When the 777 first entered service, it was a whole new type of aircraft; highly digital, modeled and tested in 3D, efficient in many respects. In this increasingly digitized environment, there would be a lot more computers managing aircraft operations.
I’m Robert Hoisan and my main job at AOA involves animating and video editing. I bring to life wonderful static illustrations created by a hard working team and I do so under the strict guidance of another hard working team that deals with scripts and storyboards.
The 777 has 2 engines. True or false? False. The engine has THREE engines. The APU, located in the tail of the aircraft, can provide electrical power and bleed air for various flight operations, especially on the ground.
Learning the background systems, i.e., what’s going on OUT of the pilots sight is important, but what about what is actually on the flight deck?
Say you’re on approach and you’re entering some icing conditions. Will ice build on the wings and compromise your lift? How much icing can the 777 take?
Flying the 777 is a matter of pulling, turning and pushing the control column, right? Wrong. These days it’s common to get Fly-by-Wire, which means electronic signals are sent to the different controls based on input.
Can you imagine what would happen if you suddenly lost all airspeed indications on your flight deck? First, you’d have no idea the limits of the aircraft based on airspeed. Are you close to stall? Overspeed?
Imagine slamming forward the throttles, and climbing like a bat out of (you know where) to climb to your cruise altitude. All seems well. But then the cabin crew reports that the passengers are blocks of ice in the -60 degree air.
Ever since I can remember, I have known that I wanted to have a career in the aviation industry. I spent my early years in Houston, TX, where my Dad worked for NASA as an astronaut trainer. While I was out playing in the sandbox with my brother, I would hear the roar of a jet engine screaming by our house. I would stop what I was doing, spring up, and look upwards towards the sky to catch a glimpse of a T-38 astronaut trainer speeding by. I knew that I wanted to experience that “free” feeling of flight for the rest of my life.
Don’t think hydraulic knowledge is important? Think again. If your hydraulics go out, you’ll literally have no way of controlling the aircraft.
