A variety of training events 
If you're prepared and embrace learning... training is actually fun!
Took me a little while to figure this out though.
Training has truly evolved from what can we do to screw with these guys, to what can we teach them today?

Ralph and Hutch, MSP, between flights, preparing for SVT. (Single Visit Training)

My airline career began in 1974 with Hyannis based Air New England as a Twin Otter co-pilot.
OK, I spent a couple of months at Commuter Airlines in Binghamton, NY flying night mail in a Beech 18.

ANE Twin Otters

My airline training started on 6/1/74 with Air New England as a DHC-6, FO. The men to the right were training pilots and at one time or another I took check rides with each one. Great guys and excellent mentors who got me started on the right foot and contributed greatly to my long and enjoyable airline career.

Dick Angelino, Doug Parker, Howard West at a NEA reunion 2012, 38 years after Howard gave me my first check ride at ANE and filled out the form below.

FAA Form 8410-1

Several NWA training events

Bill and me, MSP, NATCO, 757 briefing room, SVT oral.

Oral went well, now into the simulator.

Rapid decompression exercise with smoke. Another SVT complete. Need to catch my commuter flight.

Going into the sim, my last 757 check ride

Coming out of the sim, now onto the 747-400.

My last 757 Line Check. MCO-ATL-DTW.

I was giving 727 A/C instruction here to Ab and Sally. Note the mustaches.

Shortly after the DAL merger and new to 767's, FO Dave Larsen and I are line checked across the North Atlantic to Frankfurt. It was a long flight.

After the DAL merger, All NWA 757 pilots went to ATL for 767 training. Here's the 767-300ER simulator.

The inside of the 767-300ER simulator. Looks just like a 757 with a few minor differences.

NATCO: Northwest Airlines Training Corp. MSP.  If you're an NWA pilot, you'll recognize these photos.

Entering NATCO

The classrooms.

The building. Remember flight bags?

The long walk down the corridor to the briefing rooms and simulators.

LINK Trainer in Lobby.

Oral time

DC-3 prop, (23E50) upper lobby from North Central Airlines.

Sweaten in the sims.

Hey, what happened to our 787's?

Finally, IOE in an airplane. 757 w/ Paul Aust.

North Central Airlines: B-727 training in the late 70's.

North Central Airlines B-727 ground school, 1979. I liked this venue as it spurred many interesting discussions. But then there's the guy who likes to hear himself talk!

NCA B-727 procedures training, 1979. Applying what you learned in ground school to hands on training. "So that's what happens when you move this switch."

Thanks go to DAL/NWA/REP/NCA Captain Mike Peck for these photos. This is how training looked in 1979 during this North Central Airlines B-727 class in MSP. Ground school lasted nearly three weeks. Then you'd experience a week or so of procedures training before moving on the simulator and aircraft training. Initial training in the 727, DC-9 or Convair 580 lasted more than two months. Today they mail you a DVD, give you an on line exam and then you show up for simulator training! Although not hired at Republic Airlines until 1985, I know and flew with these guys regularly at REP, NWA and DAL.

Just one of many annual training events. We called them SVT. (single visit training.)

Studying during a Maui layover for my forthcoming 757 annual training.

As soon as I arrive home from this Maui layover, it's off to MSP for my B-757 annual training event. Follow along as Ernie and I show up at NATCO, meet Don Sjoeblom our instructor, and dazzle him with our expertise.

Leaving DTW for MSP on a rainy day.

The long, lonely walk down that empty corridor to the briefing room..."have I studied enough for this?" nags at the back of your brain.

Close the door, turn on the motion and we'll be outta here in a minute. Hopefully we'll be out of the box in 3 hours and catch our commuting flights home.

But once in the briefing room with Ernie, that thought fades quickly. This is our 3rd check ride together in the 757 and we're pretty comfortable with one another.

Don urging me to put my camera down and get into my seat! "Yeah Rand, this one up here on the left."

Don Sjoeblom is our instructor. He's demanding but fair and really doesn't ask anything that two professional airmen shouldn't know.

Ernie is type rated in the airplane too, so Don moves him over to my seat to observe his skills. Most don't realize, but moving just 3 feet, from one seat to the other is very challenging. We're good for another year!

