High Fidelity

Then with the era of the Super Constellation came the Redifon 1049 Type Trainer in 1956. Essentially, this was a systems trainer, which also had an important use for aid approach work; it still gives service in the latter function with Australian Airlines today.

With the advent of the 707, Qantas found itself having to contend with a new aeroplane that was much faster, more complex and which contained new aerodynamic characteristics – dutch roll being among them. A Singer Link flight simulator was delivered in 1959. It was an analogue device, like the 1049 Trainer and initially a stationary simulator (it was later modified for two axes motion). It required an enormous amount of back up in the way of racks and racks of hot temperamental valves that were the clumsy forerunners to transistors and microchips. Sydney University had also installed a large analogue Siliac computer and it was revealed to the writer that both institutions often had cause to commiserate with one another regarding the reliability of their acquisitions. Qantas were to experience other difficulties in the way of technical data and specialised labour.

The Link 707 and the Link Electra trainers (the latter was delivered in 1960) were ordered several years ahead of the first aircraft delivery; this meant that crews could be trained on type before the arrival of the actual aircraft. Apart from the fact that Singer Link had imposed a data freeze nineteen months before delivery of the simulators, thus placing Qantas in a delayed situation of matching actual characteristics to the aircraft, there was also the high attrition rate of the airline’s technicians to the more lucrative television industry (sound familiar! Ed). This problem was subsequently resolved by Qantas management achieving a similar award for its simulator technicians. It was also the first acknowledgement that simulation was an entity unto itself.

In 1964 an all-digital three axes motion 707 simulator was delivered. It also featured the first of the available visual systems – a belt drive model combined with a closed-circuit TV. In retrospect it was a rudimentary system, as we shall see, but it’s interesting to observe that Qantas technicians were working with coloured television long before their peers in the broadcasting sphere. The simulator was also the first digital model developed and the accompanying equipment occupied far less room, required less cooling and was considerably more reliable.

Just as Qantas had sold time to TAA arid Air New Zealand with its Electra Trainer, so a similar programme was implemented with the new 707 simulator, with time being sold to MAS and Korean Airlines. Already Qantas was evolving into a leader in the Pacific region. A third 707 simulator was delivered in 1969.

In 1963, Mr Ron Yates, then Assistant Chief Engineer (and later Chief Executive until retiring on 30 June 1986), presented a paper at the ‘Second International Simulator Conference’ in Los Angeles. The paper was prophetic in several respects.

In it he addressed the problem of technical labour and manufacturers’ data freezes and the necessity for ongoing maintenance support for diverse equipment, such as computer hardware and software, optics, electronics and hydraulics. Constant data recording of the simulators was essential to keep the aerodynamic and other characteristics within acceptable tolerances. A ‘Keep Current Programme’ was needed, he said, requiring a close liaison with both the simulator and the aircraft manufacturer. A simulator complex could be best run only as a separate division, with its own manager, engineering group, materials and scheduling planner, maintenance superintendent and technical supervisors; only the flight training staff would answer to flight operations.

Costly pitfalls such as an airline relying too heavily on the simulator manufacturer to perform all of the necessary, and inevitable, updating of a newly acquired simulator were also addressed. Qaritas had learnt to take initiative early (thus saving itself money) and in so doing, had already laid the foundations to become· gradually more and more independent in this newly evolving science. Finally, Mr Yates predicted how the results would improve with digital computing and visual wizardry.

The next stage was the delivery of a 747 simulator in 1971, this time six months ahead of the aircraft. Again, Qantas was looking at a new aeroplane – systems redundancy, complex inertial navigation system, high bypass fan jets that each produced over 41,000lbs of thrust (first generation); and an elevated flight deck which gave a totally new perspective on the T-VASIS. This wide-body aircraft was virtually double the capacity, power and weight of any existing commercial aircraft.

When the second 747 simulator was delivered in 1976, it was linked to a general purpose computer (unlike No. 1 simulator which had arrived with its own special-purpose computer, designed by Singer Link).

There were problems with number two – pilots complained of a lack of stability, which was very difficult to define. It was found that the general purpose computer was inadequate to handle the data at sufficient resolution, thus detracting from a realistic feel. The problem was identified by Qantas and resolved by Singer Link; hardware and software with increased capacity replaced the original equipment and no charge was made to Qantas.

The first two 747 simulators were designed to simulate Pratt & Whitney engines (the P&W JT9D-1 was the only 747 engine available at the time). Rolls Royce, after nearly suffering bankruptcy due to exhaustive research and development, was finally able to deliver to the aviation world the RB211 – a new triple spool front fan engine that was quieter and more powerful than the JT9 (it delivered 48,000lbs of thrust); and, it yielded a significant fuel saving. Qantas favoured the new RB211 and began a purchasing programme; part of this was the joint purchase of numbers three and four simulators in 1978 dedicated to the new RB211 engines.

