The One Where Things Finally Click (Even if the Sim Keeps Breaking)

Our third FMT session turned out to be a marked improvement over the first two. During the briefing, our instructor warned us that this lesson plan was packed, and we might end up with an “incomplete”—not a big deal, just a sign that we might have to finish some items at the start of our next session. We were fully prepared for that possibility, but then the sim itself had other ideas: the motion system refused to cooperate, and we had to call in a specialist to reboot it before we could even begin.

Once we started, my partner went first. Things ran fairly smoothly, despite the simulator deciding to not give us any takeoff data regardless of what we did. A soft reset wasn't enough, so maintenance specialists were enlisted to perform a hard reset. It did finally work! Luckily, because no one was scheduled after us, we got extra time—much needed, considering our repeated restarts. Surprisingly, though, everything still felt much more intuitive than before. Departures, RNAV procedures, and approaches had fewer mistakes and more flow. It feels like the repetitions are finally paying off, and each maneuver seems less daunting.

I was especially concerned about the V1 cut, but it’s starting to click. The single-engine go-arounds also benefited from that improvement—similar concept, really, and the more I practice, the more it feels like second nature. All in all, it was not a bad day. Tomorrow, the plan involves even more challenging maneuvers: no-flaps landings, more V1 cuts, and max-crosswind landings. I can’t promise it will be pretty, but I’m ready to give it my best shot.