My 2 days in the BOX

The time of year I look forward to and dread all at the same time.  (just ask my wife)  Every year all airline pilots have to visit the simulator specific to the airplane they fly for recurrent training.  It's a two day training event.  Each day consists of a 2 hour brief-4 hours in the simulator-followed by a 2 hour debrief.  Day 1, we refer to as our Maneuvers Validation.  Every Maneuvers Validation requires us to do the things that we don't often get to perform throughout the rest of the year.  (low visibility takeoffs/landings, engine failures, system malfunctions, windshear, and CFIT-controlled flight into terrain)  Day 2 is our LOE or Line Operation Experience.  LOE is a real time flight with a system malfunction in which the crew is graded based on performance,execution,and success.  It all starts in the 'school house'.  Our training facility in Houston.  I load up on my usual gallon or so of coffee and wait to meet my sim partner and instructor.  After exchanging the usual introductions it was off to one of the briefing rooms for a thorough breakdown of the next four hours in the sim.  Once the brief is over, I gather my thoughts and organize my paperwork and its off to the sim.  (the simulators look like giant white-windowless boxes siting two stories in the air)  As you approach the simulators there is a distinct sterile/electrical smell and I always stop to marvel at these complex machines sitting atop huge hydraulic struts.   You cross a  small gangway and before you know it the door shuts behind you and you realize business is close at hand.  The inside is identical to the aircraft except for the instructors console that sits directly behind the captains seat.  The instructor has the ability to fail any AND all systems with one keystroke.  We all take our respective seats and begin our four hour tour.  We pushed and pulled our way through all the maneuvers, silenced the warning horns, and safely returned the simulator to the ground 10 times.   We finished Day 1  securing the aircraft(sim) at the gate and completing the parking checklist.  I gathered myself and we exited the 'box'.  We were greeted by the next victims, I mean next crew, with wry smiles.  You forget how fatigued you become and how haggered you look when its all over.   We head off for our de-brief and review in depth our performance. Once complete,  I head to the hotel for some last minute review of the aircraft systems, limitations, and memory items, and then off to bed for some well earned sleep.  Day 2 begins like Day 1, not too early, a quick bite at the hotel, and then off to the school house.  We all convene in another briefing room to start the process all over again.  Day 2 is a bit more official.  The instructor reviews our license and medical certificates, and then we're right into an oral questioning of the aircraft systems and related limitations.  It's a quick two hours and back in the box we go.  The LOE is a real time flight with NO assistance from the instructor.  Today the instructor is  'wearing' his examiner hat.  Today is a pass/fail event, and with it comes a heightened awareness of the need to do it right.  The two leg event goes well, however we still have to perform our windshear and CFIT maneuvers.  My partner got the windshear during takeoff and I got the windshear during landing.  Lastly is our CFIT (controlled flight into terrain) training.  The instructor positions us in mountainous or rapidly rising terrain and its up to us to respond to our warning systems and maneuver the aircraft to a safe altitude, clear of terrain.  We finished, finally, and then off to a de-brief room we go.  We knew we'd done well, but still no indication from the instructor as to our status.  We sat down, were asked to closed the door, and the instructor then with a smile informed us we had passed.  (they always think that's funny, but I have yet to find the humor) I got the instructors blessing and ran out of the school house to catch my flight back to Newark to hopefully be home that night by 2am.  Training, for most, is usually meet with some excitement and equal amount trepidation.  By profession we're performance based and task oriented.  I'd enjoy training more if there wasn't so much riding on the line every time I enter the box.  In saying that, I guess I'll never fully look forward to recurrent training, but have to accept it as part of my continued training.