Qantas senior pilots though were not entirely happy with the new simulators- they felt the simulators lacked sufficient realism and feel, particularly in the crucial landing and takeoff phase. With such subjective evaluations, it is not always possible to isolate the exact cause (indeed, some would say that it’s possible to have six pilots and seven opinions). By this time the US Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) and Singer Link were involved in an ‘Advanced Simulator Technology’ (AST) programme. A number of AST 747 simulators in the US had already received FAA Phase II approvals (Phase Ill being the highest level).

Qantas conveyed its evaluations to Boeing, who, at the time felt that their data package was adequate, especially in view of the FM approvals. Qantas still felt that the ‘fidelity of simulation required to meet Qantas standards’ was lacking. As a result it fitted a 747 aircraft with instruments for data collection and conducted ten hours of flight testing at Avalon. Consequently, Qantas Simulator Department and Singer Link modified the software to incorporate this new data. What’s interesting about this is that two years later Boeing produced a new data revision which substantiated the Qantas findings.

The introduction of these simulators coincided with the anticipated Australian Department of Aviation’s release of its own simulator accreditation requirements, which while based on those of the FM, were more stringent. After the software adjustments, the simulators were tested by the DoA and were the first to gain Level 5, still the highest accreditation available in Australia.

Just as the dust seemed to be settling with the 747 programme, along came the 767 in 1985, complete with yet more technology- cathode ray tube (CRT) instrumentation, new Pratt & Whitney engines again and a sophisticated flight management system (FMS) coupled to laser gyros. However, both the FMS and the new digital electronics of the 767 presented new training problems for Qantas. Overseas experience had shown that these areas had presented difficulties to both pilots, with the FMS, and ground engineers, with the new digital concepts. The Qantas Simulator Department then designed and built an FMS trainer and a specialist 767 Engineer’s trainer.

At present Qantas has one P&W JT9 747 simulator (the other was sold to People Express in the US in 1984), two 747 RB211 simulators, a 767 JT9 simulator, a 707simulator (an ex-Qantas simulator purchased from Aer Lingus and now used for RAAF training). Also housed in the present simulator area are a 747 ground trainer, essentially a cockpit facsimile that is used for hands on systems and procedures training and the two previously mentioned 767 trainers. Both of these devices save Qantas a fortune in reducing real aircraft training; at the time of writing, Singer Link are negotiating with Qantas to market the 767 trainers to other airlines.

The latest arrival in the Flight Operations Training building are three British build Torch CX personal computers,-complete with joysticks and rudders- these are aptitude testers and are now being used to test pilot aspirants and Qantas flight engineers wishing to convert to pilots. The computers contain a classified programme, which essentially tests motor skills and interpretation of flight instruments. The programme has been purchased from the British Ministry of Defence. Also contained in this building are the mock-up fuselage and swimming pool used to train technical and cabin crews in evacuation and ditching procedures.

On delving into the world of simulation, one hears a lot of new terms: ‘computer generated images (CGI)’, ‘mathematical design models’, ‘meeting the numbers’ and so on. If the reader could imagine each of these terms as building blocks, along with others such as ‘simulator engineering support’, ‘pilot training’ and the like; then, use these blocks to build a pyramid. At the apex of this pyramid would be placed the rather quaint term – ‘high degree of fidelity’. This is the esoteric phrase in the simulator realm which denotes that sometimes elusive quality to which all of the effort is directed- a constant push to achieve the nearest thing to reality. And this translates to an airline cost saving, despite the seemingly enormous simulator department budget.

The Qantas Simulator Department operates as a self-contained entity within the Engineering branch of the airline, with, at the time of writing, over A$60m invested in simulators, plant and equipment. If real aircraft had to be used to train Qantas crews, two 747s, one 767 and one smaller jet (such as BAe125-800) would need to be dedicated to training, with the inherent airforce costs that would eclipse simulator costs very quickly; the comparisons are staggering – $400 to $600 per hour in the simulator and $12,000 to $15,000 per hour in a 747! This figure has also increased dramatically due to recent increased government landing charges. The utilisation of the Qantas simulators speaks for itself:

“We are currently providing to our customers and to Operations Training, simulators for twenty hours a day (leaving four hours for maintenance between 0200 and 0600), seven days a week. ” Ray Page, Simulator Maintenance & Development Manager told me, “This produces well over 5,000 training hours per annum and with an availability record of 98%, Qantas can claim the highest utilisation of the world’s major airlines. ”

Ray Page has twenty six years of experience in simulation and is the current Chairman of the IATA Technical Committee for Flight Simulators- a body that decides standards throughout the world.

