Gettin' through sim training
 

Well, i finished groundschool about a week ago, had my oral a few days ago and passed that. Last thing to pass on my list is the sim training, so...i'm asking all those who've walked this road before, what advice you'd have to a newhire in successfully completing his simulator training for th rj. Thanks in advance, hope to see everyone on the line soon.

Prior airlines I have been with have given you the "script" of the lesson before hand. This normally includes all approaches, abnormals, and even regular communications. This gives you the ability to literally chiar fly the whole lesson before you ever get in the box.

You can run through all QRH items, FMS procedures, profiles, etc so that all you really have to figure out in the sim is the physical stick and rudder side of it!

At the same if something doesnt go well in the sim put it behind you and move on. The worst thing they do is give you another sim session which in most cases is a no big deal.

Have fun with it... Good Luck

For my checkride you could "retrain" a few items during the ride itself. Otherwise it was mostly memory items and limitations that would bust you. Find a CPT and study your flows. Practice everywhere, in the car, in bed, even on the toilet!

Good luck!

Make sure you know what will be expected for each sim session.

Find out which approaches will be used and study them.

You will have a lot of free time each day. Practice chair-flying the profiles from T/O to LDG/missed.

If your profiles don't include ALL tasks, make your own that include mental checklists and trigger-points for approach setup tasks. Otherwise you will be rock-solid on the airplane, but haphazard in setting up approaches.

If you have no jet / glass time, expect to get your @ss kicked at some point, probably the first couple days...this is normal.

Looking back
 

In retrospect the SIM isnt bad at all I was a CFI and was at Colgan on the SAAB. The sessions get you so stressed out, but have fun with it, you will get through. I start SIMS for XJT in a few weeks I can't wait!!!!!!!!! Just relax there are thousands of RJ pilots who probably had 700hrs when they got hired and who barely have any skill at all and got through so I wouldnt worry about that at all, Good luck you will do fine, you at XJT?

Yeah, what they said. All my friends who are new to this deal, I tell them the same thing. CPT, paper tiger, or what ever, sit in it and do your flows until you can find buttons without looking. It will make your 8 sims exponentially easier.

Good luck, let us know how it goes!!

Saab, are you doing your sims at IAH? I heard a few are getting sent to HOU, mine is being sent to DFW.

DFW man, its like a first but I here DFW is amazing in comparison. I did my SAAB training at the Hobby Flightsafety and it blew, well actually I did my SIM in STL but my ground was at the Hobby Fligh safety and it was a real ****hole, what was your hire/class date?

Started last monday... happy to be through indoc... cant wait for systems. And the internet speed at the holiday inn blows major monkey nuts.

hahaah
 

Bro I know, and thr best part is, the front desk says its because of the FOG hahahaha I hate that place

Well... it forces ya to head down to the "crew" room and run through flows and kick back a few beers, instead of surfing the net for porn. :D

You seen that paper tiger room on the top floor? The dual fms one.... the effin room is a closet!! :p

hey you xjt guys, each sim lesson syllabus is available through the employee website...if you haven't found it already I highly recommend it :)

Yeah, it was all in the binder they gave me at orientation. Fun stuff, no suprises. I like it.

Boy that ERJ sure is a nice machine though!! Makes the CRJ seem like a bloated heiffer!

Day 1 - Make sure you can start the thing and get it out to the runway as quickly as possible. This leaves time to practice actually flying the aircraft since most places won't expect too much from you.

Don't get discouraged in the first couple sims. Everything usually comes together around Sim 3 or 4 and after that it's practice. You and your sim partner should be attached at the hip, if possible. That way you can run through flows/callouts pretty much anytime you want. Paper Tigers are good, but it all usually goes out the window on Day 1 cuz you don't see what actually happens. After that they help again. I guess the moral is to use them, but don't go nuts with it before you ever get into the Sim. The SIT/CPT should do a good job of preparing you. Try to stay positive, admit errors, don't make excuses. If your sim instructor see's you trying hard he'll teach you better.

Thanks for all the adive everyone, i'll definately be sticking with it. i'm lucky enough to have another week off till sims start (start on sat. the 28th) I've gone through all 9 million flows time and time again, just gotta try to get them down COLD, so ... on to that. And nope, not at XJT, i'm w/ TSA. Thanks again, i'll keep you guys posted.

hey...not that anyone cares, but...its a lil' after one in the morning and i just got home a lil' while ago. dug up this thread to respond that i passed my ride tonight, and feel like a ton of weight is off the shoulders. onto the loft and IOE. thanks for all the advice and help fellas

The one thing that is missing form all this advise is the instrument scan.You must be ready for the challenge so to speak. Got to be able to fly the sim.Good luck.

Yeah, what he said to the power of Infinity! Also, fly as slow as they'll allow, except during LOFT and use the auto-pilot as much as they'll allow. Of course you gotta be able to fly, but get it on as much as possible. If you are training with another new hire always make sure someone is minding the shop. Good luck and you'll do fine.

J

Congrats Waterski!!

any suprises, or did they pretty much follow the scripts?

Hey fellas I am about to do sim #3 today at XJT and so far been amazing. Instructors have been fantastic and the sims (FLIGHTSAFETY DFW) have been awesome as well as the facility. The sim is a blast and there are no surprises. The FTD's help you get well overprepared. The V1 cuts are non-events ( I am used to V1 cuts on the SAAB). This airplane is a breeze to fly. Well I iwll hopefully be able to say I passed the Checkride in a week or so I will keep u guys updated. And to any XJT is training feel free to PM I will give ya as much advice as I can ;)

SIM 3 was were everything came together for me and my Sim partner...after this it's pretty much just practice with a few interesting things tossed in here and there. Good luck and keep up that oh so tiring "PFD Stare".

And more advice...
 

Congrats on passing. And the next piece of advice now that you passed the ride at TSA is to contact XJT and put your resume in here. Take it from me, leave TSA as soon as you can after your checkride so you can build seniority at a better place. I, along with many others, made it to the line at Trans Mistakes only to get furloughed from Hulas.

Trust me, come to XJT...heck of a lot better lifestyle and company! Not to mention, after training at TSA , it's a breeze the 2nd time around. I've been here since July and love every minute of it here. PM me if you have any questions...

Keep the blue side up and don't hit anything hard!

I'll second PSU. Great job passing training and relish your accomplishment. Now look to the next step of advancing your career and gain seniority at a place with a solid future.

Good luck!

-Exwaterskier, now Jetlinker

When I went through A-300 Captain school a wise old instructor told me that if you can drive your car backwords while smoking a cigar and reciting all your memory items, checklist response, and QRH procedures then you pretty much got it licked.

I highly recommend the high school parking lot.

we have twpo guys that had to redo sim #3 :( just got word yesterday, I thought it wasnt tooo bad but then agian V1 cuts in the saab are easier than the erj

I'm kind of surprised that the Saab V1 cuts are easier. The best piece of advice I ever got for the ERJ was to just keep it on the ground until the nose was lined up with centerline and then lift off. If you're crooked, apparently it will roll over pretty quick, but I never had that happen in the Sim. Me and my sim partner were lucky enough to avoid the red screen all through training, but it can be quite the confidence killer from what I understand.

had a couple buddies redscreen on V1 cuts during their checkrides. One guy hit a wingtip while trying to correct, not sure if he was trying to fly a course instead of a heading. Mine, i flew the heading, and let the course track get blown right off, until ATC gave me a turn outbound.

try the 757 on a V1 cut; that's fun:)

I stand to correct myself I meant to say SAAB v1s are more challengeing sorry

Holy crap, I hadn't heard about that at all.