p30-31 Air mar6 4/3/09 11:16 Page 31
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A second landing in fog was a measure of my
faith in technology, as there was no visibility
and the measurement panel was all I had until
the runway lights emerged from the blackness.
Landing in a cross-wind was even more
testing, as it involved slamming my foot down
on the pedal that operated the rudder, as well
as the brakes. It felt alarmingly brutal after the
delicate movements required on the control
column.
But we landed without crashing. I climbed
out of the pilot seat, a little shaky, but with
slightly more understanding of, and even more
respect for, the pilots who do the job for real.
GET BOOKED FOR SIMULATION
British Airways insists each of its pilots spends two days every six months at the £10 million
flight training centre at Hatton Cross. They undergo intensive safety training and enact mock
emergency situations.
The realism of the 14 simulators is so great that pilots can do all their training for a new
aircraft in them, before taking to the sky with passengers for the first time.
BA is offering the public the chance to experience taking control of a Boeing 777, 737 or 747
from take-off to landing, in the company of a qualified BA pilot. Prices range from £399 for
an hour in a B737-400 to £1,347 for three hours in a B747-400.
To prepare for take-off, find out more at ebaft.com
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