DC-9 Captain Upgrade Training: MSP, NATCO, Nov 95

My last DC-9 FO trip. Flew DC-10 FO before up grading to 9 captain.

DC-9 Up grade ground school, NATCO, MSP.

LEFT: My hotel room study area. ABOVE: With my sim partner Phil, as we prepare for our final sim session before my type ride and his check ride later today. As you might expect, there's a story behind the USA Today.

Our DC-9-10 "fixed" sim, no motion. The only -10 sim that exists, came from Air West.

Interior of that sim. Crude by todays standards.

DC-9 procedures trainer, where we practiced flows, checklists and had oral exams.

ABOVE: My first sim session in the DC-9-30 full motion sim. RIGHT: Another NWA DC-9 sim but with DAL now.

My DC-9 Type rating ride, 1995, MSP, Tim Buetell Instructor, Phil my FO and examiner Gary Wong.

DC-9 IOE with captain Ted Williams

Left: Walk around training somewhere in Florida. Above: My line check with Ted, DTW-GRB-DTW

Just out of training, my first DC-9 captain trip. I also instructed on the 9, mostly in the simulator.

ABOVE/RIGHT: Just 2.5 years later and this is my last DC-9 captain trip. I'm on to the 727.

727 captain upgrade training. MSP, NATCO, April 1998

A variety of 727 study material.

My 727 class, comprised of many new-hire flight engineer students and four captain upgrades. It was a great class, we all got along well and studied together.

My room/study area at the Heritage Inn, commonly called "Boy's Town" because the hotel was owned by NWA and all of the rooms were occupied by NWA pilots in training.

NWA pilot and FAA designated examiner Bruce Correll who administered my type rating ride by the 727 simulator. No, I didn't wear jeans on my type ride!

Bruce teaching Paul and me a few things about the incredible 727 during a walk around inspection in DTW.

My last 727 flight, 9 Aug 2001: NWA 223, DCA to DTW, A/C 2769 with FO Doug Mann and FE Ted Benjovsky. I'd flown much with Doug and Ted and enjoyed their company immensely.

In the simulator with pilot instructor Mike Marino, who also gave me my oral with the FAA present, me, and FE instructors Ken Shallcross and Walter Goins. As was my DC-9 training, my 727 training was very thorough, but very enjoyable, because of those in the training department as well as my classmates.

Ken and me in the simulator just before my type ride.

With a lot of help I passed the type ride and am now out on line doing IOE with Bruce Brock and Paul Pawelczyk. Because Bruce was senior, we flew a 5 day trip with long MIA, TPA and RSW layovers.

My first 727 trip with SO John Petro and FO Larry Fernald. May '98. I loved flying this historic, iconic, airplane. Somebody must have said "parade rest."

NWA flight attendants, Laura Trowbridge, Farah Sinkwich and Kelly Wickham asked our passengers to sign a first class napkin that they presented to me at the end of the flight. Every passenger came in to the cockpit to wish me well in 757 training. I was overwhelmed with everyones kindness.

My final 727 crew, lined up in first class. Doug, Farah, Laura, Rand, Kelly and Ted. I'm going to miss this airplane. After just 3 years and 4 months, I'll be back at NATCO in 757 school experiencing my first "glass" training. I was most fortunate to have flown all three seats in the iconic 727 as well as work as a sim and aircraft instructor and check airman.

Paperwork from my last 727 flight: Left, Flight Release for flight 223 DCA to DTW and Top, Crew list, FA briefing form and misc weather.

More, Training From Our Past (1967)

Thanks to former Braniff Airways pilot Bill Schoknecht for this Braniff 727 ground school training class photo from 1967. We still used these large, roll around training boards when I went thru initial 727 training at Republic Airlines, utilizing the old Southern Airways facilities in Atlanta in 1985. When you moved a switch the appropriate lights would illuminate and the valve would move. Descriptive and enlightening.  In this case they're discussing flight controls, specifically leading and trailing edge flaps and the upper and lower rudder on a 727. Bill also flew for Republic and Northwest Airlines and was one of my first 727 instructors when hired at Republic.  Great training!

Simulators... then & now.

Built in 1943 and originally with North Central Airlines, this WWII era LINK Trainer was in the lobby of the NWA Training Center for many years.

