Welcome, dear reader, to another installment of the “Who am I, Me?” column. This week, we meet a reader whom we’ll call “Shirley,” whose first job as a programmer was to create professional flight simulators for pilot training. These were cockpit setups connected to computers that replicated the conditions pilots may encounter during a flight. The simulators were also equipped with screens that imitated airplane windows and a motion system that provided realistic vibrations.
Creating such a simulator is undoubtedly a monumental challenge and comes with high costs. As Shirley mentioned, “even the papers needed for the project can cost thousands of dollars.”
The simulator Shirley was working on was supposed to be delivered to a client for $16 million. Thirty programmers were working on it, so it was in use almost continuously, and there wasn’t much time for testing.
Shirley also mentioned another incident where one of the programmers accidentally turned off the power while working on the simulator alone in the lab at three in the morning. He had to exit through an emergency hatch and climb down a rope ladder in the dark. That guy certainly chose the wrong moment to sign up for whatever that was.
In any case, the tight schedule and lack of testing time created a chaotic atmosphere in Shirley’s project.
The task she was working on was to create a vibration system (the mentioned electro-pneumatic platform) so that trainee pilots could feel as if they were in the air, experiencing different situations like turbulence. Sitting in the cockpit with her laptop, Shirley added a “clever slider” that allowed her to adjust the intensity of the vibrations from zero to 100 percent. The highest setting certainly wouldn’t be welcome during a real flight.
After finishing the coding, Shirley decided to test her changes. When she started the simulator, she was horrified to realize that she hadn’t thought about what the default value should be.
The simulator – or some malicious deity – decided that the default value should be 100 percent. In those conditions, machines worth sixteen million dollars started to attempt self-destruction, not to mention the young programmer inside – who was learning what it’s like to be in a blender.
Despite her bones and brain moving in brutal opposing directions, Shirley found enough coordination to reduce the vibration intensity on her laptop to a more bearable level.
Fortunately, there was no damage to either the machines or Shirley – but she didn’t mention the incident to her boss.
If you’ve ever made a minor mistake that almost led to the destruction of million-dollar machines, you’re not alone. Share it with us by writing to Who, Me? and we’ll share it with other readers.
Frequently Asked Questions:
1. What was Shirley’s job as a programmer?
Shirley was a programmer creating flight simulators for pilot training.
2. What features did the simulators created by Shirley have?
The simulators were equipped with screens that imitated airplane windows and a motion system that provided realistic vibrations.
3. What were the costs associated with creating the simulators?
Creating the simulator was a massive challenge and came with high costs. Even the papers needed for the project could cost thousands of dollars.
4. How much did the simulator Shirley was working on cost?
The simulator Shirley was working on was supposed to be delivered to a client for $16 million.
5. How did Shirley optimize the simulator to make trainee pilots feel like they were in the air?
Shirley created an electro-pneumatic vibration platform that allowed trainee pilots to experience different situations such as turbulence.
6. How did Shirley fix the mistake that put the simulator at risk of damage?
Shirley reduced the vibration intensity on her laptop to neutralize the effects of the mistake, which set the default value to 100 percent.
Key Term Definitions:
– Flight Simulator: A device or computer program that replicates the conditions of flying an aircraft, enabling pilot training in a safe environment.
– Electro-pneumatic Platform: A device that utilizes both electrical energy and air to generate motion or vibrations.
Suggested Related Links:
1. Flight Simulators Division
2. Basics of Programming Simulators
3. Safety in Flight Simulators
4. Industry Portals for Pilots
The source of the article is from the blog radardovalemg.com