Originally Posted by
Flightsoffusion
My thought regarding driving was that I would be able to pack more crap in my car to accommodate my old man spoiled way of living easier. But I will certainly consider your thoughts, Much appreciate it.
Would some of you post the typical itinerary of the class please? I have that it starts at 8:00 every morning. Is this 7 on 7 on till completed or are there breaks. Not that I have much to come back to other then making sure the dog is fed. Just trying to plan a little around a small business. Also, do you guys just stock up Khakis and polos since no denim is allowed?Any alternatives to Khakis? (just saw the additional replies above, Thank you)
I see that the laundry facilities are free. Is there much time for stuff like that? Have visions of Boot camp again. Any additional info from you guys in the system is much appreciated. Have put this off for a lot of years and want to do it right. Thanks much..
Ground school runs M-F, 8a-5p, although sometimes you'll get out earlier. During Systems you'll also be doing Matrix training, which can happen in the afternoon or evening. Your weekends are always free, though you'd be wise to spend 1 weekend day hitting the books, practicing flows, etc.
You'll start with 6 days of Indoc, then take your Indoc written test on Day 6. Systems starts on Day 7 and lasts about 13 class days. So basically you're looking at 3.5 weeks from start to finish, for ground school.
Sims will start anywhere from 12 hours to 6 weeks after ground school ends. They'll be in either SLC, ATL, STL, and possibly DEN although I think DEN only has E175 sims. The sim training footprint will last approximately 3 weeks. Your sim times depend on what's available and who bids for what. Most of my sims were 8p - 2a, which does a number on you but is great prep for flying standups once you're on the line.
As for clothes, don't over think it. Brinf 2-3 pairs of khakis for class, plus dress shirts. Bring jeans and t-shirts and a sweater or two, plus workout clothes. That's all you need.
The important thing is food. Trying to live on fast food or microwave pizza for 7.5 weeks is a recipe for disaster. When you get to SLC, take the light rail downtown to Harmon's Grocery store and buy supplies. The Candlewood has a full kitchen in each room, plus outdoor BBQ facilities. There aren't any food options at the training center, so pack your lunch (they'll give you lunch on Day 1 but after that you're on your own.) The training center has fridges where you can store your lunch.
Also don't forget to exercise. The hotel has a gym, or if the weather's decent you can run north along the airport perimeter road for as long as you like. There are sidewalks and the traffic is very light.
I went home every weekend for 24 hours, but you can only do this if you are willing to cough up cash for a last minute ticket to SLC in case the loads are full and you can't non-rev. I got lucky, but I was traveling during late Sept -- late Oct, typically the easiest time of year to non-rev. Try that over the Thanksgiving break and you run a real risk of not making it back to class. I also knew I could drive overnight 11 hrs to SLC if I had to. During sim training in ATL (December) I didn't even bother to try going b home.
It's not boot camp. The training isn't easy, but as long as you put in a decent effort you'll be fine. Just make sure you have your EP&L packet memorized, cold, before you show up. Trying to study for that test while also studying your Indoc syllabus won't be fun at all.
Relax. Have fun. Treat it as an adventure and enjoy it.