This modern, 6 axis, visual simulator is a LINK built in the late 1990's.

The cockpit of the LINK.

This is the interior of the LINK to the left. CLICK ON this picture to experience simulator training.

NWA 727 training, 1998.

In the Briefing room preparing for a four hour sim session for a captain upgrade. Pilot hiring was in high gear in 1998 and the 727 simulators saw a lot action.

In the simulator with an FO upgrade above and Rick Schaffer with many FE students to the right. Most new hires went to the back seat of the 727 or the right seat of the Nine.

Training Aids 
I was asked recently if I have any 727 training panels that we'd hang on the wall in our room and use as a study aid. Here they are.

Captains Instrument Panel.

I couldn't put my hands on my NWA panels, but here are panels issued by Delta in 1977. We'd tape these to our walls in our hotel room and sit by them for hours with checklists and manuals practicing procedures and answering questions that we anticipated on type rating rides. Above: Center Instrument Panel and FO's Instrument Panel.

Above: Center Pedestal Panel. By the time training was over, the margins would be full of notes and color coded info. A captains type rating oral or a flight engineer initial oral could last as long as three hours with an FAA examiner or a company designated examiner asking detailed questions about every light, switch, lever, gauge, instrument and button. Most examiners knew though, in the first 10 minutes if the candidate was prepared. Trying to BS an examiner didn't go over very well, but if you were prepared it was actually fun.

Pilots overhead panel. A typical oral question would sound like this. "If I move this switch, tell me what valves move and what temps or pressures I might see on these gauges. What powers those gauges and would I have them on emergency power?"

Flight Engineers panel. An examiner could spend the entire three hours just on this panel asking systems questions.

This is an early, black/white Republic Airlines DC-9 pilot instrument panel, probably from the late 1970's, left over from North Central Airlines. It was issued to me by NWA when I checked out as a DC-9 FO in 1987. See what I mean about notes in the margins? What you see colored in orange are all that you have available when down to emergency power. That was a popular question. At the top of the panel, do you see those two little rectangular items? They're mirrors... but what function do they serve?

Cockpit to the right is aircraft 9883, a -50, N671MC, MSN 47660, mfg 2/6/76. Photo taken 2/12/06, 6 days after its 30th birthday.

Left: My DC-9 FO overhead panel. Again, notice all the notes. Above: A real DC-9 cockpit in all of its antique splendor. When I checked out as a DC-9 captain in 1995, I received my 3.5 hour oral from the infamous Bob Seitz. This was my first jet type rating and I was scared to death, but as it evolved I realized that Bob didn't expect me to know "absolutely everything" and used those occasions where my knowledge was a little light as a training opportunity.

These are repeat pictures, but I wanted to show what I meant when I said "we'd hang the instrument panels on our walls, sit by them and study for hours." This was a great way to study for a type rating oral exam, learn procedures and checklists and learn switch locations within the cockpit. DC-9 panels above and 727 panels to the right.

757 Captain Upgrade Training: MSP NATCO, Aug and Sep 2001.
I was on cloud nine, I couldn't believe I'd gotten the bid!

Just a few of my 757 manuals. The COM, as its name implies, is the "cookbook" that pilots use in the airplane to guide them thru systems problems. Volume II is system descriptions manual. Asia Coverage are Jeppesen plates and other Asian information.

I was flying as 727 captain and simulator instructor when I got this bid. This was my introduction to "glass" airplanes and as soon as the training department sent me the manuals, I took them on my remaining 727 trips and studied. I was a bit concerned as I'd heard stories about others having trouble getting thru this program. Classroom D213 at NATCO is where it all started.

757 cockpit panels, one of the many classroom aids.

The entire class consisted of 4 captains. Grant Nielson is an instructor, Rand and Mike Patrasso, Jack Watson and Doug Judge. The major detriment to this is that with no FO's we'll switch seats in the simulator.

In the procedures trainer with instructor Chris Norton.

From the DC-9 and 727 I was accustomed to 3 hour orals when ground school concluded. Not any more. Now we sit at the computer and take a timed, 100 question exam. This event is called a systems evaluation.

