Originally Posted by
pittflyer
Also, I'm currently on a 737; for those that have gone through the sim prep and interview so far, would it still be worth it for me to buy the sim time? (The answer to this question is always "yes", however if I'm currently flying the guppy, is it really necessary?)
Having done the sim prep, there are two points I'll make for your consideration.
1) You get to fly and practice the exact profile you will fly during the interview. Your instructor will give you the "sim-isms"/quirks for the box and a few pointers along the way. It makes that part of your interview low stress.
2) My sim partner during practice (it doesn't always happen that way) was a USAF 737 guy. My understanding was that his aircraft was basically the same as the civilian 737NG. Different cockpit setup/scan. Also, you fly the entire profile hands on, no autopilot/FMS. He was rough at first but did OK. He said he was very happy that he did the sim prep. He thinks he could have muddled through the actual sim, but it wouldn't have been pretty. He said his interview sim flight was solid. That's just one data point of course.
In my mind, $1100 is a small price to pay to ensure you nail one portion of the interview at your dream job.