[simpits-tech] Weekend fun!!!!!

[Justin Messenger]

I had a fun weekend. I look a frind of mine and we drove 1.200 miles round trip to get some time on a C-17 sim at Altus AFB. This time I got to try a hook up with a KC-135. It was much harder than with desktop simulations. The engines have a several second lag after your throttle imput. For my first try the instructor took care of the throttles and let me concentrate on the stick. He said the best he had seen anyone do on their first try was 11 seconds (including his Air Force students) He said on his first try he stayed hooked up 10 seconds and that I shouldn't feel bad if I could only hook up a second or two. I managed 79 seconds on my frist try. He didnt take that too well :)
 
He said "all right hot shot, I'm not helping you anymore, you take care of the throttles yourself". Instead of letting my friend try next like he had planned he made me try again. That time my time was only 4 seconds but he said that was better than the average Air Force student that he gets out of flight school can do when they frist try. He said  I was smoother with the stick than he was and he sounded disgusted about it, he has 5000 hours in C-130's plus all of his simulator time. He told my friend that the way I was moving the stick while tanking is called "stiring the pot", ie contiuous tiny imputs. I was pretty happy. I made some great touch and go's too. 
 
 
He said the Air Force was paying one thousand dollars an hour to operate the sim so we got to use $2700 dollars worth of our tax money to hot dog around. 
 
I have to say the C-17 is really cool. It amazes me how aggressively it can be flown. 
 
We also got to see the huge computers that drive the things. We went to the building where they have a full sized replica of the C-17 cargo hold to train cargo masters. A drive down the flight line  along  C-17's and C-5's ended the evening. What fun!
Justin


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