I've heard from two different sim instructors that they're having a lot of problems with older guys in their fifties who have managed, over a lifetime, to accumulate 1500 hours tooling around in a 182.

Both instructors said they'd take a 300 hour MAPD graduate any day because the experience some of these high hour guys have does not translate well into flying a glass jet under 121 procedures, and because of age, their lessening mental plasticity is working against them. Very frustrating for the teachers I'm hearing.

Personally, I think the rule is a govt. overreaction, self defeating, and not based in science. i.e. totally stupid in my opinion!

One examiner, sorrowfully, told me he's failed more guys in the last 30 days than his entire career. He is not proud of it.

My 4 suggestions for a successful sim experience:


-Do it the way they teach you!

-Learn the call outs COLD. Regardless if you fly well or not, knowing the call outs cold will get you through.

-Keep a good attitude, smile, take criticism in stride, don't be proud.

-Keep your nose in the damn' crotch! PERIOD!!!

(that means stay in the flight director with intense zeal!)