AQP Checkride for WestWind Jet Airliners
Voluntary Certification
Bermuda's "Dark and Stormy"
Scenario
The Advanced Qualification Program
Last Updated March 14, 2006
The following reflection, about
AQP is taken from a paper by Thomas M. Longridge, an FAA Administrator, to explain
details about the Advance Qualification Program. The AQP is “a voluntary alternative to the
traditional regulatory requirements under CFR 14. Parts 121 and 135 for pilot
training and checking. Under the AQP the
FAA is authorized to approve departures from traditional (training) requirements
(for example The Atlantic City Six Month’s Checkride) for a better
program. The goals of the AQP are:
1. To increase aviation safety through improved training and evaluation.
2. To be responsive to changes in aircraft technology, operations, and training methodologies.
Airline pilots trained under AQP have a 26 month cycle for complication
of all task requirements. The FAA may
extend this time limit up to a maximum of 39 months”. Some of the significant
aspects of AQP are:
1. The
Level D Simulator Checks present a menu of various checkride scenarios and
crews may select what scenario they want to do. In our WestWind case, you have
selected the “Dark and Stormy” Bermuda Scenario.
2. The
airline equipment will always be fully functioning. There will not be any
engine failures (V1 cuts), or any malfunctions of the equipment for most of the
different scenarios. The goals of the scenarios are to have the airline crews
use Cockpit / Crew Resources Management to tackle problems that occur do to a changing
airborne environment. For example, some (but not all) examples would be a re-program in the FMS’s /
FMC’s due to a change of Flight Plan, shifting fuels (due to a cargo tie down malfunction),
and an in-flight analysis of landing alternatives due to a shift (loss) of
weather minimums for the destination and alternate airports.
3. The Captain may or may not fly the leg of the check flight. The checkride tests primarily the cognitive aspects of being an Airline Captain on a line oriented flight. It is possible for the Captain to “pass” the checkride without touching any of the controls, by letting the First Officer “fly the leg”.
4. Recurring ground schools are conducted by either WBT (Web based training) or CBT (Computer based training) and crews log on to company sites / servers to fill out the required training paperwork. This also includes on-line test scores for various systems and company operational knowledge requirements.
For a more detailed explanation of the Advance Qualification
Program, for FAR Pt. 121 operators, you might want to log on the FAA Website (www.faa.gov) and do a search for AQP or the Advance
Qualification Program.
Create A Flight
Select Aircraft – Based on your WestWind
category.
Select Weather – Major
Thunderstorms.
Select Location – TXKF
Select Time and Season –
Captain’s choice of conditions.
Flight Planner
Using Flight Planner, create a flight plan from TXKF to KJFK
using a
URL for Approach Plates if the ones below are not clear or out of date.
Current Weather at
METAR (plain language format)
Type of report – METAR.
Station Designator – TXKF (
Time – Pilot’s Choice.
Wind - 330 degrees 16 knots gusts 24 knots.
Visibility – One and a half statue miles.
Weather – Heavy (in the vicinity of the airport) showers /
thunderstorm, rain.
Obstructions to Visibility – Mist, fog, spray.
Sky Conditions – Overcast 800 feet.
Temperature / Dewpoint, 28 degrees Celsius / 28 degrees
Celsius.
Altimeter – 29.21.
Remarks – Wind shear landing runway 30.
Forecast Weather at
Type Of Report – Terminal Aerodrome Forecast (TAF).
Station Designator – TXKF (
Issuance Date /Time – Captain’s choice.
Valid Period – Now, extending for twenty four hours from
now.
Forecast Now:
From now, extending to one hour
from now:
Winds - 330 degrees 16 knots gusts to 24 knots.
Visibility - Prevailing visibility up to one and a half statue miles.
Weather – Heavy showers / thunderstorms, rain, mist, fog, spray.
Sky Condition - Overcast 800 feet.
Probability - 90 (90 to 99 percent chance) thunderstorms
From one hour (from now) till the
end of the reporting period.
Winds
120 degrees, 6 knots.
No
significant weather.
Quick Start for Advance Users
For advance users, who want to get right into the Checkride, here is the “Dark and Stormy” scenario presented in a basic outline form.
\
Item By Item “Dark and Stormy” Scenario Presented In a Detailed Description
Do a Cockpit Checklist and a Pre-Engine Start Checklist. Set your radios to the Bermuda VOR (BDA) 113.9 and set the LOC (IBDS) 109.9 as standby. Hit “b” on your keyboard to reset the altimeter. NOTE (Important): you will be required to reset your altimeter several times during this scenario. Like in the real world, going through different weather systems will cause a change in pressure and you will have to adjust your altimeter. Many times this item is covered in checklists. However, if the altimeter setting is not covered in the checklist you are using, then you must remember to do this on your own.
