Originally Posted by
2StgTurbine
In my experience, DGS (or whatever they call it now) have been some of the worst instructors I have ever had in my career. I've been through 6 type ratings at Delta, so I've seen a lot. It seems most of them have never read our current manuals and seemed to be teaching stuff that might have been in the manuals 10-20 years ago, but now aren't. Had one tell me that LGA and JFK airports would never let you fly runway heading after a V1 cut because it would cause other aircraft to go-around. Had another insist that I add 5 knots to the approach speed during a QRH procedure. When I told him that actually the Airway Manual says to NOT add additives under this condition and he said, "Yeah, but the examiner is going to expect you to add 5 knots." All the SLIs seem to be very sharp and can actually back the stuff up they teach with actual references.
I have had a good experience with the recent batch (past few years) of DPS. The DPS instructors are often recently retired with 30+ years of service or from another carrier flying the same fleet type. I have picked up more tips with from the other carrier types than anyone else, primarily because I have already heard the DAL gouge for ages. Getting away from group think and exposing oneself to new concepts is a good thing, something DAL was terrible at for most of my career (this has changed for the better). As far as SLI, I am sorry, great group, but a pilot who has never sat in the left seat is still missing a whole level of experience to teach from.