Originally Posted by
Kurat
Chase,
Well said! Appreciate your candor and advice for anyone seeking information about a potential employer.
Interestingly, at Flexjet we've gone in the opposite direction with sim training. Now using vendors (Sim Com, Flight Safety, CAE etc) that will train with our procedures and SOP's. I think one of the reasons for this has to do with the large variety of airplanes that we operate. It may also make more sense to staff airplanes vs simulators in a high demand environment. All Flex simulator training will eventually be consolidated in Orlando with a Sim Com partnership. We've bought simulators for the vast majority of the fleet (Phenom, G650, Challenger 350, Praetor).
I think "in house" training is usually better but if the vendors use company profiles and are monitored it can also work well.
Different philosophies to training for sure. Downsides to each. Personally, if anyone had asked (they didn’t and I’d didn’t volunteer it) I think a combination of both would be a good working solution and fix some Manning issues at the same time. Here is how
1. Reward the sim instructors identified as the best with an opportunity to fly the line 135 operator…require attendance of applicable portions of IOE to understand the internal ops.
2. No sim training required obviously. Send them out for a rotation or 2 and then sign them off to fly with experienced PICs.
3. Guarantee them one rotation every 2-3 months when things are busy, when things slow down, 1 rotation every 6 months.
4 pay would be a flat $1500 a rotation. Most sim instructors I think would jump at that opportunity.
Pluses
- Companies get a quick checkout for SICs, in 1/2 the time
2. Fills much needed slots with bodies when the company needs them and gives them a flex capacity when business picks up but can retract when business slows
3. No benefits required to be paid out but u get qualified pilots
4. Sim instructors now know what flying the line for said company is really like, fa,Iliad with the procedures.
5. Allows CAE, Sim Con, FS to have a carrot to offer to the best performing sim instructors
Loads of reasons whynthis hasn’t been done before I assume but if I was king for a day, I’d push for it.
Hope things are going well for you at FJ..fly safe and have a great Thanksgiving.