"To increase our success with New Hire candidates, we have secured with FlightSafety a one week “pre-course” that covers general ground and turbojet sim training. Selected New Hires will attend this basic pre-program before they begin training at ExpressJet. Our goal is to match the ExpressJet ground and sim footprint for all candidates even if pilots lack recent currency or need a little help in understanding the airline environment. This “pre-course” will add significant costs, but we are hoping to make that up in (a) improved New Hire pilot success and (b) having our instructors focus on ExpressJet material – vs helping New Hires remedy core piloting skills. The first class will start this month and we will be gathering the metrics to judge the success."

I know nothing about this program as I have moved on from XJT however I will say XJT has always been way ahead of the game as it relates to training. In my opinion their training is industry leading and is noticed by all the majors.

I think this type of precourse is a great idea for 90% of the applicants that are coming to 121 flying. A week of ground and SIM sessions covering basic airmanship in a jet is a great idea no matter what the reasoning of the company! It would probably be a good idea to do a little in recurrent at the legacies. I personally know a few super senior Delta guys that I hear war stories from about once a week that remember hardly anything about probably half of the “must know” things that are taught while getting your certificates. If it’s not something they use in recurrent or daily ops they look at you like you’re talking in another language.

Isn't sim time and intro to jets sortof what the ATP CTP covers?
I believe it will act as a screener course. Pass the interview, then get evaluated in a "ground school" and sim environment. Those who show potential will continue on to New hire training. My opinion.

Talked to someone in it this week. It is an introduction to getting prepared for being sent to Flight Safety and flying the 175s. It sounds like it doesn't exist for the AQP guts as XJT is deep in the training syllabi with them.

Source has 30 years 121 time and said it is a review of 121/airline procedures.

Correction, dont believe the 175 stuff. It’s suppose to be 121/airline procedures/CRM/ getting accustomed to working in a level D sim in a crew environment regardless of 145/175 aircraft assignment.

Geared more towards GA/piston guys transitioning to jets

You mean like Delta Air Lines noticed?

While I agree the training was great, I'm not sure how much mainline cares if you cost too much. Period.

ATP/CTP in general is a bunch of exposure and box check items. Not sure if your program is different than the one I went through but I believe the syllabus is controlled by the feds.

With all due respect... it sounds like XJT now is scraping so much off the bottom of the barrel that they have to filter the chaff before sending the wheat to real class.

He's not talking about ownership. I believe he's talking about hiring of regional pilots.

Also, when referring to XJT training, that is generally meant to refer to legacy XJT training. I've heard legacy ASA training was top-notch as well.