Flight sim restrictions

[HagarTheHorrible]

Given the stealing, stunting of an airliner and final tragic result, do you think that it might lead to restrictions on how far or how in depth flight simulators might be able to make their projects.  Obviously this is less an issue with BoX but never the less a point of discussion ?

 

I'm really surprised that nobody mentioned or linked to the incident of it's own accord but it has to be speculated that he might have learned the details of operating this model of aircraft from a flight simulator.

[Bremspropeller]

The dumbness of politicians is unlimited, so there might be repercussions coming from the incident.

 

Then again, he had been around the airplane for a long time and probably learned a lot from that, too.

The hardest thing is geting the airplane started - after that, pretty much any video-game experience will get you airborne, if you're not a dimwit.

Getting a Q400 ready for engine start isn't that easy, because the overhead-panel and it's systems are a bit of a clusterduck, compared to most contemporary aircraft.

But again, if you have been around and watching a couple of times, you'll know enough to pull it off.

 

The report of another airplane seeing "smoke coming from his wheels" during take-off suggest that he didn't figure out the nose-wheel steering and taxied/ took off, using brakes (and maybe differential power) only. He probably wasn't too deep into the systems.

 

Taking off a Q400 is pretty sporty. The one thing that flight sims don't prepare you for is when you unleash those 2x 5000shp of power (at MTOP rating) - that acceleration can very much overwhelm you, when not being used to it or not expecting.

The Q400 is kind of owerpowered (especially when empty like the airplane he used), and once the power-levers are anywhere near the forward detent, this thing is going places.

Kudos to him for not having lost it there.

[Leon_Portier]

Flight sims clearly promote violence like every other video game and should be forbidden, just think of the women and children.

?

Edited August 12, 2018 by Leon_Portier

[Lusekofte]

Whats in the internet can never be taken back. Truth is P3D and X plane make better pilots, enable students to practice at home many routines. It give some very rare side effects, like the one you mentioned. But the reality is they do not happened a lot. A norwegian mechanic did the same with a fighter plane and he survived a rough landing. This was at a time no simulation existed

[OrLoK]

did not some of the 911 guys practice with fsx?

 

I think if there would be a backlash it would have already happened.

[Rolling_Thunder]

People steal cars all the time. Racing sims are still with us with no restrictions. GTA is still with us.

[Lusekofte]

41 minutes ago, OrLoK said:

did not some of the 911 guys practice with fsx?

 

I think if there would be a backlash it would have already happened.

They had flight lessons in US also, not complete training but a great deal of hours. Once a airliner is in the air, not much knowledge is needed on how to switch off the Autopilot and steer it into a target. Well that said, actually hitting something in a dive is difficult , but co alt is piece of cake like happened in twin towers and Pentagon

[Rjel]

I've got to say while watching the video of his flight, my first thought was if he'd flown in flight simulators? At least from the videos, he maneuvers seemed pretty smooth. Sad way to end one's life. At least he was lucid enough to know he didn't want to hurt anyone else.

 

 

[LLv34_Flanker]

S!

 

 Reading the transcript between the pilot and ATC quite clearly showed this individual had some serious mental issues. Medication? Drugs? Great deal of problems in personal life or all the combined? Who knows. But if politicians and social media go after flight sims because of this it would just show how low the common sense and IQ has dropped

[Mitthrawnuruodo]

No, it won't lead to any restrictions on flight simulators. There are several reasons

• Such restrictions would be illegal in many jurisdictions.
• Politicians only support nonsensical policies to get elected or to help their friends. As flight sims are uncontroversial, nothing can be gained by targeting them.
• Sims are only a minor aid. Unauthorized flights by people with access to aircraft happened before desktop sims even existed.

However, it is possible that the event will lead to additional security measures for personnel. It might also give companies another reason to attempt to restrict access to information about their aircraft. However, that's largely irrelevant as documentation inevitably gets leaked anyway.

[BeastyBaiter]

You have to trust your own aircrew and mechanics. There is no way around that. On rare occasion, that trust will be abused.

[JG1_Vonrd]

19 hours ago, Bremspropeller said:

The dumbness of politicians is unlimited, so there might be repercussions coming from the incident.

 

Then again, he had been around the airplane for a long time and probably learned a lot from that, too.

The hardest thing is geting the airplane started - after that, pretty much any video-game experience will get you airborne, if you're not a dimwit.

Getting a Q400 ready for engine start isn't that easy, because the overhead-panel and it's systems are a bit of a clusterduck, compared to most contemporary aircraft.

But again, if you have been around and watching a couple of times, you'll know enough to pull it off.

 

The report of another airplane seeing "smoke coming from his wheels" during take-off suggest that he didn't figure out the nose-wheel steering and taxied/ took off, using brakes (and maybe differential power) only. He probably wasn't too deep into the systems.

 

Taking off a Q400 is pretty sporty. The one thing that flight sims don't prepare you for is when you unleash those 2x 5000shp of power (at MTOP rating) - that acceleration can very much overwhelm you, when not being used to it or not expecting.

The Q400 is kind of owerpowered (especially when empty like the airplane he used), and once the power-levers are anywhere near the forward detent, this thing is going places.

Kudos to him for not having lost it there.

 

Yeah, getting the engines up and doing a take-off and the subsequent flight could be done from only having sim experience and watching experienced crew.

 

The question is how did he even get to the active for departure? This is not some bumfk little airport... this is SEATAC, a major airport.

 

Did he just Cowboy it? If so, why was there no attempt to stop him with ground vehicles? Maybe he was just fast and audacious.

 

What I've heard so far is that he was a ground (baggage) handler... not a mechanic who would have experience in engine operation and ground ops (taxi), and that he did his own push-back, with a tug, from the terminal then climbed in and fired up the engines.

 

No one noticed this?!!!

 

Did he then proceed to taxi to the active? This would need an IFR clearance and correct read-back. Was he able to do this correctly? What about the Company Dispatchers?

 

Nobody noticed?!!!

 

Heads WILL roll on this incident and we mechanics will have to deal with a bunch more crimson tape.

 

I don't think it will affect our form of gaming but FSX and other study sims might have some publicity problems but I don't think there is a way to legally ban them (though with reactionary politicians... who knows).

Edited August 13, 2018 by II./JG1_Vonrd

[Bremspropeller]

There's an ATC tape that sheds a bit of light on the issue.

 

He came from the MX area close to the runway. Also, if he's taxiing around a non-movement area (what aprons usually are), nobody bats an eye, because you don't have to be in contact with ATC to do anything - once you go beyond that line, you'll need a clearance, though.

Now, SEA is a large airport with lots of traffic and only a couple of people looking for it. You can easily have 20-30 aircraft taxiing around, which makes a clear picture of who is who and who is where not very easy - especially when there are several aircraft of the same make/ model/ airline involved.

 

They realized he was taxiing onto the active when he was almost lined up. No way stopping him here, as you'll at first have to contact people, tell them what's going on, have them organized and launch an all-out assault across active taxiways and runways (which need to be closed, traffic stopped, etc.). Not gonna happen in an instant.

 

When he guns those throttles open, he'll be airborne in 10s and relatively little pavement. He could probably have taken-off on the taxiway orthogonal to the runway with that powerful and light airplane.