Your Initial Clearance from
“WestWind XXXX, (use your own WestWind Pilot Number), Cleared to JFK
International as filed. Climb, and
maintain 12,000 feet, squawk 1300”
Set this transponder frequency.
Call Bermuda Ground and say:
“WestWind XXXX, (your pilot number) request Pushback”.
“WestWind XXXX, cleared for Pushback, report ready for taxi”
When you have “push backed” to a safe
distance, you will ask Bermuda Ground for taxi and they will respond by saying:
“WestWind XXXX, cleared to Holding Point Alpha of Runway 30”
WestWind XXXX, ready for takeoff.
“WestWind XXXX, line up and wait.”
“WestWind XXXX, cleared for takeoff, direct TARGA when able, contact
You may use the GPS NAV function of your autopilot
if you wish.
Climb to 12,000 feet MSL (mean
sea level).
At 12,000 feet, the Head / Chief
Flight Attendant calls you on the cabin phone and relates the following
“Captain, one of our passengers
has suffered a massive heart attack.
There is a Doctor on board and he wishes to relay that this passenger
needs immediate attention at King George’s (
You advise Bermuda ATC and receive
the following clearance from them:
“WestWind XXXX, cleared direct to REEF intersection, hold as published,
descend to 3000 feet, cleared to dump fuel within the holding airspace. Advice when
fuel dumping is complete, high speed below flight level one hundred approved, squawk
7700 expect no delay”.
Set the emergency squawk (7700) in
the transponder.
Bring up the GPS and do the
following:
Hit “Direct” (on the right side
of the GPS). You will see a flashing
green screen on the select “Direct Waypoint” page.
Turn the small knob + and your
should see a flashing “0” and 01AT ^
Type on your computer keyboard
(fastest way) – reef.
Hit enter (ENT).
Select the INTERSECTION TX by
again turning the small knob +.
Hit Enter (ENT).
Hit Enter (ENT).
The airliner should turn if you
are on GPS NAV. Adjust your Nav Course
to the REEF Intersection.
Start a descend to 3000 feet at
high speed. based on your in-flight conditions.
After the airliner has turned towards
REEF hit “Direct” on the GPS and ENT and (again) ENT to center the course needle
(CDI).
As you descend, I would suggest a
speed of 200 knots at the most if you are in IMC conditions. I base this on a combination of max holding
airspeed (at this assigned altitude) and maneuvering speed (turbulent
conditions) for the airliner you are flying. However, if you are clear of any
weather then use VMO / MMO (fastest forward speed possible).
We are going to do a parallel
entry to the hold at REEF.
When you cross REEF advice ATC of
“entering hold” and turn left to a heading of 113 degrees (you might want to
lead REEF by about a mile or two to stay within holding airspace. Set 113.9 in
your number one NAV with 293 as the inbound course.
Holds at
When outbound on the 113 degree radial, turn left to a heading of 260 degrees when reaching 20 DME from the Bermuda (IBDA) VOR. I would suggest a heading of 260 to center the inbound course needle. When the needle is centered turn right follow the needle inbound on the 113 degree radial (293 inbound) Hint, bring up REEF on the GPS and fly direct to it. When reaching 15 DME turn right to 113 degrees. Follow this heading to 20 DME and proceed with fuel dumping (90 percent on the adjust fuel on the “Drop Down Menu” within Flight Sim). At 20 DME turn right and intercept the 113 degree radial (293 inbound). Reduce airspeed and set approach flaps.
Bermuda ATC gives you this
clearance:
“WestWind XXXX, cleared for the ILS DME Rwy 30 Approach,
At 15 DME turn left to 279 degrees. Set the LOC (109.9) on the number one Nav (Primary), Descend to 1500 feet, landing gear down, landing flaps full, and airspeed at 150 knots. Complete the “Landing Checklist”. check your altimeter (hit the letter “b” on your keyboard).
“Wind sheer, Wind sheer, Wind sheer”
You must declare a “Missed
Approach” and you advise
“WestWind XXXX, execute the published missed approach procedure EXCEPT
climb to 3000 feet, I say again climb to 3000 feet – acknowledge”! You read
back the clearance and proceed with your missed approach .
At 10 DME reset your weather (MS
Flight Sim pull-down menu within FS) to:
“Gray and Rainy”, and reset your altimeter
(hit “b” on the keyboard).
