So whats the whole shabang.. Start off with systems then on to sims? Are the test questions multiple choice? What all do you have to do on the big check ride. Tell me about IOE, and how you can fail that. And if you have time explain how its possible to fail a proficiency check if you've been flying the stupid thing for six months. Sorry I'm bored and curious

 

"Are the test questions multiple choice?"

Yes, they are ever getting away from having a live oral. Just a test.

 

i thought my cfi ride was way tougher, I guess they have to dumb it down as they lower the minimums

 

"Dumb it down"

I feel safer already!

 

Typical
1 Week Indoc (Company Procedures), Written Test
2-3 Weeks Systems, Written Test
1 Week FTD
1-2 Weeks Sim
Checkride (Sim)
1 LOFT session (Sim)

Regionals used to do an extensive oral interview sometime after systems, but this is not an FAA requirement for SIC's so they seem to be eliminating this (CA upgrades still have the oral).

Checkride is pretty similar to a COMM/ME: Engine start, T/O, Stalls, Steeps, 2 engine approaches, single engine approaches, V1 cuts, missed/go-around, engine failure on go-around. You'll do at least one non-precision and several precisions, including a hand-flown (no autopilot) ILS. You'll have several emergencies, mostly engine or TR problems, and an emergency evacuation. You might do an NDB and a CAT II ILS.

IOE is hard to fail unless you have issues, normally self-confidence issues. Descent planning and visual approaches are what people fail on...make sure you get a visual approach while in the sim, and make sure you have a system for knowing when to configure the airplane on both straight-in and pattern visuals (regional don't always teach this formally). Turn the AP off when it gets busy on the visual...by the time you set the FD and the AP responds, you already overshot final. Also when you need to slow and descend...level off and slow FIRST, then configure the airplane. It will drop like a brick dirty, but if descend with the speed you may be too fast to configure later. This is especially true for the CRJ due to a a flap problem which lowered the max flap speed from 230 to 215.

PC's can be failed because the simulator is not like the real airplane (it's touchy) and if you spend six months doing visual approaches you might be rusty on ILS's and single-engine stuff. You can study before the PC, but you can't practice most of that stuff. The PC is essentially the same as your initial checkride, but you had 35 hours of sim prep for that one...