Sim instructors and being current
 

Lori,


As I prepare for a transition from the military to the private sector, I see that the hiring boom is at a turtles pace. If I get hired as a sim instructor, how is sim time viewed for currency? Would love a flying job but with a family need to pay the bills.

Thank you for your input.


SPanky

Is that an EP-3C avatar?

Sim time keeps you current, keeps your scan up and builds your confidence, but airlines don't consider that currency at all. You need a real flying job, preferably in turbine equipment, to show that you're current. If that's all you have staring you in the face at seperation, however, you gotta do what you gotta do. MUCH better than a non-aviation job.

Best of luck...did you ever run into Frank Young?

i'm a sim instructor and fly only two days or so per month. I was interviewed at Netjets with them knowing that. But, me and EVERYONE else in the class that day wasn't hired.

757,

Frank Young was a Primary instructor I think when I ran into him. Yes, I flew the EP-3 out of Rota, Spain.

Learflyer,

Sorry about the interview at NJ.

If you can't afford to take a regional job, take a sim job and try to network your way into some bizjet flying on the side...maybe you can get a type rating from your sim employer.

Spanky,

Ok, I feel strange calling someone Spanky...

I believe what you are addressing here is not a matter of staying current, but instead what we're talking about is recency, which is a whole different animal.

Airlines want to see recency, actual hours at the controls... in the air. It is common to ask how many hours flown in the last six months, for example. And, many airlines will ask you to back out any sim time you have in your logbook which can severely decrease your time - and now suddenly you may not even meet their minimums.

If I am reading your post correctly - you are potentially looking at a sim instructor position after the transition? There really isn't anything wrong with that, except for the lack of stick-time. One of the questions I have to ask myself is, If you land a sim instructor position with an airline are you locked into that position forever or can you transition to line flying?
Some airlines separate the two, each being their own career path. Some require you to be hired as a line pilot first and then transition over to a sim instructor.

If you're talking about instructing for a school of sorts then we're back to square one with stick time.

I'm not sure this answers your question. Perhaps you can be a little more specific with what you are seeking?

Lori,

Thanks. Sim time is just that sim time. Currency is flying the aircraft. Sim companies like CAE are offering good starting Salaries. I am fishing in case I was to take that kind of job and then not like it.


Spanky (Because I am the rascal that grew up and joined the Navy)

I don't know. it's like riding a bike. Like I said, i'm an instructor full time right now, and we are just as current as everyone else (checkrides, etc). We can do v1 cuts with our eyes closed, and yawn when we get an inadvertant TR deploy at V1. How can an employer not like that? :) I do see your points though.