SEATTLE, May 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Last week,
Alaska Airlines became the first commercial airline in the world to
receive FAA certification of an enhanced full-stall model in a
flight simulator, which helps pilots train to recognize and recover
from a full aerodynamic stall. While this type of mid-air stall is
extremely rare, simulator training helps pilots prepare for
worst-case scenarios.
In advance of the 2019 deadline set by the FAA, Alaska Airline's
simulator engineering group completed the upgrade and certification
process for one of its 737-800 simulators with a StallBox. The
StallBox together with a set of instructor-led tools allows the
simulator to more closely mimic the actual aircraft in a similar
situation, making sure pilots are well-equipped if they ever
encounter a full stall in real life. The Birhle Applied Research
product meets the FAA's newly enhanced requirements for "upset
prevention and recovery training."
"Safety remains our top priority and ensuring we have cutting
edge training for our pilots helps us to maintain our
industry-leading position," said Tom
Kemp, Alaska Airlines' vice president of flight operations.
"This project has been in the works for two years and is an example
of how we continually strive to be ahead of the curve and go beyond
the industry requirements to deliver excellence and ensure a safe
operation."
Before this new model, training for full stalls has been
primarily academic. The simulator could do the "approach to stall,"
but wouldn't show accurate behavioral cues once in the "stall." The
National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) looked at a number of
stalls that took place during commercial operations, and determined
that often times the pilots were unable to recognize the stall and
that there was a need for more hands-on training for pilots. The
key learnings from these incidents helped to refine this training
and will not only help pilots recognize and recover from a stall,
but more importantly, prevent them from occurring in the first
place.
"The Air Line Pilots Association, working with Alaska, supports this valuable and
ahead-of-schedule improvement to the first of Alaska's simulators," said Doug Branch, chairman of the Human Factors and
Training Committee for the Alaska Master Executive Council of the
Air Line Pilots Association. "This investment illustrates the value
Alaska puts on providing
industry-leading training, which leads to enhanced safety for our
passengers and crews. We look forward to the benefits this enhanced
training tool will provide, and applaud Alaska for moving so quickly to implement
it."
Alaska Airlines, a subsidiary of Alaska Air Group (NYSE: ALK),
together with its partner regional airlines, serves more than 100
cities through an expansive network in the United States, Canada, Costa
Rica and Mexico. For
reservations, visit www.alaskaair.com. For more news and
information, visit Alaska Airlines' newsroom at
www.alaskaair.com/newsroom.
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SOURCE Alaska Airlines