Thread: UAL training?
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Old 11-04-2013 | 03:50 PM
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Adlerdriver
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From: 767 Captain
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Originally Posted by patjrybak
Any idea what the training is like at UAL? Time, location, ground, sim?

Cheers,
Maybe it's me, but this seems like a strange question to post in the military section. You’ll probably get more replies if you put your question in the majors section. Are you hired and just wondering what you got yourself into? Still on active duty and trying to decide what comes next? Maybe you could be more specific about the info you want.

I did UAL training 14+ years ago, so my info probably won’t help you much. I can give you an overview, if that helps. When I went through, they paid per diem during new hire training along with a basic minimum monthly salary (I think it was $2K/month). That’s what it still is at Fedex. All housing expenses during new hire training were on you. This is fairly typical of most airlines, but YMMV.

Generally speaking, major airline training is pretty much the same, no matter which company you're talking about. You'll probably spend a couple of weeks in a new-hire indoctrination course learning basics about the company, procedures, scheduling, policies, etc. During that time, a process will be used to determine which aircraft you will fly and where you'll be based (how that is done varies from airline to airline).

Specific aircraft training: Usually about a week of computer based systems training along with classroom instruction provided by non-pilot professional instructors. After that, it's typically another week(maybe slightly longer) of procedural training in a non-motion, non-visual fully functioning cockpit training device(usually called an FMT). Finally, probably a couple of weeks of simulator training. Simulators are full motion, full visual sims authorized by the FAA to fulfill all training requirements. Your first actual flight with the company will be with a load of paying pax in the back.

You're usually paired up with another new-hire and will take turns supporting each other during the FMT and sim training periods. Each phase of training ends with some type of "validation" check before you move on. Most companies have something in their contract requiring at least a day off each week, maybe more. Your final checkride will be an FAA check event usually with you in the right seat with a support captain (usually a line pilot instructor) acting as the captain. Figure a total of 6-8 weeks, best case, from day one until you head out for IOE (initial operating experience) for a few trips (usually 25 hours) under the supervision of an IP. Usually you go to the normal year one pay once you have your sim check or maybe as late as completion of IOE.

Hope that helps.
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