got to play a $3 million dollar video game today

[ogre]

a full motion, CH-47D chinook flight simulator. which coincidentally is the airframe that i work on. 1.5 hours of flight time. 2 take offs, 2 landings, and a successful autorotation. just for those who don't know, an autorotation is how you avoid dying when you lose power. my copilot (i had the right seat) and i were at ~650 feet, approximately 140 kts (155-160 mph) when the fellow running the machine simulated a dual flameout (both engine die at once). at around 400 feet from the deck, we were still at 100+ knots, when the AFCS (computerized flight controls) died due to low rotor and generator speed. we successfully performed a landing with no electrical, no computer assistance, and limited hydraulics. by successful, i mean we didn't die and the aircraft didn't break apart. for the record, neither of us has previous flight experience. all i know is what i learned from studying the AFAST study guide for my flight aptitude test. there are trained, certified pilots who BOLO their autorotations. needless to say, i'm puffed up and quite proud of myself and my copilot (also my roomie).

[Busa1166]

my flight sim was 39.95 plus tax, but the only motion is the joystick in your hand, and I have trouble just getting it to hover in one spot to winch stuff with the cable So that was quite an acomplishment

[Hayabusa4life]

Nice, Must be a really cool experience

[GNBRETT]

wow awesome. wat a kool job u must have. so ur trying to become a chopper pilot?

[jphilipson]

That's a nice little perk Sounds like since you aren't a pilot and knew it was a sim, that you didn't tense up due to expectations and actually did better than some pilots

[ogre]

it's definitely a bonus. you meet all kinds of cool old guys at the VFW. yes, i want to be a heli pilot, that's why i joined the army. it was really sweet to get some stick time. i know for certain now what i want to do.

[skydivr]

Awesome. One of my buds was a 'hook maintenance test pilot, got to fly some jumpseat rides w/him a few times b4 I retired.

P.S. LOTS of fun to jump out of nice big tailgate

[VaBusa]

Awesome!!! I bet that was a blast!!

[lil charlie]

[880jedi]

Way cool. I rode in the jumpseat on a Chinook many times while stationed in Germany.

[ogre]

i've dangled off the ramp as well, but this was a whole different thing.

[Twobrothersbusa]

I bet they have come a LONG way too. I got run qualified on C-130s back in 87. Went out to Kirkland and did a week in the simulator before I got to run the real thing.

Is that on full hydraulic articulated? Did you fly it with AFCS on and off? I got a bit of helo sim time when I was training and could fly the HH-53 for about 1 minute with AFCS turned off.

[ogre]

the afcs failed during the autorotation, we let rotor speed drop too far and the generators went offline. i think i could've flown it with the afcs off, but it wouldn't have been nearly as easy.