Yea I'm sure flying the sim was fun, but it isn't even close to the real world of flying the line. So take your observations with a grain of salt.

 

Haha...awesome

 

An interesting counter to what you said earlier about taking a course to prevent getting behind N6724G:

I don't care who you are, if you didn't feel behind during the sim, transition course or not, you're a damn liar. My partner and I didn't feel like we "got it" until the second to last sim session before our checkrides. We both did fine.

How do you counter this? You study. We met for a couple hours before each session to go through flows and callouts. We chair flew, we studied together, we used our experience as instructors to our advantage. Neither of us had ever been in a jet sim, I had never been in the front of anything bigger than a 414 prior to starting the sim. It was fast and furious but you're not going to have an instructor sitting back there expecting you to fly a single engine, raw data ILS with the hydraulics failed while drawing a detailed diagram of the electrical system.

TSA's training is regarded as a real ballbuster. However, our instructor went out of his way to help those that felt they were behind. He would stick around during breaks, sometimes at lunch to go over things. We had study groups, and a couple line pilots volunteered their time to help us too. Yes, a couple that made the effort didn't make it. There were about five in our class that had an attitude problem, they had CRJ sim time so they knew this stuff. None of them made it to the sim. Go back to the hotel after class, relax for an hour then hit the books and prepare for the next day. Every night spend 20 minutes out of the book and working on flows and callouts. If you do this, you'll be fine. Another thing that I think is dangerous about the course is what may happen if the company doesn't fly a CRJ, or worse (in my opinion) they do things totally different from how you learned them in the transition course. Now you're learning how to do things while unlearning the habits you've developed.

I know the stakes are high. I decided to instruct longer than I needed to becuase I didn't feel like I was ready to jump to the jet. I'm glad I waited. Had the worst happened, I had options. With my time I didn't have that last year. You sound like a smart guy. When the time comes to make the jump you'll be fine as long as you attack.

If you have access to a frasca, fly the fastest aircraft they have on there, and set up about a 50kt tailwind. If you can handle that, you can handle the jet with no problem. Find a plane with glass to fly if your school doesn't have one. This will also help if you haven't done it yet and 10 hours will still be much cheaper than just as much time in a CRJ sim.

 

It's not the spelling or grammar. It's the laziness.

 

24G,

It sounds to me like you have pretty much made up your mind about taking a jet transition course. There is nothing wrong with that, if you have the cash laying around. It may help to build your confidence during the interview process, and during initial training. I also get the feeling that you are not a 250 hour wiz-kid, looking for the first shiny jet job you can find. If that's the case, take some time (within reason, we all know that seniority rules) and do your homework. Figure out where you really want to work. What equipment are they flying? What do their HR people say? What does their training department say?

Eagle told me, point blank I should go to ATP, and take a CRJ course. I simply wasn't willing to borrow eight grand to "maybe" get a $20K/yr job. (Would I pay for a B737 type after being offerd a position at SWA...hell yes)

At Express Jet the concensus seemed to be; "With your time, why the hell would you spend $8K, on something like that, when we are going to teach you anyway?"

If you do decide to take one of those courses, try to find one that makes sense. There are a lot of them out there. Choose, only after you have a pretty good idea that it will help you get, and train, for a job someplace that you really want to work. I wouldn't suggest a CRJ course, right before starting EMB-120 school. The primacy, and negative transfer of learning might hurt as much as it helps.

I am a new FO, and was a Gold Seal CFI, with over 1500 hours of dual given, when I started training on the ERJ-145. However, I had never flown anything faster than a C-310, and had very little instrument time. I'll be honest with you, training was tough for me. During training, I found myself wishing I had some previous sim time, in a jet, so I know where you are coming from. What I really needed was more varied flying experience.

Now, I feel like the CFI experience helped me more than any "train before you train" kind of program ever would have. I hear this again and again from the Captains I fly with, as well. I am also damn glad that I am not another $8K in debt on first year FO pay.

Just my two cents. Your milage may vary.

 

This 'guy' is saying that you will somehow regret that your time as a CFI will be time that was wasted. Obviously I disagree with him as well.

Instructing builds good social and working skills you'll use everyday in interacting with CA's, FO's, FA's, the ramp, and CSA's. You learn to read and interpret people better, and adapt your style and approach to get the best out of them. You learn to be a manager and leader. Your decision making ability, conflict resolution skills, and critiquing ability increase. You become a more professional Pilot, no doubt, as a result of being an engaged and introspective CFI.

Good luck. Network!

 

good post, Gravelly...

I also agree that CFI'ing does do all that for a young Pilot, though I don't think we all require several years of it LoL...

 

I'll put any new military pilot up against one from a pilot mill. No comparison. "Johnny Jet Pilot" from a mill didn't walk through the gates at UPT with 13 hrs in a C-150 and within 4 months, be soloing in wingtip formation.

Those 300 hr AF (or any military pilot) pilots got those hrs in a much shorter time frame, and much more intense flying, than the 500 f/o did.

 

Here's the problem though. An ASA recruiter called me and wont eevn let me come to an interview unless I have some type of jet transition course or jet training. So I cant even get in te door.

 

True. But check this out. I am in Civil Air Patrol. We had a cadet who was very serious about flying. He got his ratings all the way up to CFI. While still a cadet. He went to fly for the airlines at age 22. Then after two or three years he went into the military to fly.