The Beginning of Transition Training
Today is the second day of my Boeing 747-400 type transition training.
The introduction on FMS, the Flight Managent System. Actually I'm no stranger to FMS, as the Fokker 100 I flew in the past year is equipped with FMS( although a bit different with the FMS on 744), and the APQ simulator sessions I just completed also put a lot of emphesis on operating the FMS. As a result, to a certain extent I could be described as an experienced FMS user.
That being said, however, the 744 FMS has a lot of funtions that I'm still unfamiliar with. So this is a very good oppurtunity for exploring the real capability of the 744 FMS, as the FMS plays such an important role in the real line-operation, and you really need to be very very familiar with all its funtions so as to fully utlize it, thus making the operation in the most efficient way.
So what is FMS? Think it as the trip computer on some well-equipped cars, and you'll get a rough idea. Of course the FMS has much, much better capabilities than just giving you some data like fuel consumption in the trip.
Before each flight, a lot of data have to be input into the FMS, like the current position of airplane, the planned route, loading and fuel parameters, performance data, navigation set-up...etc, etc. Then the FMS calculates and takes control of many other systems on the airplane, and by the output of it, you decide how the flight should be conducted.
That is not the end of it. In the progress of the flight, you keep interacting with the FMS, because the ATC may interrupt, the winds and temperature aloft can be different than forecasted. As a result, you not only monitor the performance of the airplane and FMS, you also keep making changes and alterations almost all the time. Only if you are familiar with the FMS can you then efficiently make all those necessary inputs with the small alpha-numeric keypad, and thus bring out the best of the FMS, otherwise you get confused with its somewhat complicate functions.
Anyway, I spent more than 5 hours reading the route information, the functions of FMS, and played with the FMS software downloaded in my notebook just for the preparation of the 4-hour session in this morning. As what I've expected, the instructor kept me so busy altering airplane speeds, altitudes, routes, the estimated time of arriving over waypoints, and even air turnback to the depature airport, missed-approach and shoot another approach. Most of the work done were just with the keypad of the FMS, and you did keep the airplane flying as you intended it to.
The session went pretty well, and I'd say today is another day that a lot has been learned, especially with the FMS.
Keep up the learning progess!
The introduction on FMS, the Flight Managent System. Actually I'm no stranger to FMS, as the Fokker 100 I flew in the past year is equipped with FMS( although a bit different with the FMS on 744), and the APQ simulator sessions I just completed also put a lot of emphesis on operating the FMS. As a result, to a certain extent I could be described as an experienced FMS user.
That being said, however, the 744 FMS has a lot of funtions that I'm still unfamiliar with. So this is a very good oppurtunity for exploring the real capability of the 744 FMS, as the FMS plays such an important role in the real line-operation, and you really need to be very very familiar with all its funtions so as to fully utlize it, thus making the operation in the most efficient way.
So what is FMS? Think it as the trip computer on some well-equipped cars, and you'll get a rough idea. Of course the FMS has much, much better capabilities than just giving you some data like fuel consumption in the trip.
Before each flight, a lot of data have to be input into the FMS, like the current position of airplane, the planned route, loading and fuel parameters, performance data, navigation set-up...etc, etc. Then the FMS calculates and takes control of many other systems on the airplane, and by the output of it, you decide how the flight should be conducted.
That is not the end of it. In the progress of the flight, you keep interacting with the FMS, because the ATC may interrupt, the winds and temperature aloft can be different than forecasted. As a result, you not only monitor the performance of the airplane and FMS, you also keep making changes and alterations almost all the time. Only if you are familiar with the FMS can you then efficiently make all those necessary inputs with the small alpha-numeric keypad, and thus bring out the best of the FMS, otherwise you get confused with its somewhat complicate functions.
Anyway, I spent more than 5 hours reading the route information, the functions of FMS, and played with the FMS software downloaded in my notebook just for the preparation of the 4-hour session in this morning. As what I've expected, the instructor kept me so busy altering airplane speeds, altitudes, routes, the estimated time of arriving over waypoints, and even air turnback to the depature airport, missed-approach and shoot another approach. Most of the work done were just with the keypad of the FMS, and you did keep the airplane flying as you intended it to.
The session went pretty well, and I'd say today is another day that a lot has been learned, especially with the FMS.
Keep up the learning progess!
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