the people who are there." 

Aircrews perform four simulator rides per year and training takes most of the day. Starting with an hour-and-a-half pre-brief, four hours of training is then conducted in the simulator, followed by a de-briefing at the end. 

The instructor runs them through emergency scenarios involving electrics, engines, hydraulics, fuel systems, pneumatics and aerodynamics. 

"We combine some of those systems into single simulators," Mr. Golson said. "The most important guys here are our technicians, because if the sim isn't up and running, then we're not able to teach and provide the continuation training for crew members." 

Technicians receive on-the-job training, which usually takes about six months. When that's complete, it's still a continuous learning process for them, Mr. Golson said. 

"What we're looking to do now is to hook two sims together, because it's difficult and expensive to put aircrews and aircraft together at the same time unless there's a big operational mission that requires them to do that. But simulators can help with formation training requirements." 

Lieutenant Bishop emphasized how important having this simulator is for her and the other pilots. 

"It's great to be able to practice something in the sims that you can't do in a jet, so you can see how it would affect you. It definitely helps with experience because you don't get the chance to practice or learn everything when you're on a real-world mission," she said. 

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