Waypoints: Hospital flight

It wasn’t the three engines or the potential for up to 580,000 pounds maximum takeoff weight or the three main landing gear or even the sight picture from sitting a couple of stories above the runway that tripped me up on my first simulator session for the McDonnell Douglas MD–10-30. No, it was the flight director. Specifically the dual cue flight director common on air carrier and military aircraft, but not so common on the pedestrian general aviation airplanes that I typically fly. In “our” airplanes, we usually see the inverted V type of flight director presentation.

Dual cue fans claim their crossing magenta or green lines show movement away from the desired course more quickly than the inverted V type—which may be true, but, at least for me, it takes a moment to figure out what input to make to correct the drift. And when flying an approach at 160 knots or so in blowing snow—snow, always blowing snow in the simulator—it’s easy to stray far while figuring it out.

Despite my flummoxed moments, my 90 minutes in the FedEx simulator at Memphis International Airport gave me an amazing glimpse into the capabilities of the remarkable aircraft that also serves as the Flying Eye Hospital for Orbis International. Using the airplane and 15 offices around the world, Orbis delivers top-notch eye surgeries and screenings to millions of patients in developing nations and, most important, provides training for local doctors and other medical personnel on how to carry on after the airplane heads to its next stop.

After I wrote about the Flying Eye Hospital in the April issue (“One Glorious Vision”), the Orbis pilots invited me to their annual training session at FedEx in mid-April. In addition to having donated the airplane, FedEx supplies many parts and logistical support to Orbis and training for the 19 volunteer pilots who fly the hospital—all of whom are current or recently retired FedEx pilots. The pilots gather annually, some getting recurrent training in the sims, and all getting refreshers in the sorts of maintenance and FAA paperwork that they normally don’t see when flying for the airline.

A large number of the Orbis pilots are active general aviation pilots and aircraft owners—and AOPA members. I’m told that the GA connection is common among FedEx pilots.

In addition to the opportunity to network with the enthusiastic pilots, I was afforded the sim session, my first time “piloting” a widebody. Mark C. Cardwell, a FedEx captain and Orbis pilot, was the instructor, using a tablet computer to wirelessly set up various scenarios from the right seat. The Level D simulator can replicate any airport in the world where FedEx flies. Cardwell likes the interesting terrain around Anchorage—a FedEx hub—so that’s where we started.

The VFR takeoff from Runway 7R was spectacular. The autothrottles managed the thrust and at our relatively light weight, the VR of 140 knots indicated airspeed soon scrolled up the airspeed tape. As Cardwell had coached, I rotated to about 15 degrees nose-up over about a 6-second span so as to avoid a tail strike. We were soon rocketing upward toward the nearly 7,000-foot peaks just east of Ted Stevens Anchorage International.

Cardwell dialed in a northward turn using the heading bug and the flight director responded. I started the left turn but soon got lost in the flight director cues and finally just looked outside—novel idea. We were quickly at 15,000 feet and in another left turn with Elmendorf Air Force Base just off our left as we made a sweeping left downwind for an approach back to Anchorage.

We made several approaches there and then magically whisked to approaches to Runway 19L left at Washington Dulles International and then back to Anchorage for a demonstration of a V1 cut, which was surprisingly easy to handle. In between I used the head-up display and its infrared overlay to fly some very low approaches. The HUD has a helpful cue to assist with flaring. A plus sign rises from the bottom to top over the course of a couple of seconds. Keep the flight path cue on the plus and you flare enough for a decent touchdown, but not so much to cause a tail strike—which I still managed to do on a couple of occasions. Maintenance won’t mind. I’m sure it’s something you get used to quickly, but beginning a rather aggressive flare at 50 feet just seems wrong.

For the Orbis pilots, the sim training is just like another day at work, except when in the Flying Eye Hospital, they are delivering life-changing medical care and not toasters and tennis shoes.AOPA

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