You are now going to fly out of
any bad weather. The thunderstorms have passed through
At 15 DME reset your weather (pull
down menu within FS) to:
“Fair Weather”. Hit “b” on the keyboard to reset altimeter.
At 15 DME Bermuda ATC gives this
clearance:
“WestWind XXXX, turn right to a heading of 301 proceed to the
“WestWind XXXX, turn right to a heading of 90 degrees. Intercept the
Maintain 1500 feet until the 6
DME of
Pull up the GPS and place the
page to 10 miles. We are going to use
the green tail of the Loc to Runway 30 to help us turn our final approach for
landing on Runway 30.
When reaching 700 feet MSL and
runway in sight, turn LEFT to a heading of 090 degrees. What we are going to do is fly a right
downwind (per the approach plate) to Runway 30. We will know when to turn right
for our visual landing to Runway 30 by using the green tail of the Loc Runway
30 displayed on the GPS for guidance and direction.
On a heading of 090 and at 700
feet, refer to the image of the GPS until you are at the tip of the green tail
and then right turn (inbound) for a landing on to Runway 30. Careful
that you don't turn to soon. When landing is assured, apply full flaps
and complete any other landings checklists.
After a successful landing, taxi back to Gate G3 Heavy.
1. Failure to reset the altimeter after each weather system.
2. Not being able to reset the GPS after the emergency.
3. Getting lost in the holding procedures as outlined in the approach plates.
4. Unable to do a “Missed Approach” with all engines running (shooting through your assigned altitude of 3000 feet).
5. Failure to follow the drop down altitude requirements for the VOR approach. Ending up to low or to high on the approach.
6. Not being able to monitor airspeed during the holds or approaches. Remember to keep the speed up for circling approaches. You are flying a heave jet at max gross landing weight, 700 feet off the water and in a turn. There are only three things that matter in aviation:
Airspeed, Airspeed, and Airspeed!
7. Poor coordination in “circling” for landing and not lining up with the runway on final.
8. Landing to far down the runway and running off the end. Note: FAR Part 121 Regs require that you land in the touchdown zone of the landing runway when performing an Instrument approach to that runway.
9. And last, but most important is the fact that you took off in the first place. By delaying the departure, based on the TAF, you would have avoided any thunderstorms and their associated problems. If I was the IP (Instructor Pilot) in the simulator with you and you advised me that you would delay the flight one hour (based on your interpretation of the weather reports), I would have reset the weather to “Fair Weather” and you could have requested a visual approach back to Bermuda (after the emergency and fuel dump) and this checkride would have been over in “no time”! Additionally, in the real world you probably would not have been able to take off. Dispatch and ATC would have advised you that “Gate holds are in effect” till better weather.
Although this
scenario does not go into anymore in-flight decisions, it is interesting to
think about some other problems that might have occurred. For example:
1.
After several tries, you could not land at
2. In route to KILM you had a pressurization problem and had to fly at ten thousand feet causing a high fuel usage.
3. You had to do a missed approach at KILM and had to divert to a suitable alternate airport and hold as per the FAR’s.
4.
Based on the above, (for some jet airliners) it is possible to run
out of fuel before landing. This would be especially painful knowing that you
dumped all that fuel back at
International jet flying is a real test of cognitive flying abilities. Airline crews are measured on not only how they fly the airliner but if they can analyze all the possibilities of their flight and come up with a sound successful plan. Many times, company dispatch can help in the problem solving through a radio up-and-down link (ACARS).
OK,
this checkride might require several attempts to accomplish. Do not despair!
If things don’t work out just
right you have my permission to go get yourself a real “Dark and Stormy” and
blame those past “flight mishaps” on that “Triangle”!
Footnote one: This checkride was
made using FS9 (Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004). If you are using another
version of flight simulator, you might have to make changes in order to
accomplish this checkride. You can always
email me for any help or guidance.
Footnote two: You have my
permission to change the weather only once after the initial missed approach
due to wind sheer. You may change it to any weather you desire. For a
continuation of the immersion factor you might want to reset it to “Gray and
Rainy” and leave it there.
Footnote three: You might want to
print out this entire checkride before you start. It is easier to follow with a
typed copy than constantly placing the simulator on hold to review the next item.
Footnote four: Not all real
airlines use AQP. Each real airline must construct a training program using the
guidelines of AQP and have it approved by the FAA. Those airlines not using AQP
use checkrides similar to our (WestWind’s) Atlantic City Six Month Checkride
for jet airliners.
Regards,
Ed Ward, Jr.
Greg Golt
Chief Pilot Test Pilot
WestWind, VA Senior Captain
Contact Ed Ward, Jr., Chief Pilot, WestWind
VA.
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