This page signifies the end of the computer test. You need an overall 80% to pass AND nothing less than an 80% in each of the 12 different categories. Frankly, I prefer the oral exam.

My paper trainer study area setup in my room. Now it's on to simulator training.

Prior to a sim session we spend 90 minutes in here briefing for that period and then 45 minutes debriefing and preparing for the next days lesson.

757 captain, check airman, sim instructor and APD Frank Hinds to the left and FO instructor Doug Hage. I didn't know either of these fellows so didn't take any interior sim shots.

One of the many six axis 757 simulators at NATCO. Of course, as you know, NATCO no longer exists.

At the conclusion of my type ride with Frank on 14 September... a few days after 911. Doug flew as my FO on this flight. Now it's on to OE or what we used to call IOE. Initial Operating Experience.

757 IOE with captain Paul Aust.

Doing OE with old pal, Paul Aust. I knew Paul well, in fact he'd also done some of my 727 training and recommended me as a 727 instructor. Shortly after this he moved along to the 747-400.

In MKE Paul teaches me what to look for on a walk around inspection. He retired at about the same time that I did from the 747-400. Paul was an excellent instructor as he knew when to instruct and when just to shoot the breeze and let the student explore and learn the computer functions.

Holding short of runway 1 at SFO. This was my line check back to DTW. When the training concluded I only had 3 days off until I'd fly my first 757 trip. I couldn't wait, this airplane is wonderful to fly and I loved the glass.

When I arrived home from training, crew sched called to advise that due to 911, I'd just been bumped off the 757 back to the good old 727. I loved the 727 so what the heck, I was now 757 qualified and would eventually get back to it. In the meanwhile, I rode my bike to the airport to fly my Cessna 140, but on my way home...

I was hit by a car and "shattered" my femur, among other injuries, and was off line for 15 months, 12 of them non weight bearing on crutches after three surgeries. I quickly learned the importance of having a well stocked sick bank! My friend Wes Lundquist, you've seen him many times on this site, drove over in his Corvette to sooth my shattered nerves.

You may be wondering so I'll finish my story. As I mentioned I was on sick leave for 15 months and attended physical therapy three days a week for a year. The damage was severe and required a steel rod to be attached to the femur with nuts, bolts and screws. At 52 years old the femur was not regenerating, so they tried a last ditch third  procedure that included a bone marrow transplant. I lucked out, it worked and I returned to the airline in January of 2003. One small problem though! The 727's were now gone and I still couldn't hold the 757, so off I went to A-320 school where I spent a year before being recalled to the 757. To conclude though, I owe much to my Doctors, nurses, physical therapists and my family. But mostly to my wife Linda who literally waited on me hand and foot for those 14 months, kept my spirits up and encouraged me to work hard to get back to work. The last thing that I mentioned to Linda as they wheeled me into my first surgery on that fateful night was... "Don't forget to call crew sched and tell them I probably won't make my next trip" "Probably" she said! With all of the morphine I'd been given to nullify the pain, I really thought I'd be up and around in a week or so. I had no idea what lay ahead. I've never shown pictures of my family on my sites, but I'd like to introduce you to my support system below.

Me with Samantha, Linda and Ian. Linda is a nurse and both kids went to Wheaton College in Norton, MA.

And here with Sam's new husband Blair. Sam got her Masters in Marketing at Northwestern and Ian a law degree at Boston University.

And the latest additions: Sebastian, Sam's son. I can't believe he's driving. Where does the time go?

Amelia with Blair, Sam's daughter. Blair has a degree in Engineering and an MBA from Michigan.

And Ian and his wife Serena with their son, Leonardo. Serena has a PhD in Biology and is finishing her post doc work in San Francisco.

Airbus A-320 Captain Upgrade Training, MSP, NATCO March 2003
Fifteen months after my accident I came back to work and as I'd mentioned earlier, I couldn't hold the 757, the 727's had been retired so off I went, kicking and screaming into the dreaded Airbus.

Let me start off by thanking Northwest. I was out for 15 months and with no questions asked, they deposited 80 hours of pay into my account monthly. You loose pass privileges when on sick leave but after 9 months I called Shirley in the Chief Pilots office to request a pass and she simply put me back in the system and advised that she was leaving me in for future travel too. About 2 months before starting school, training sent me my Airbus manuals and I started studying for my return.

