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This is the special training that a pilot Boeing 787 Dreamliner de Air France must undergo to fly at the height of the Andes.
The International Airports of Bogota and Quito They are special. These terminals are located at a height of more than 2.200 meters above sea level, We are surrounded by mountains and its operation is considered complex or special by the airlines..
These two airports and others that are located at the height of the largest mountain range in the world also known as The Andes, They present a complexity for airlines and their pilots must undergo special training to fly here and be certified for this purpose..
This is how a few days ago Christophe Cuny, pilot of this aircraft and the airline Air France published some interesting photos and videos of its certification process to be able to fly in the next few days on the direct flight from Paris to Quito in this modern aircraft.
The certification
Chris exclusively shared some images and videos of this process with us.:
We can see very clearly on the navigation screens the representation of the relief rendered by the EGPWS. Anything yellow or red is above us…
The track, located “under” the city, it’s the little beige spot that we can see above the reflection of the iPad in the mirror… pic.twitter.com/9idKndEyEM— Christophe CUNY (@chcuny) November 19, 2019
Chris comments that the process to be able to fly to Quito, which is located 2.200 meters above sea level consists of carrying out a simulator session to be certified to operate at this airport, the same thing that happens towards Bogotá:
When AF decided to go to Quito with him 787, It was clear that additional training would be necessary due to this special airport configuration: high altitude, limited maneuvering space, volcanoes, special trajectories in case of engine failure upon arrival or departure, adverse weather (wind and windshear/ electric storms) …
Together with the French aviation authorities, a dedicated simulator session was implemented to train pilots. During this additional training of 3 hours and 30 minutes, 2 captains and 2 First officers take the controls one after another and will perform at least: 1 approach at each QFU with a turn followed by an engine failure, 1 takeoff at each QFU with an engine failure after V1.
The objective is to know the general situation of the environment, Learn how to configure FMS to get the best help in managing engine failure trajectories (with minimum ground clearance) and be prepared for all special situations that may arise.
What's more, Air France decided that only a limited number of crew members will be qualified to maximize their experience. A selection was made, based on professional skills, to obtain a sufficient number of qualified pilots to allow approximately 1 flight to Quito every month.
Once the simulator training is validated, the pilots will carry out a normal flight, without an additional instructor, as is the case sometimes.
All the pilots who have completed this training are very happy to discover this new destination and challenge their skills..
Obviously, we do not simulate until landing, most small virtual “flights” end on a go-around with an engine failure… it’s more educational ! 😰
In this case, the trajectories take us to the nearest valleys, even in the clouds. pic.twitter.com/CXtgCCWLS3— Christophe CUNY (@chcuny) November 19, 2019
Too, explains that in most virtual flights complete landings are not made, but rather what is practiced are missed approaches with failure in one of the engines, In this way, pilots are more prepared for potential emergency situations and the "escape routes" without an engine and respective procedures are analyzed..
All this to guarantee an operation 100% safe in the complexity of operating in hot airports & high as they are Bogotá, Quito and others.
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Very nice videos