Narrative:

After attending the aircraft Y MD80 differences training, I do not consider myself qualified to operate a former aircraft Y MD80 with an acceptable level of safety. Many -- perhaps most -- pilots left the training feeling very uncomfortable about flying a former aircraft Y airplane, with many unanswered questions about important system and procedures. Examples include, by no means are limited to: fuel heat. Airplanes with a single switch for airfoil ice protection, it may (or may not) be necessary for both pneumatic xfeed valves to be open to switch the 13TH stage augmentation valves out of 'pressure' mode into 'temperature' mode. The engine failure checklists call for the dead engine xfeed to be closed, so we may (or may not) have airfoil ice protection on one engine (one some airplanes and not other, we're not such which). This is important to know over the mountains in the winter. The ahrs has certain modes wherein adjusting heading on the heading indicator will cause the pitch and bank indications on the attitude indicator to become invalid. The cabin pressurization control panel is substantially different. The collins radar is quite different from the radar in aircraft X airplanes. I have 3 suggestions to improve the course: 1) enlist a former aircraft Y pilot to assist in completion of the manuals. Over and over, our instructor told us that the only place we could find this or that item of information was in the differences classroom -- it's not in the book. 2) solicit and heed the existing instructor's suggestions for detail improvements in the course. 3) create an equipment list for each former aircraft Y airplane, listing each item which is different between that particular airplane and a normal airplane, along with all manual references for system description, normal procedures, abnormal and emergency procedures, and MEL/cdl references for each system.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PLT QUESTIONS THE ADEQUACY OF AN MD80 DIFFERENCES TRAINING.

Narrative: AFTER ATTENDING THE ACFT Y MD80 DIFFERENCES TRAINING, I DO NOT CONSIDER MYSELF QUALIFIED TO OPERATE A FORMER ACFT Y MD80 WITH AN ACCEPTABLE LEVEL OF SAFETY. MANY -- PERHAPS MOST -- PLTS LEFT THE TRAINING FEELING VERY UNCOMFORTABLE ABOUT FLYING A FORMER ACFT Y AIRPLANE, WITH MANY UNANSWERED QUESTIONS ABOUT IMPORTANT SYS AND PROCS. EXAMPLES INCLUDE, BY NO MEANS ARE LIMITED TO: FUEL HEAT. AIRPLANES WITH A SINGLE SWITCH FOR AIRFOIL ICE PROTECTION, IT MAY (OR MAY NOT) BE NECESSARY FOR BOTH PNEUMATIC XFEED VALVES TO BE OPEN TO SWITCH THE 13TH STAGE AUGMENTATION VALVES OUT OF 'PRESSURE' MODE INTO 'TEMP' MODE. THE ENG FAILURE CHKLISTS CALL FOR THE DEAD ENG XFEED TO BE CLOSED, SO WE MAY (OR MAY NOT) HAVE AIRFOIL ICE PROTECTION ON ONE ENG (ONE SOME AIRPLANES AND NOT OTHER, WE'RE NOT SUCH WHICH). THIS IS IMPORTANT TO KNOW OVER THE MOUNTAINS IN THE WINTER. THE AHRS HAS CERTAIN MODES WHEREIN ADJUSTING HDG ON THE HDG INDICATOR WILL CAUSE THE PITCH AND BANK INDICATIONS ON THE ATTITUDE INDICATOR TO BECOME INVALID. THE CABIN PRESSURIZATION CTL PANEL IS SUBSTANTIALLY DIFFERENT. THE COLLINS RADAR IS QUITE DIFFERENT FROM THE RADAR IN ACFT X AIRPLANES. I HAVE 3 SUGGESTIONS TO IMPROVE THE COURSE: 1) ENLIST A FORMER ACFT Y PLT TO ASSIST IN COMPLETION OF THE MANUALS. OVER AND OVER, OUR INSTRUCTOR TOLD US THAT THE ONLY PLACE WE COULD FIND THIS OR THAT ITEM OF INFO WAS IN THE DIFFERENCES CLASSROOM -- IT'S NOT IN THE BOOK. 2) SOLICIT AND HEED THE EXISTING INSTRUCTOR'S SUGGESTIONS FOR DETAIL IMPROVEMENTS IN THE COURSE. 3) CREATE AN EQUIP LIST FOR EACH FORMER ACFT Y AIRPLANE, LISTING EACH ITEM WHICH IS DIFFERENT BTWN THAT PARTICULAR AIRPLANE AND A NORMAL AIRPLANE, ALONG WITH ALL MANUAL REFS FOR SYS DESCRIPTION, NORMAL PROCS, ABNORMAL AND EMER PROCS, AND MEL/CDL REFS FOR EACH SYS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.