Training?

This looks a bit strange. I’m guessing a training flight? All of the past flights have been small hops or going to the same airport. What do you think?

It is the June 9th flight.

flightaware.com/live/flight/FDX9 … /KGSO/KGSO

As mentioned elsewhere ad nauseum in this forum, flights for the major airlines that are in the 8000 and 9000 series are usually charter, maintenance, training, or ferry flights.

Yes, FedEx is a major airline, even though it doesn’t carry live human passengers.

Timco does maintenance for FedEx (and others) at GSO. These are almost certainly test flights post-mtx. Few airlines actually do training flights any more - that’s what simulators are for.

Incidentally, FedEx is constructing an operational hub at GSO, which should start up in 2009.

Yes, but nothing is like the actual thing.

[quote=“Boeing7475500”]

I know most airlines don’t use actual aircraft in training.

The simulators that are available today - and I’m not talking about the pretend simulators like Microsoft’s - are extremely realistic. Pilots go in all nice and clean and come out soaking wet with perspiration and needing to change their underwear. Believe me, a simulator today is better than the actual thing because all sorts of situations that can be done safely. It’s the rare airline that will risk a training flight where an engine fails, there’s smoke in the cockpit, and nose wheel refuses to deploy!

[quote=“damiross”]

Settle down! It feels different when you know you actially flying the real thing.

Nope, wrong-o, ain’t right. Re-read what I said. The modern simulators are EXACTLY like the real thing or else the FAA wouldn’t allow them to be used in place of the real thing. You may think you are getting into a simulator but once you are in it, you forget that you are still on the ground and actually feel like you are in an aircraft thousands of feet above the ground.

Can I get a ruling from the judges??? dbaker, mduell???

I’d have to agree. Did an engine failure in a DC-8 years ago. Thought i was gonna die. Fortunately no soiled pants were involved.

Why simulate ?

One man died and two others were injured when a forest- firefighting plane crashed Sunday near La Ronge.

The three people were taking part in a training exercise Sunday when their plane went down in the bush about 1.5 kilometres northwest of the provincial forest-firefighting centre.

The weather was fair at the time of the crash, according to Canadian Press.

Scott Boyes, spokesman for Saskatchewan’s Department of Northern Affairs, said a 54-year-old man from La Ronge died from the injuries he sustained in the crash. Two others were taken to a Saskatoon hospital with unspecified injuries.

The aircraft, a Convair 580 owned by the provincial government, was carrying fire retardant.

What did I say in my post? Safety!!!
There’s also the fact that it costs a helluva lot less to “fly” a simluator than a real aircraft.

Right, since you have first-hand experience with this…

Moving on… Having had the opportunity to ‘fly’ both a GIV and a Hawker 800 full-motion simulator I can attest to the fact that they are VERY realistic. Like Dami said, you really do forget that you’re not actually airborne. Full wrap-around screens and motion make it very realistic indeed.

Not really. Modern mil-spec SIMs, especially HELO SIMs in low level flight, are capable of making you physically ill, even if you’ve never been subject to air-sickness before.

Particularly if you “fly” the real aircraft into the ground :open_mouth: