The Limitation quiz scores are definitely kept and looked at when needed. Every class, upgrade, recurrent and initial, takes the test at least once during the course and there is a direct correlation to the test grades and those that don't pass / make it.

 

The packet your receive before you start can be helpful but it is NOT what you should be studying once you arrive. All of our instructors told us to throw it away after indoc once when we started systems. I wholeheartedly agree. The AOM, GOM, and systems manual are the gospel and what you will be tested on.

There is definitely a lack of context with the pre training packet so do the best you can with it. Push the "I believe" button on items you don't understand and just know that it will all get cleared up during ground school.

All of the instructors and classes ahead of you want to see you succeed and will go out of their way to help if asked.

 

I will add one more thing to this. After class, make sure the class goes down for a study group. The classes with after hour study groups do much better than those that study on their own.

 

I loved it when my class had a 'study session' in the lobby of the hotel with drinks with the instructor. I learned more at those than up in my room studying the book during initial.

Going out for food during recurrent is usually worlds more informative than sitting in recurrent class for 8 hours. Especially since it's the one time where you can swap stories FO to FO or CA to CA about gotchas and not feel like you're bringing work home with you to the overnight.

I'm sorta unhappy with the training scheduling hotel selection currently. IMO, the whole class should be in one hotel (for initial, upgrade, and recurrent) along with the instructor (regardless of pilot base - using it is optional). Yes it's slightly more expensive but the group learns much more from each other than splitting up after class to go back to various hotels.

 

What is the initial training situation like at C5 overall?

I’m still working towards an ATP but considering a few different regionals. I was talking to a Captain from YV and she said their training was lacking to a certain extent and I hadn’t really considered the ramifications of failing out of 121 indoc. Not to measure straws here, but I’m legitimately curious what the quality of training is at C5?

 

I just finished sims (bit of a wait till IOE) and I thought the training was fantastic.

Excellent instructors all around who really want you to succeed.

My ONLY complaint is the classrooms were always FREEZING cold, so make sure to wear long sleeve business casual.

Although you won't absolutely need to know the limitations and memory items until well into systems, I can't stress enough that knowing both of them cold will help you.

 

I trained at Republic prior to coming to C5 so I have something to which I can compare C5's training.

Training was equally well organized and the ground instructors were great at both places, but where C5 excelled for me was sims. Republic had 7 instructional sims, whereas C5 has 10 with an additional 3 built into the schedule if you need them. Instructors at Republic admitted that 7 sims is too few considering all the extra requirements the FAA has forced them to add to the curriculum lately but no one there seems ready to do anything about it (i.e. increase the number of sims).

Having just gone through 175 training at Republic and paired with a direct entry captain we found the 13 sims at C5 unnecessary but we were still told to use the extra sims for mock checkrides so that's what we did. We were practically yawning due to boredom during the actual checkride, and that's exactly the way it should be. For anyone starting out in 121, even if you consider yourself well prepared for the rigors of a 121 training program, consider the extra sims as an insurance policy against a training failure.

The most annoying thing about Republic's training, aside from their propensity to schedule a single crew consistently for the late night sim slots vs. spread the pain around to all crews, is that while the instructors were excellent and very experienced, they were specifically prohibited from correcting any mistakes in callouts, etc. made by a student that could ultimately cause a checkride bust (as it did in my case).

C5, on the other hand, subscribes to the philosophy of "train as we fly, fly as we train", which means crewmembers are allowed and encouraged to correct another's mistake well before it snowballs and affects the safety of the flight. That correctly reflects the realities of life on the line -- as I can tell you from experience that no one, even captains with thousands of hours and multiple type ratings, is perfect at 2AM after being up for 12+ hours. I have certainly caught my share of captains' errors.

The small class sizes (typically 14 or less) at C5 are also a huge perk. There is generally more time available to ask questions and keep the entire class moving forward as a team. At Republic it was more of a "you're on your own -- be sure to keep up" vibe.

 

Yes indeed! I second all of the above. I ended up using 2 extra sims (12 total) because I needed the full 1500 for my oral, and plus this was my first 121 job and type rating, so I didn't quite have the confidence and skill that someone with prior 121 time or even prior sims somewhere else had.

 

That was an awesome scoop, thank you for the contrast! Everybody here at Humpty-Diddle acts like you’re crazy if you don’t pick Republic or PSA, but as far as i understand, C5 gives a good shot at getting based at IAD. I live an hour and a half west of IAD so I figure it wouldn’t be all that bad of a life considering getting based in DCA would make it near impossible to ever make a 2hr call out.

What is it that appealed so much for you to switch, if I may? I know everybody talks nonsense about every other carrier, but whenever I bring up Commutair nobody has much good or bad to say, it’s usually “who?” And point me to Republic for contract or pay. Base matters most to me for my initial step into the career. What about you?

 

I gave a hint above but my exit from Republic was not my choice. I have previously discussed my situation in this thread:

How do people wash out of airline training?

FYI, IAD can be held by a new hire FO here, but most of our people go to EWR right now because that's where 75% of our flying is based at the moment. Reserve is generally longer in IAD and movement is slower there.