Piloto automático intermitente

A 90-minute, 4-round basic Express simulation for Spanish vocational training (Formacion Profesional), module 1453 Aerodinamica, estructuras y sistemas de navegacion y de vuelo automatico de aeronaves (Tecnico Superior en Mantenimiento de Sistemas Electronicos y Avionicos en Aeronaves, Real Decreto 1448/2018).

The learner is the newly qualified avionics technician of a fictional small maintenance organisation at a fictional regional aerodrome in Burgos who troubleshoots an intermittent autopilot disconnect on a regional airline's eight twin turboprops over the four quarters of a year.

Eight troubleshooting decisions over four rounds: how the fault is approached (fault history, built-in test, fault isolation manual), how it is isolated, how the reports and the removed units are followed, a chafed wire found near a servo connector, what is done with the aircraft in a summer peak with no spare, the technical log and the work orders, the repeat-defect check and the review of the year.

Scored on fleet available, avionics-programme cost a week, units removed without a fault and repeat defects; three tempting choices come back later, and two critical errors (an aircraft dispatched beyond the interval of the minimum equipment list, a repeat-defect check written as done without doing it) cap the round.

Lesson: isolate the fault before you change the unit - swapping boxes without isolating it fills the stores with units that have no fault. Training level only. Spanish primary, English parity. All companies, aerodromes, airlines, aircraft and people are fictional.

An introductory simulation that assumes no prior knowledge of the subject, designed for undergraduate courses. It also works in vocational and high-school programmes and in onboarding sessions.