Training is ~6 weeks long, Monday through Saturday. Bring a laptop/mp3 player/book if you have one and your headset in case you start IOE right after completing the sim. Also bring black shoes/slacks/belt/tie and a white shirt in case you have to start IOE before getting your uniform. It happened to 1/2 my class and me. You'll get a 2 day weekend twice at most. First day is filling out a lot of paperwork (i.e. filling out tax forms, picking insurance plans, non-rev info), meeting some of the management folks, and the lovely drug policy/sexual harassment/work together nicely spiels. Second day is some of the same and the start of your week of indoc training learning all that is contained in the Flight Operations Policies and Procedures manual. It's more important to know WHERE to find an answer than WHAT the answer is. At the end of the week you have an open book test.

You then have two weeks of Saab 340 systems. Vic will most likely be your instructor in Houston. Find out if anyone has the Saab 340 computer program from FlightSafety. STAY AWAKE IN CLASS!! If you do that you won't have to study much back at the hotel which, if it's the Springhill Suites, is pretty nice with TempurPedic matresses. At the end of the two week period you have another multiple-choice written test, this time closed book. Then you'll find out if you are staying in Houston or leaving for St. Louis to complete your simulator training. I went to St. Louis. The Holiday Inn is decent and has a restaurant/bar in the basement (yes the basement). Simulator training lasts ~10 days. It consists of a Cockpit Procedures Training day (i.e. sitting in front of cardboard cockpit pictures and going through flows), 8 four hour simulator sessions, checkride, and LOFT session (i.e. flying a normal run like IAD-PIT). That's 40 hours of simulator experience before you hit IOE. Remember how I said you wouldn't have to study much outside of class during systems class? Do yourself a favor and STUDY outside of your simulator sessions, but get 8 full hours of sleep every night. Practice the flows/memory items and DO NOT FORGET the FOPP and systems knowledge. The checkride consists of an oral as well.

IOE is done anywhere in the Colgan system. Some in my class stayed in Houston, some went to Ithaca, some to Manasty, some to Charlottesville. I got Norfolk which was great. Some people started IOE right away and some waited a week. I was on a plane deadheading to Norfolk 1.5 hours after my checkride ended in STL. For some reason Colgan forgot it was Colgan and put me up in the Radisson on the 14th floor with a spectacular view of downtown and the waterfront. Nice. I rested there for a full day before starting 3 days of IOE fun flying into LaGordia. After IOE ended I deadheaded back to my home and was given 7 days to get up to my base. **REMEMBER** that you get paid per diem from the minute you successfully pass your checkride, officially becoming a Colgate employee, until they deadhead you back to your home. If you are on duty and away from your Culligan base you get paid per diem. Just want to make sure you don't miss out on at least $150.