A Flight Operations Simulator Group is responsible for ensuring simulator fidelity from the operational standpoint, whether it be by data testing, their own assessment, or by feedback from a wide range of pilots (and any Qantas pilot is encouraged to submit any feedback). This group is managed by a Supervisory Training Captain, who with his deputy, maintains currency both as an instructor and as a check captain on route flying, base training and simulators. The group also provides the content of simulator training exercises and in conjunction with the Simulator Department, the preparation and execution of acceptance test guides, plus liaison with the regulatory authority for accreditation and regular four monthly fidelity checking.

“We enjoy an excellent professional relationship with the Department of Transport & Communication”, Captain George Lindeman, Flight Operations Training Manager for Flight Simulators told me. “They of course provide the accreditation for simulator fidelity and we welcome the feedback from their pilots as much as we do from Qantas pilots. ”

This is the status quo of simulation at Qantas. What of the future?

The airline has ordered four 747-400s, due for delivery in 1989.

The new aircraft will carry 388 passengers and 13. 3 tonnes of freight over distances of up to 6,750 nautical miles. They will have a maximum takeoff weight of 395,450kg and their four RB211-524G engines will each produce 58,000lbs of thrust (compare this with the previously mentioned first generation engines). The new aircraft will have ‘glass cockpits’ (CRT instrumentation) and six feet long wiglets on the end of extended wings.

“Our choice of new Rolls Royce engines is expected to yield an 8% fuel saving,” Captain Alan Terrell, General Manager Operations said. “With the 400 series operating over long sectors, this will be a very significant saving. ” (The fuel estimate for Qantas for 1986/87 was A$315 million. )

Two new 747-400 simulators have been ordered under a contract with Singer Link worth A$14. 2 million. One will give service as a flight simulator and the other as a ground simulator. The 400 series will be a two pilot operation and therefore procedural training will be extensive with the familiarisation necessary in a new ergonomic environment. It will probably also mean the construction of a new desktop FMS trainer, as was the case with the 767. Another flight simulator will be needed for the 767-300 fleet on order, which will have General Electric engines (giving Qantas a spread of the three engine manufacturers and the opportunity now to undertake more overhaul work for foreign carriers). Works are well in progress at the Qantas Jet Base, extending the simulator complex to house the new equipment. The 400 series simulators are due to arrive in late 1988.

Captain George Lindeman told me, “Our new 747-400 simulators will have the Link Miles IMAGE IV visual system with an AWARDS projected display system, providing a simulation of daylight as well as dusk and night. For the first time in commercial aviation there will be a continuous 200 degree horizontal and a forty degree vertical field of view, thus allowing cross cockpit viewing. ”

Qantas has also designed a fully forward facing instructor’s panel; this will be another first in the industry.

The imagery for the simulators has come a long way since the old belt model days. It is now computer generated onto highest quality precision-ground, curved mirrors. It is rich in detail and texture and delivers a highly realistic scene content. For example, translucency is used to enhance special effects such as smoke, dust, fog, haze and even aircraft windows. Shadows, clouds, surface water waves, building brickwork, tyre marks on the runway and liveries on other airborne aircraft will even be possible. Ray Page can see that the job of graphic modeller, who will construct “airport and vicinity scenes” to laid down specifications, will fall more into the realm of a graphic artist rather than an engineer or a mathematician. The increasing use of simulation for ships, army tanks and nuclear power stations will also bring a new dimension to career aspirants.

“I believe that simulation has developed to a point where it is a branch of science in its own right”, Ray Page said, “and I firmly believe, certainly in the United States, that we’ll see engineering faculties teaching Simulation in the next five years. ”

Partly due to its geographical location and substantially to its own initiative, Qantas has become a respected figure in the simulation industry in the Pacific region. It has provided initial 747 training for Air New Zealand, Cathay Pacific, Korean Airlines and MAS. It has also provided 767 training (including FMS training) to CAAC. Naturally with all of the new equipment coming, Qantas are optimistic that it will sell simulator time as it always has done.

It is possible that some pilots may still feel that simulators do not deliver sufficient realism – particularly if they are scheduled for a midnight to 2am session – but of one thing they can rest assured: as long as technology continues to advance, so will the push to achieve a high degree of fidelity.