My ground school class: Rand, Dennis, Jerry, Joe, Jon, Bob, Ed and Mike. Another great group of guys to go thru training with. We group studied well together.

Airbus classroom at NATCO. I'd done considerable prep before school started but the Airbus systems and procedures instructors were excellent.

My "paper trainer" set up in my room at "Boys Town" (the Heritage Inn) where I spent many hours contemplating the mysteries of the Airbus.

The procedures trainer where instructors gave you a clearance and we'd practice with the FMS. "Let's see, if I hit this button...." Excellent training.

Another, less sophisticated procedures trainer for learning flows, checklists, emergency and normal procedures. Slowly, my attitude was changing... this isn't so bad.

Off to the simulator now to put it all together. This is an A-330 sim but the A-320 looked similar.

Rather than briefing/debriefing in a sterol briefing room, we more casually used the cafeteria. I liked this!

In the box with my sim partner Dennis. Dennis was former Eastern and a wonderful training partner who kept me on course.

A320 IOE with captain Steve Sullentrap.

After successful type rides, Dennis and I said goodbye and I was off to do OE in a real airplane. I admit to some apprehension; unlike the 757 which is a half a glass, this is a full glass. Aircraft 353NB, ship # 3153, MSN 1828, mfg 9/23/02.

Steve Sullentrap, my OE instructor, apparently drew the short straw, but by this time my attitude towards the Bus had dramatically changed. This was a great coast to coast five day trip. Aircraft 325NW, later 325US, MSN 281, mfg 12/4/91.

My first trip in the A-320 with FO Dan Evans. Dan had a lot of experience here and was a huge help getting me off on the right foot. RIGHT: The obligatory engine shot when new to an airplane.

Dan and me with my first A-320 crew, leaving HOU for DTW. The Bus was a short visit for me, I'd only be here for a year before recalled to the 757... but I learned to like the Bus very much.

B-767 Training.   ATL, DAL Flight Training, November 2009
I was recalled to the 757 in April 2004 and we merged with DAL in 2008. DAL sent all NWA 757 crews to ATL for a single four hour sim session and blessed us in the B-767-300ER. It's the same type rating and this was our introduction to 767 flying. The 767-400, however, is a separate type rating.

Over several months all NWA 757 crews made the pilgrimage to the ATL Training Center for 767 training.

It may be the same type rating and the cockpits are nearly exactly the same but one sim session seemed less than adequate.

At a quick glance differentiating between the seven-five and seven-six cockpits isn't easy.

After much discussion the training department decided to give every NWA 757 pilot, two takeoffs and landings in the actual airplane. Staging out of DTW and MSP and using nearby airports, this operation took several months and required coordination and logistics. Each early morning flight was catered for breakfast and with 25 pilots or so off we went to receive real-world experience. It was a lot of fun.

Below are my first and last B-767 flights before starting 747-400 training
FIRST: 5/9/10 HNL to SLC  LAST: 3/14/11 FRA to DTW.

B-747-400 Captain Upgrade Training
MSP, March 2011  Ground School & Simulator
My last great airline adventure.

747 training is still in MSP, the simulators haven't been moved to ATL yet.

Some of the manuals are still NWA products.

Ground School computer work

A small class of 4 captains. Three of my classmates and an instructor.

Procedures training.

Randy Olsen, a classmate from my new hire class at REP in 1985 is my sim partner.

Randy with seat support and our instructor.

Off we go.

As with all my other aircraft training, here's my in room paper trainer/study area.

4/30/2011 with my examiner and a brand new 747-400 type rating.

747-400 IOE with captain Gene Petersen: May 2011
Gene is a great instructor and we had a wonderful time flying a couple of roundtrips from JFK to NRT with a quick turn to Manila from NRT.

JFK

In JFK getting ready to leave for NRT. Gene is a former ALPA MEC Chairman and VP of FLT OPS.

Our Release, Flight 173 JFK to NRT.

The obligatory new aircraft checkout picture. Ship # 6304 at NRT.

Our Pacific Flight Planning Chart.

These three pics were taken during my last 747 trip in October 2012. It also happened to be my retirement flight.