King air 350 training
 

Hey guys, I am looking for different places to do BE300/350 Type rating training. My boss has me looking for info, but all I can find is Flight Safety, and I am just looking for other places to find the best price, before I spend company money. If anyone can provide me with any info that would be great. Thanks all!

A buddy of mine went to SimCom for training and ended up doing his actual checkride in the airplane. He was happy.

One of the guys i fly with pretty regularly went to FSI way back in the day (back when the type counted for the 1900, too) and was happy.

The place I started out at as a CFI used Markette & Associates, but that was for 135 stuff. I'm not sure that he even does the 300/350 type anymore (or that he ever did...I just know they used him for 135 checkrides).

I know that isn't really that helpful, but...that's all I got.

-mini

I have used most of the training companies in my career, never got to pick them however, and have found you get what you pay for in most cases.
Initial type rating I would want the best.
Dave

CAE does it. Flyright, Inc (I think) was trying to do a split sim/aircraft program, but I don't know if that ever got approved.

I agree that you get what you pay for. I have had the opportunity to get a recurrent at both Simcom and FSI for the 350. When you have your instructor looking over your shoulder of a 200 sim telling you "lets just pretend that we are in a 350 and know that the values on those gauges would be a little different", I don't think that is a good training tool. Not to mention that each time I was there the sim had the same old problems. The altitude capture never worked, NAV tracking on the autopilot was not an option. I have heard of a place down in San Diego that a local operator goes to for recurrent, and they are happy with them. I'd say go with FSI.

The problem with Flightsafety is that they vary, some facilities are top notch, some not so much... But they're pretty nice for the most part

AirRider, that's a good type to have, congrats....

where does flight-safety do their King Air training??? anybody know?

I think the main locations for FSI are Atlanta and Wichita.

Cae Simuflite in Dallas has a good 350 program and slightly less in cost than FSI.

Also LGB..... They do the BE-30 training in a 300 sim (with 350 differences for those that need it, same Type Rating). I got my Type there about 4 years ago, have done both 300 and 350 Recurrents in that sim; they have a good program and excellent instructors.

I have a long time friend who teaches the 300/350 for SimCom in Orlando. He and their program is top shelf with a five star rating. Send me a PM and I can provide his contact info. He would be happy to advise you no matter who you choose. Really good guy.

Cheers,
Walt

Ditto on Simcom. Best KA training and is top notch.

We use FSI in Atlanta. I got my type on the 350 there, and go to recurrent there. I have been to several of the "big name" schools, and say that while FSI is the priciest, they are the best too. I got typed on the Hawker at Simuflite, and was not nearly as happy with the initial program there. FSI offers a great product, and I would say for an inital you should get the best training you can find.

Question for the original poster:

Are you going to be flying a Proline 21 King Air 350 or regular EFIS? If you're going to be flying a Proline 21, you might as well go to FSI at Wichita and do your initial in a Proline 21 sim. You will be glad that you did. I did my initial King Air 350 type in Proline 21 as the plane I was flying was PL21 and no regrets whatsoever.

If you're going to be flying regular EFIS, then you can go to any other school.

One thing that you'd also want to consider is your insurance provider. Some may require a specific or "brand" training provider like CAE or FSI.

Good luck! King Air 350 is an awesome plane.

I like the King Air 350, big fan.... One of my favorites photos

JetPhotos.Net Photo » D-CWKM (CN: FL-410) Private Beechcraft B300 King Air 350 by Thomas Ramgraber - VAP

Anyone been to Glass Simulator in Sugar Grove IL?

So it's been about a month and a half since your original post.......which provider/location did you end up choosing? Did you go yet? How did you like it?

I'm interested in hearing about the FSI program in ATL. Looks like I will be there next week for a 300/350 initial. Also wondering how the 200 compares to the 350 when it comes to systems. I have about 700 hours and 3 years flying a 200 and I'm hoping that's going to make things a bit easier. PMs are fine. THX

I just went through the CAE training a little more than a month ago. My sim partner was a former USN C-12 (-200) guy and he said that there were quite a few differences in the systems but it certainly didn't seem to worry him much :)

I'm sure that you are going to enjoy flying the 300/350 even more so than you did the -200.
Btw - who will you be flying the -200 for and where?
ENJOY!

USMCFLYR

With 700 hours in the 200, you won't have any problem with the 300/350. The numbers/limitations are different (most of them anyway). A lot of the systems are the same or similar, with maybe a few small differences. The 300/350 electrical system is different (triple fed bus system vs. the dual fed bus system in the 200). Some small differences in the props ("movable" low pitch stops).... maybe a couple other minor system differences I am forgetting. (Never actually ended up flying the 350 much after I got the Type Rating.) I had about 1200 hours and 4 years flying a 200 when I went to school for my Initial BE-300/350. Had no problems. Do a little study/bookwork on the systems and limitations before you head off to Initial, and you won't have any problems.

