Thread: How long?
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Old 08-22-2006 | 08:52 PM
  #18  
freezingflyboy
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Joined: Dec 2005
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From: 7ER B...whatever that means.
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Originally Posted by aussieflyboy
hey freezing when did you go through training with xjt? just wondering if you can give me a heads up on exactly what to expect. i'm gona be in the class on either 11th or 18th of sept.
I finished up at the end of May and my memory is a little foggy but Ill do my best. If any XJetters out there have better info/corrections, feel free to chime in.

Training is real straight forward. You start with a week of basic indoc (exam on the last day), 2 days of CRM (no exam), then you get something like 4 weeks of systems (written exam at the end). It used to be that you started your FTDs during systems but I have heard rumors that they are changing that and you dont start the FTDs until you are done with systems. I believe it was 6 sessions in the FTD. Also, you do the oral portion of your checkride near the end of systems class before you move to the full motion sims. The schedule is pretty much M-F 0800-1700 with breaks every hour and a 1 hour lunch all through ground school. On days you do FTDs the schedule will change a little due to availability.

After you finish systems and the FTDs and the oral, you are off to the full-motion sims for 2 weeks of sim training. You will either do your sim training at the XJT training center in the in-house sims (good) or you will go to Flight Safety (bad) and use their sims with XJT instructors. Which you get is dependent on whats going on in the training department at the time. When you start sims, the schedule changes slightly due to sim availability. They run sims from 0600 until 0230. Seemed like they tried to keep it 4-5 on 2-3 off. There are 6 sim sessions and then your checkride.

After the sims, you go to IOE. How fast you get to IOE depends on whats going on in the training department. I had to wait like 2 days before getting my first IOE trip and then I waited for 1 week before the next one, then they came quick. You will probably do about 30 hours of IOE. I did a 4 day and then a couple short 2 days and then that was it.

Like everyone says, know the flows before you get there and keep practicing while you are in training. An hour or two every night goes a long way. Study the white binder. There were no memory items we were expected to know when we started. If you get a copy of the memory items from someone, make sure it is the most recent version of the memory items as they tend to change. And make sure you double check and find the answers yourself rather than just going on blind faith. Bit a couple of guys in my class. Make friends with your classmates, they are more than likely the only people you will hang out with for 8 weeks. Your roommate and your sim partner should be the same person, makes life much much easier. If there are flight attendants staying at the hotel while you are in training, make friends with them too. They will be bitchy at first since all of their instructors hate pilots and tell them to stay far far away from pilot scum but they will eventually warm up to you. They know we get a check when we start training so make sure they dont take advantage of that. Thats about all of the words of wisdom I can think of right now. If you have any specific questions or want some clarification feel free to PM me. Hope it all helps.
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