Originally Posted by
Southerner
I'm a sim check airman at my company. I'm a line FO, but I've been through the upgrade sim training and type ride. I have not done upgrade IOE and I cannot fly in the left seat in the aircraft, though I can sit left seat for a sim event. (Seat support.)
So yes, it does happen. It actually seems fairly common.
Been a long time since I was on here, and sorry to resurrect an old thread. But I thought I'd add some closure to this since I just re-read all this.
The personnel in question were only given a PC in the left seat. They did not go through the upgrade training program, neither upgrade ground school nor the upgrade simulator training. Just a normal PC, but given with them in the left seat. They were not given any OE or line training in the left seat either. I did consult with FAA legal about this, starting with an regional FAA legal office, and finally ending with the head FAA legal office in DC. After about six month of investigation, the FAA responded with: the intent of FAR 121.411/121.412 is that simulator instructors and simulator check airmen fully complete an airline's upgrade training program, and be fully qualified as captains. However the FAA does grant significant leeway to the operator's individual POI and their discretion about waiving certain aspects of the regulation in order to qualify people as instructors and check airmen. In short, "these are the rules, but since we made the rules, we can bend the rules".