Well, it's officially booked. I'll be in ATL Monday....here's to all the good instructors not being on vacation. It's still unclear whether they are going to get me the welcome pack or books before I leave. I feel like I'm already behind. Hopefully I have a great sim partner.

Have a great time! I relied a lot on my sim partner and his previous experience, but then again I hadn't flown a turbo-prop in nearly 20 years and was coming from mostly a single pilot background!
As I said before, you won't have any problems with the ground school or the sim - especially if your previous King Air time is not too distant a memory. You'll probably even have time to have a little side fun in Hot-Lanta :D

Enjoy Lear Dude and be sure to either give us updates during training or at least a wrap-up at the end.

USMCFLYR

Lear Dude, I went through training at ATL for the 350 back about a year and a half ago. I had about 50 hours as SIC in the aircraft prior to training and was the only one in the class! Did every sim session solo as well as the checkride. Trust me, if you have 700 hours in the 200 it will be a breeze, I had no problems. All the instructors there were very knowledgeable and fun to work with. Please PM me as I have some training material that you will likely find useful as well as tips as to where to eat/stay while you are there.

Thanks man....I'd like to PM you, but it doesn't seem to allow me to do that. Perhaps because your post count is so low. I seem to remember something about that awhile back. I would appreciate whatever you have though....that's awful nice of you to offer. Thanks

My pleasure to help! I'll send you what I have in a couple...

Alright, all you guys that said it would be a piece of cake were pretty much spot on. However, I did have some other obstacles along the way. The biggest pain was the sim breaking down both Wednesday and Thursday, thus causing me to have to do double sim on Friday and Saturday. I swear, sitting in that old Level C sim for that long is like spending all day long in the fun house at the carnival. One of those with bent and warped mirrors that distort everything. I'll give it to the instructors though, I had two ground school instructors and two sim instructors and all four were top notch. If they had a sim that was as good as their instructors, then they would really have a product. That said, I'm glad to be out of there and getting some sleep again.

If anybody is headed to FSI @ ATL anytime soon and needs the 411 on where to eat, just shoot me a PM.

FlyRight, Inc. just got their Level D full motion King Air 350 simulator online, and approved by the FAA for everything, including Part 135 checks. Their customer service is outstanding, sim is outstanding, pricing way better than FS - they are a boutique shop that specializes in KA training, and they excel. Their instructors are current KA pilots, not sim instructors from some other airplane.

Worth a good hard look, for sure.

I just finished my Part 91 Recurrent at FlyRight. I have been frustrated by substandard experiences at FSI and Simuflight in the past after complacent instructors and overly large classes. Both ground and Sim were excellent and they are now my companies first choice for training in our King Airs.

Yes, pricing was better but that wasn't a consideration when I decided to try them.

Old post but info still good. I got my initial at FSI ICT for the 350 in 2002 and did 3 recurrents there. Then went to SimCom Orlando, had FTD only then. Didn't care for it much. Been to CAE 3 times and headed back in May for recurrent. I liked it ok there.
I've used FSI for 350; 90GTx & LR-JET. SimCom for BE-400 and it was great. And also Bombardier DFW for CL-604/605 and it was great. One I went to for recurrent on the 90 in Illinois was terrible.
All Contract Training has good and not so good but you get out what you put into it also.

FSI at ICT did really well.

I used FlyRight for King Air training and was very happy with it. I wish they had a Citation training facility so I could continue using them.

Resurrecting this thread: Can anybody give me the average cost for the KA 350 type with FSI out of ATL?

Cheers,
G

MSRP is in the mid-30s for an initial.

Thanks! (ouch)

KA350 training.
 

I’d recommend FlyRight in Concord, NC outside of Charlotte. It is a first class operation and great study environment. Less expensive than FS and a good area for good food and restaurants. Right near to Carolina Speedway.
Full motion simulators, so no need for actual aircraft flight to finish up. You walk out with BE300/350i single pilot type rating. It is ProLine21. They also have a KA 200 SIM.
I’m ex military and ex airline, and I’ve seen some training. This is professional and these guys bend over backward for you. They are in an all new building that is beautiful.
Three guys in my class, one that hadn’t flown in 6 years, and we all finished on time. I think was about 17 days.

Ditto on FlyRight. Received a BE200 initial and a BE300/350 ProLine21 type with an ATP with them. Class act and very professional! They also take GI Bill.

Thanks everybody! Helpful info., Cheers, G

Sent you a PM!

Fly Right
 

+1 for FlyRight in Concord, NC

Great people in the office, classroom, and simulator

Program manager and schedulers worked with me to split 17 days of BE300 type training over two consecutive months (this to accommodate my current job schedule)

All instruction was as good as any received in 40 years of military + 121 flying

TCE for the rating ride was a retired AA 330 captain who delivered an excellent scenario-based test of flying ability and single-pilot headwork/task management

Cost $ 14,500, not to be beaten anywhere, no reason to look further unless you need something other than ProLine 21

Good luck

Sent you a pm

+2 for FlyRight!!