Heyas Rocky,

Not much to it, really.

Building N, AKA NATCO, is in a corporate office park in Eagan, located down the hill from the old HQ. The current training hotel is in downtown St. Paul. It's about a 25 minute van ride. Hotel picks you up from the airport, and also does the van for NATCO. When you are done, they will drop you off at the airport from NATCO or the hotel.

Around the hotel there is plenty to do. Typical downtown area...Lot's of places to eat, but nothing really name brand...some of it is cheap, some is expensive. The Skyway (sort of a habitrail for humans) attaches the hotel to the rest of downtown St.Paul, so even in the winter you can walk around a quite a distance, all inside. There is also stuff in most of the buildings at the skyway level to eat, but it mostly closes after about 4pm or so. The hotel has a hospitality room for people in training with free sodas and whatnot, plus a kitchen if you want to cook. The hotel itself is quite nice.

From what I understand, it's a nicer setup, with more to eat/do than Virginia Ave, but I haven't really had the full experience there yet.

If training in the winter, say October to around June, bring warm stuff to wear, and I'm not just talking about a windbreaker. Sweaters, a GOOD jacket, and lots of layers, otherwise you'll freeze a slow death.

As for NATCO itself, it was a state of the art facility when built, but the years have sorta taken it's toll. Carpets are frayed, and wallpaper peeling. Sims are top notch, though, and there are computers and wi-fi access. There is a cafeteria that is open for breakfast through lunch. The food is typical industrial, bordering on "meh".

There's been lots of construction going on there lately as they move the FAs from over from Building F.

Training is "typical". CBTs the first week, interspersed with door trainers, FMS, and procedures training. There are quite a few fixed based trainers for the bus, so plan on doing a lot of that.

Towards the middle you take the systems validation (systems test), then finish up your PT course, and take the procedures validation (PV). This is all finished before you hop in the sim. Typical sim profile follows...5 sims then the MV, 4-5 more then the LOE. It USED to be that if you passed the SV, there wasn't a systems oral on the checkride, but I understand that will change under the DAL system.

I'm not sure if they are going to keep training scheduling for the MSP facility local or not. They are located on the first floor to your left, after you pass through the foyer.

Nu