10 sims in prep for MV. Then LOFT prep (ground), and 1 LOFT sim.

Curious questions...

If you need extra Sims... How much hours extra are you provided?

Where do people request extra sim hours the most? I assume for MV?

What happens after Loft? Is it one ride in a real plane with a line check airman doing a visual approach, then you're all on your own?

Can’t tell you much about Sims, but IOE is actually flying the line with an LCA while you get comfortable in the actual airplane.


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No ride in the airplane with a check airman doing visual approaches. As soon as you finish in sims, you are in the airplane with 76 people seated behind you that paid for those seats. if you get lucky, you may never even fly an actual visual approach in your first block of IOE time. Nothing like shooting an ILS to minimums in your first day in the actual airplane. LOL.

As far as needing extra sims, that is up to the discretion of the training department. Most people do not need extra sims. If you are very close and just need an extra sim or 2, they will likely give it to you. But it will show up on your "permanent record" (PRIA), so I wouldn't expect extra sims. 10 is more than enough.

With regard to sims, if you’re new to 121 and the CRJ, you ARE going to feel behind. Just get used to it. If the instructors are moving you through the syllabus, even if you don’t feel like you have everything 100%, I tell guys that’s because a good instructor knows where you should be at any given point, and if they’re satisfied, they’re going to keep you moving. Trust the instructors.

Once you get out to the airplane, it can get a lot easier, because the airplane is a lot easier to fly than the sim, and it’s when all this stuff you learned by wrote in the sim starts to make sense in context of line operations.

I know there’s been some rumors about instructors and the training program on this board, and while not having any first hand knowledge to that effect, in our current staffing crisis is makes ZERO sense for rouge instructors to be randomly hard on people for kicks.

Come prepared, do the work, be ready to learn and take instruction, and trust where your instructors are leading you. You CAN do this.


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The main thing is, come prepared and have your flows, procedures, and callouts down cold. This is something you can work on every day, outside of the sims. If you can unconsciously spout your callouts, it’s one less thing to worry about. If you’re not to this level, you will have to think too hard, which will take away from your focus on controlling the aircraft. Something we see often is people rushing to do things. Be purposely slow and methodical. There’s very few things that need to be rushed in a jet. And if you make one mistake or get something out of order because you were rushing, then it’s hard to get back in your groove. Get it right the first time.
Secondly, always work to stay ahead of the airplane. Always be thinking “what’s next”. If you’re not thinking about that, you’re already behind. Things move twice as quick in a jet, so this is vitally important.
Your instructors will give you the tools you need when it comes to maneuver skills. Once again, know your procedures, but let the instructors teach the skills.

I’ll second most of this. Before I was flying the CRJ I got about 850 hours in a Chieftain at ungodly hours single pilot. Other aspects of that job aside, the CRJ is SO much easier to fly and manage once you understand this. Losing an engine in a piston single is way more work and more things to screw up than a modern jet.

I’d also argue that even though the airspeed, altitude, and vertical speed numbers are much bigger in the jet, if you know what’s coming the big numbers don’t matter much. I was doing the LDA Z 19 into DCA the other day, and the tower tried to fit too many departures ahead of us. Passing the Kennedy Center it was apparent we may have a situation, but I quickly briefed the callouts on the missed, and when the inevitable GA came it was a nonevent and kinda cool.

Just another day at the Office.

Best advice I ever got learning those kinda things is realize that a GA is just a TO with a running start. Ditto SE GA and a V1 Cut. ‘Soft’ GAs can be a little trickier, but that’s when you just pretend it’s Anthony Edwards beside you and think to yourself “time to do some of that pilot sh*t, Mav…..”

Easier with some time in the seat, sure, but just fly the airplane.


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Once you get to a airline that isn’t talking heavy like PSA… the callouts are much easier…..

But everything else you said is on point.

This is all good info. I am coming as an E3 pilot (FO) due to no time in US part 121 but have flown 30 years for a foreign airline. I won’t be taking anything for granted and no doubt there is a lot to learn in the US industry. I am very much looking forward to learning but would like to know from other E3 pilots if PSA provided any assistance in relocation costs. Eg, do they provide a ticket say on AA from Australia to Dayton to begin class? I’m thinking of just coming with the maximum 32kg of luggage and just buy whatever I need there. The upheaval of moving from one country to another is rather frightening though! Can’t wait to start. My class is mid July.

Does the company send you information on flows before training starts? I was curious if anyone else got that in an email. I didn’t see it anywhere. My guess is they don’t, but I thought I saw that mentioned somewhere on here.