Flight Simulator, 2

 
 

Vocabulary

push	throttle	here we go
abort	accident	panoramic
let go	knot (2)	simulate
focus	warning	incredible
reach	realistic	extremely
adjust	controls	take a turn
crash	fume (2)	give it a try
idle	pull it up	what it’s like
task	plummet	natural (2)
pull	cockpit	demanding
ease	land (2)	nerve wracking
wrack	on board	turbulence
Airbus	dramatic	demonstrate
rid	get rid of	uncomfortable
critical	situation	degree (3)
require

 
 
 

Video: Flight Simulator

 
 
 
 

Transcript

Colin Schommers, Flight Instructor: “Okay, here we go. Push the throttle until you reach one, then let go so you don’t abort the start by accident.

Jens Speissel, Would-be Pilot: “We’ve almost reached 152 knots. Now I’ll stop bringing the nose up.”

Colin Schommers, Flight Instructor: “Bring the nose up . . . Jens, very nice. Bye-bye Munich. Perfect.”

Jens Speissel is completely focused. He’s flying an Airbus 320 — in a flight simulator.

Jens Speissel, Would-be pilot: “It’s an incredible feeling. It’s extremely realistic. And after five seconds you forget you’re sitting in a simulator. You have a panoramic view; it’s really exciting.”

Colin Schommers, Flight Instructor: “Now you can go up to ten degrees. We’re already flying at three-thousand feet.

Colin Schommers is a flight instructor who also regularly flies Airbuses, just like his brother Arnick.

The two own this flight simulator, which is an exact copy of an Airbus cockpit. Anyone can take a turn at the controls here. No experience required.

Collin Schommers, Aixplane: “Anyone can give it a try. We adjust to how much people already know. We’ll make it more demanding for a professional who already flown a lot, and easier for those who have never flown before.”

Jens Speissel and Fabian Beindorf really wanted to know what’s it’s like to fly in an Airbus.

And they seem to be naturals.

Their tasks become increasingly difficult. Collin Schommers gives them instructions.

Collin Schommers, Aixplane: “It’s plummeting. Bring up the nose. Pull it up. Go into idle speed. Pull it up to plus-ten degrees.

And now the next situation: head first…just ease her down below. Don’t into crash into it. Bring up the nose…yep exactly. Okay, close the throttle. ”

Journalist: “It’s nerve wracking, isn’t it?”
Jens Speissel: “Yes, it certainly is. As a passenger, it’s better to see this in a simulator than in real life.”

Arnick Schommers programs turbulence into the system.

Arnick Schommer, Aixplane: “The worst thing that can happen when you fly is smoke in the cockpit.

Fire on board!

That’s really dramatic.

I can demonstrate if you like.

Should I?”

Jens Speissel, Would-be Pilot: “Okay, we’ve got a warning light on: something’s burning.

Now, it’s getting uncomfortable. Would you get rid of the smoke a bit, please?

This isn’t going too well.”

Journalist: “What’s happening?”
Jens Speissel, Would-be Pilot: “The situation’s critical. Something’s burning somewhere, so we have to bring the plane down, despite the smoke and the fumes.

Could you lower the speed?

I’m just going to land.

Okay, we landed.

Now, everybody out. Fast.”

*     *     *     *     *     *     *

Questions

1. Flying an airplane is very complicated (for beginners and amateurs). Pilots must be aware of many different things. True or false?

2. Is there a lot of communication between the flight instructor and student?

3. How does Jens Speissel, the student pilot, feel about using the flight simulator?

4. Collin Schommers, the flight instructor is only an expert with flight simulators, but not flying real airplanes. Is this correct or incorrect?

5. Is the flight simulator like a computer game or video game; or virtually the same as a real airplane cockpit?

6. Only people with natural flying talent can operate the flight simulator. Yes or no?

7. Was there a real fire in the cockpit? Was the cockpit actually burning?

8. The student pilot doused the cockpit and control panels with water. Is this right or wrong?

 
 

A. Have you or your friends ever “flown” in a flight simulator?

B. I have flown on computer games or simulators. Yes or no?

C. Have you seen airplane, race car, skiing, skydiving, tank, submarine, space (zero-gravity) or other types of simulators? Are they popular?

D. What sort of simulators would you like to try?

E. What could happen in the future?