THE ROLE OF NAVIGATION SIMULATOR TECHNOLOGY IN MARINE PILOTAGE TRAINING

Transcription

1 THE ROLE OF NAVIGATION SIMULATOR TECHNOLOGY IN MARINE PILOTAGE TRAINING Remarks by CAPT. SIMON PELLETIER PRESIDENT CORPORATION OF LOWER ST. LAWRENCE PILOTS INTERNATIONAL MARITIME PILOTS ASSOCIATION 18 th CONGRESS Havana, Cuba 23 November, 2006

2 INTRODUCTION One of my messages today is that navigation simulator technology is an excellent training tool. It can be used by licensed pilots for ongoing professional development. When used with on-board and ship model training, it can also be very helpful for an apprentice wishing to become a pilot. The simulator provides training in many navigation techniques. These include: piloting vessels in restricted waters; dealing with emergency situations; and, using navigational aids. An even more important message is that the full value of navigation simulator technology as a pilotage training tool can only be achieved when it is specifically customized for pilotage. Pilots will not get the full benefit from simulator technology if we simply use what is available off the shelf. We have to take control of the technology through the application of our own expertise and knowledge. To achieve this, pilots must assume the leading role in the development of the simulator training packages designed for them. And to do this, pilots may actually have to own the technology itself. This was our experience on the lower St. Lawrence. THE SIMULATOR AND LOWER ST. LAWRENCE PILOTS I have the honour of serving as President of the Corporation of Lower St. Lawrence Pilots. Pilots in our district help navigate vessels in some of North America s most challenging waters. Tides in the St. Lawrence River can exceed six meters and multidirectional currents constantly threaten to divert ships off course. Fast-changing weather conditions can dramatically reduce visibility. Winter navigation poses a whole other set of dangers. Moreover, like pilots everywhere, we have a constant need to keep our skills and expertise up-to-date. This is essential in a world where vessels, and the technology used on board to help navigate them, are changing continuously. These circumstances have led us, for over a dozen generations, to foster a culture of learning and continuous improvement. The result is a safety record on the lower St. Lawrence that we are very proud of. We are equally proud of our reputation for being responsive to industry, meeting their needs in a timely and flexible manner. 1

3 Because of the training and professional development benefits, Lower St. Lawrence pilots were very interested in navigation simulator technology. As I said, we provide pilotage services in very challenging waters, we work in a profession with constantly changing requirements, and we have a long tradition of doing everything possible to deliver safe and efficient service. To help turn the vision we had of a pilotage-focused simulator technology into a reality, we first explored possible partnerships with other marine industry stakeholders. Despite the fact that such a venture would clearly have been in their interest, it was impossible to create such a partnership. So, we did it ourselves! Just over two years ago, the Corporation of Lower St. Lawrence Pilots decided unanimously and with no external financial support to act with the courage of its convictions and acquire a state-of-the-art Full Mission Bridge Simulator and establish a Maritime Simulation and Resource Centre in Quebec City. This initiative has been a remarkable success, right from the beginning. CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SIMULATOR AND THE CENTRE The Full Mission Bridge Simulator or FMS is equipped with a fullyinstrumented DNV Class A configured bridge with a 330 degree horizontal and a 25 degree vertical screen. These specifications exceed the requirements of the IMO s STCW 95 regulation. The system also includes three desktop Own-Ships integrated with advanced shipto-ship tugging functionality. The Centre has 12 visual databases which can simulate daytime and night-time conditions in the Americas and Europe. The Centre is also equipped with a full database development and editing suite, allowing pilots to create and modify their own databases. The Centre has a large number of ship models for familiarization training on vessels, ranging from fishing trawlers to liquefied natural gas tankers to cruise ships with Azipod Controls. Each training session handled on the simulator can be recorded, thereby facilitating feedback and analysis for those using the equipment. USING THE SIMULATOR The first and most important measure of the success of the FMS and the Centre was the extent to which it provided value for apprentice pilots and our members in training and professional development. So far this year, over 100 Canadian pilots have 2

4 completed training modules at the Centre. While most have, naturally, been pilots from the Lower St. Lawrence, a significant number of pilots from the mid-st. Lawrence River and the Great Lakes have also used the Centre. These results validated the premise we had when we made the decision to invest in the facility: combining the invaluable expertise of pilots with the very best of what technology has to offer can help enormously to achieve the goal of delivering safe and efficient pilotage. There are many other training centers around the globe that offer similar technical services. But, we are offering far more than just technology. Even the most advanced simulator would be of little use unless it was shaped and operated by experts knowledgeable not only in simulator technology, but also in pilotage. The simulator s value cannot be optimized unless it incorporates and complements the expertise of pilots. For this reason, lower St. Lawrence pilots have decided that the training sessions offered at the Centre will be developed and customized specifically for the pilotage group using it. This not only ensures that pilots get training tailored to their needs, but also that their intellectual property is respected and protected. After all, our intellectual property by which I mean the collective knowledge of a pilot group that is built up over generations is our most valuable asset. Pilots from other parts of Canada and Europe are exploring ways by which they can take advantage of our facility. The Centre has also received other professional mariners wishing to learn new techniques or update their skills. The Centre is attracting attention from other players in the marine sector. Just as the FMS is highly effective in the training and continued proficiency of pilots, it is also invaluable for research and investigation into matters related to improving ship and port safety and efficiency. The FMS can be used for: evaluating tug requirements; port operational parameters such as night-time operations; and, new port developments including the optimal positioning of berths and the extent of channels and turning basins. A number of operational research projects of this type have been completed or are underway at the Centre. These include: modeling of LNG jetties with accurate tidal current databases as well as berthing and un-berthing procedures in both normal and emergency conditions; modeling a special cargo project carrier to validate the pilotage passage plan and special docking arrangements; and, 3

5 modeling a new passenger liner jetty, developing berthing procedures and evaluating operational limits. ADVANTAGE OF PILOT-OWNED FACILITY This ability to collaborate with ship owners and other maritime stakeholders at such a technical and sophisticated level, gives pilots a very strong voice in setting operating limits in relation to factors such as wind speed, current velocity and visibility. An important and unexpected dividend resulting from our operation of the simulator is the clear understanding it provides ship owners and others of the essential role pilots play. Pilots on the lower St. Lawrence River place great value on the navigation simulator technology. We place even greater value on it, when it is operated by pilots, for pilots. INTERNATIONAL SIMULATOR GUIDELINES This explains why, at the First Biennial Congress of the Canadian Marine Pilots Association, which I chaired in Quebec City in September 2005, a resolution was adopted, requesting that the IMO establish clear guidelines for the use of simulators in marine pilotage training. The resolution, which I hope delegates to this conference will agree with calls for the articulation of formal principles guiding the use of simulator technology in the training of marine pilots. These principles would include a requirement that simulator training be provided on state-of-the-art equipment and, just as important, that training be provided by personnel with expertise not only in simulation, but also in pilotage. CONCLUSION As I mentioned earlier, lower St. Lawrence pilots were strongly motivated by their own professional requirements to invest in the best simulator technology available. Since then, we have become aware that the FMS we acquired and the Marine Simulation and Resource Centre we established can be of great value to pilots anywhere in the world. We have also discovered it can be a valuable analytical tool for other players in the marine industry. There is an even greater benefit that we have derived from our initiative. It has enhanced our own sense of professionalism and it has enhanced our reputation as professionals throughout the maritime sector. On behalf of the more than 70 pilots of the lower St. Lawrence district, I would like to extend a warm invitation to all of you to visit our Centre in Quebec City at the earliest opportunity. Thank you! 4