Originally Posted by
Nosmo King
Re: NATCO Closing
I have to say I don't see how 8 bays is going to be enough.
A320 - 5 sims
A330 - 2 sims
B747 - 2 sims
B757 - 3 sims (I think)
and that is just the full flight sims, doesn't include FMS or PTTs or the sims used to train other airlines.
The real kicker is that management is STILL stuck on not offering hotel rooms and PS passes to/from the schoolhouse for instructors that don't live where the Training Center is located. If they did that they might not lose so much experience from the instructor corps.
I suppose the FAA will just look the other way and not consider it a safety issue during the "transition" if most of the instructors decide not to move to ATL and not to instruct (at leaston the 747 and Airbii)
It will be even more fun to watch the training backlog. Some sims don't react well to being moved.
How many of the current NATCO instructors already commute? I have heard its more then half. Many come from Florida I am also told. I think they will find plenty who choose to switch to Atlanta.
As far as Bays many of the Bays in Atlanta have sims in place that are not used by Delta. There is also another sim facility Delta has used in the past for overflow at Greenbriar. We might even still have L1011 sims. I know we have two MD11 sims still installed. We use them for contract training. I think they are gone now but we kept several 727 sims for years after the aircraft were gone. They wont have a Bay problem and they will retain more instructors then you think.
Delta is a airline still mired in debt and other financial issues. They have to cut every cost if they intend to survive in the new world of airlines. When they get it sorted out CAL/UAL will be a powerhouse. SWA is going to adapt and do great in Atlanta. If there is money to be wasted I want it spent on the pilot contract not other items.