CAE Simuflite
 

Question for you corporate guys who have trained at Simuflite. I have a chance to start their right seat program in the Hawker and probably get SIC typed for free. Have any of you trained there or had experience with this? My only obstacle is trying to get 2 weeks off to do the intial ground school.

Hey, congrats! I applied awhile back just via email and haven't heard back. Any insight as to how they select people for this program? I'm pretty low time (400/20), but sounds like a great program since you can instruct on the side. I'll even be in Dallas over the summer for an internship, and it would work out terrific to hear back from them sometime while I'm down there!

-Brett

One of my flight instructors has been a right seater there for a while in the 700/800XP and is in real tight with the senior instructor there. He has actually picked up a couple of good corporate gigs because of this program, and didn't have to pay for any training :D

Sweet...ever since they used a 800XP on Mythbusters (to test how cell phones can interfere with avionics) I've been in love with it!

Sory to jump in here, but I was wondering if and how long and what it takes to get into the right seat program. I currently have all of my ratings except an ATP, 520 ttl, 155 multi. I am very interested in this type of work on the side. I would like to work at a regional, and then do the right seat program on my off time, this would hopefully open up a few doors in the corporate world!

Looks like a good program, especially for a low time pilot.

I did my initial training at Simcom. If I recall, SIC training was about $8k, way cheaper than FSI. The SIC check ride is to ATP standards, and is the same as a Type ride, except for a few items. The SIC type came about when countries like Mexico started to enforce that pilots must be type rated to enter. So the FAA made the SIC type, nothing different, its just added to your certificate.

Unless your training is in a level D sim, some air work in the aircraft is required to complete your training. This may have changed, but worth looking into.

The bottom line is that anyone who has training completed saves the company money and is therefore more attractive.

Airlines may not allow you to fly on the side, some do, some don't. Corporate operations are wary of 121 guys, but, if you have current training covered, the risk to them is lower.

FYI, a PIC type rating in the HS125 at FSI is around $25k. Also, the insurance industry is the driving force in corporate. 2500tt is the min. for most companies even for a copilot. Unless you know people, you can see why so many pilots go to regionals or haul freight to start.

I don't know about the SIC program but the Simuflite facility itself is beautiful. Got a 604 rating there a few years ago. I have trained at both FSI and Simuflite as well as a few 121 operations and the DFW building and operation are at the top of the scale. Clean, state of the art classrooms, nice cafeteria and pretty good food as well. Instruction for systems was good and all the people I met were happy and helpful. Enjoy it!

It is an awesome place. I go up there just to study sometimes. They have an aviation library there with everything you could imagine in it. There are PC's there you can use for free that have all the CBT courses on them for FMS training and so forth. 2nd floor has a real nice view of rwy 36L when they're landing north too ;)

I went there in Jan. and got a CE500 type. All the instructors I had were great. I also had 3 different Rt seaters, most of which were very helpful. The only issue I had is that for my checkride, I was paired with a person that had VERY low time and had NEVER been in the sim before.:mad: I think I deserve a single pilot add on for that...:D

It's an outstanding program, if you have a real chance of getting into it. I've had (rent..a..co-star) guys 'n gals many times over the years and they are always top notch. If an opening comes up where I work, there are a couple of guys at CAE and FlightSafety that I'd put into the spot.

TransMach

Does anyone know how many people they generally accept for the 'Right-Seat Program'; also any information about internship opportunities with them?

Thanks

Got the word yesterday from a senior instructor at Simuflite, they said they can put me in either the Hawker, Beechjet, or the King Air. Not sure which would be the best choice as far as future options...I was thinking the King Air. Any thoughts??

I applied for the program a few years ago, never heard back. I live about 2 1/2 hours from Dallas, but have a place I can stay in Grapevine at a crash pad of a buddy who flies for American. Do you think I should re-apply? There are a couple of corporate operators where I live that fly kingair 200's, and Lear 60s. They fly two pilots in the King airs because of insurance requirements, and tell me I need 200 multi time, I have 100 currently, 1200 TT.

Turbo-jet time is always the best time to have, however King Air time is not too shabby either. I think in your situation, the King Air is the better choice and here's why... I dont know how much time you have, but if you have under a thousand hours, its safe to say that it would be easier for you land a job in a King Air due to the insurance requirements for jets. If a company has both turboprops and jets, they would probably start you in the prop. (for those who like "nit-picking" I know there are some that do start right in jets);) I think its a great way to build hours, you learn a lot, and the instructors are top-notch! I wish you well:cool:

Thanks for the reply firedup. You said exactly what I was thinking. I am under a thousand right now and I think the King Air would be a great "ice breaker"

i have a friend that is actually doing this right now in the hawker and he loves it.....hes not the CFI type and hates the idea of instructing to build time....this seems to be the ticket for him! good luck!!

Its good to get the type rating but how do the airlines/corporate(insurace company) feel about level d sim time?

Lets say you have 350 in actual aircraft then 650 Level D sim time would they consider that 1000 total?

damn good question....im wondering the same??

when I applied to various airlines, they wanted me to leave OUT the sim time...
I only had 10 hours, so I was not too worried...but if I had 650 hours, might get a little worried:eek:

well thats good to know.....ive never set foot in a sim so i guess i wont have to leave anything out!!! but good info to know!!! what airline did u apply to that told you to leave it out if u dont mind me asking???

On Airlineapps.com, I filled out a profile that goes to any airline that you choose to add. They didn't seem to be very interested in sim time, HOWEVER, its not all bad time. Someone else may have better information.

If we all go to Simuflite to get recurrent, and the sims are as close as you can get to the real thing, I can't see that they wouldn't let you add that time to your total time (now that I think about it) I only had "non motion" sim time. Ask around, I wouldn't want to lead you down the wrong road. :confused:

I am mostly doing it for the awesome CRM training and making new connections and friends. (It's all about who you know)

You got that right!! Its ALL about who you know;)

Yah its some great experience met a guy that was part of the right seat program and he flew a Falcon 900 and did the program on the side and he got offered a Job after a sim session with a chief pilot of a different flight department and told him he would pay him more than whatever he was making right now. Great connections and a free sic type just wandering if it is worth my time to stop what I am doing now and going back to instructing so I will be one place and be able to do the program. But if most corporate gigs won't look at you till 2500 total it will make the decision harder because it would take a while to get that instructing if they won't count the sim time.

Are you the guy I was talking to about aerial survey? Isn't that what you are doing? I think I was asking you about getting into that.

There are places that will look at you with 1500 hours or so, espically if you have your ATP. If you are buildiing multi time, it may be a good place to stay for a while. I went from instructing to flying a Baron for a charter company, and built time that way. It all depends on what direction you want to go...:confused: