Airtime: Flight simulators keep pilots sharp during pandemic

The coronavirus crisis has clipped the wings of airline pilots but those who have kept their jobs are doing what they can to stay sharp -- using flight simulators when they're not in the few planes in the air. Pilots can't afford to stay grounded for too long. To maintain their license to fly, they must meet a minimum requirement set down by the ICAO to carry out three take-off and landings in the last three months. "It's not normally an issue," says Tanja Harter, an Airbus A320 pilot based in Munich who is also head of technical issues for the European Cockpit Association (ECA), which represents some 40,000 flyers. The problem, with air traffic decimated and up to 80% of some operators' aircraft mothballed, is getting that flight time. To bridge the gap, the latest high-tech flight simulators allow pilots to hone their skills in a super realistic environment. "The full flight simulator with visuals and movement resembles a regular flight 98 or 99%," says Otjan de Bruijn, a long-haul pilot with KLM and head of the ECA. A year since France was plunged into its first lockdown, national carrier Air France has its simulators working up to 22 hours a day, says Philippe Lacroute, pilot and spokesman for flight operations at the company. In addition to the ICAO recommendations, pilots must also pass theoretical and practical exams twice a year which test their ability, among other things, to cope with emergencies or equipment breakdowns. The bottom line is that there are guidelines to ensure that flying is safe, says expert Xavier Tytelman.<br/>