***

QALINK

The speculation in the aviation industry about Australia’s international airline ‘going into the simulator business’ was confirmed on 20 March 1987. It was then announced that Qantas was to join forces with Singer Link & Computer Sciences of Australia to form a teaming arrangement – Qalink.

Initially, Qalink’s role will be to provide equipment, training and support in flight simulation for Australia’s Armed Forces. Already Qalink has secured its first major contract Mission Simulator with support for the Royal Australian Navy’s eight new Seahawk S708 helicopters. This alone will substantially assist the company with its initial stated intentions to secure military (and eventually commercial) contracts of $A100 million. How did it all come about? In the 1970s Qantas began to assume a greater role in the development of its own simulator programmes, partly due to its own expectations of what a simulator ought to deliver and partly to a newly formulated government offset policy requir ing 30% local industry share in major expenditures. In this case the major expenditure was simulator development and testing and the only locally qualified contender was Qantas. who already had many years of experience to its credit.

When it was decided that the RAAF would purchase and operate two VIP 707 aircraft, the associated flight simulator programme to support this venture was allocated to Qantas; an interesting irony relating to this development was that Qantas regained possession of one of its original 707 simulators which had been purchased by Aer Lingus. This new role of ‘minding’ a simulator for the RAAF, coupled with the independence that Qantas had attained, prompted the Manager Simulators, Mr Ray Page, to consider the concept that would evolve into Qalink. Ray Page found a sympathetic ear with Captain Alan Terrell, General Manager Operations, and Singer Link’s Australian Agent, John Cooke. Discussions then began with Singer Link, who conceded that Sydney was a long way away from Binghamton, New York State (where Singer Link are located); if they were going to go into business with anyone, why not Qantas after all they operated the largest simulator resources support centre in the Southern Hemisphere and had 30 years of unparalleled experience? “We’ve enjoyed an excellent ongoing relationship with Link over the years,” Ray Page told me, “they’ve always delivered what we consider to be the best product; in turn we’ve sought to assist them as much as possible with intelligent feedback on specific projects and thus, a mutually beneficial exchange of ideas has taken place. It seemed logical to join them when the original Qalink idea arose”.

The Link Flight Simulation Division of the Singer Company is the world’s oldest and largest manufacturer of simulators. It has supplied 15 of the 20 flight simulators now in Australia (of which six are owned by Qantas). Apart from its flight simulation involvement, it has diversified into other fields of simulation, such as simulators for: oil tankers, nuclear power stations (to rehearse emergency situations so as to avoid meltdowns); and, as the manufacturer of all the simulators for the US space programme. “The military has been trying since the F-111 days to design their own engineering support programmes without going directly to the manufacturer”, John Cooke, Australia’s Singer Link representative said. “It would mean requesting a simulator designed especially for their own purposes and that would prove very expensive. Qalink has alleviated this problem. ” The other company involved in the Qalink project, Computer Sciences of Australia, has had considerable previous involvement in defence projects. Being a major defence contractor, CSA is a specialist in computer software engineering; it has already participated in a simulator project duplicating the bridge of an RAN destroyer and in training equipment for the F-18 programme. It also has a ‘high tech’ understand- ing of avionics, navigation, sensor and weapons systems. Interestingly, it is also involved in a direct support role with the RAN’s Seahawk programme.

The benefits of Qalink to Australia are not difficult to visualise. It will mean new skills and expertise being nurtured at a time when the public voice is crying out for such ventures (and according to Ray Page, simulator evolution is just getting to the good part). The economy will benefit due to the increased Australian industry involvement; this also is a timely implication. It will also mean a closer working relationship between civil and military concerns – the exchange of useful information is bound to assist in future research and development. Indeed, an Australian simulation industry has been born.

“Ultimately we’d like to think that there are other simulator installations that we could help to maintain,” Captain Terrell said. “Of course we wouldn’t expect all simulators to be based in Sydney-it will mean Qalink staff could be based in Tindal, Nowra, Newcastle, or wherever the simulator is installed”.

While Qalink, essentially, has been formed to satisfy a military need with initial attention focused within Australia, it’s possible that the team could soon be tendering for other military work within the Pacific Basin. It’s also possible that Qantas and Singer Link may have civil ventures in mind.

“This would entail another arrangement between the two companies,” Captain Terrell told me, “in which they would operate and sell time with simulators which they might jointly, or separately own, to commercial customers. East-West have expressed interest in such an undertaking for their F28. ” Qalink has created a new precedent in the aviation industry. For the first time a simulator vendor has seen fit to agree to go into a joint manufacturing venture with an airline. Qantas has worked hard to earn the respect it enjoys in the simulator realm and Qalink is sure to maintain that standard.