Simulator Instructor
 

Can recent hires share their experiences as it relates to:
Job satisfaction; Accommodations and pay during training; Training footprint; Schedule… assigned versus bid; Salary / Overtime; Benefits; Jump seat privilege; Family travel,

Thanks in advance.

Similar questions as well.

How does seniority work as a Flight Crew Training Instructor at SWA? Also, Is there a pay scale for instructors? What exactly are they looking? Level D sim instruction, classroom instruction? How many instructors are they looking to hire?

Thanks in advance,

Air Over The Log

I recall that a recent contract with all the work rules was posted on an APC thread very recently. If I recall pays around 80-90K to start and tops at 130K, not counting any extra stuff thrown in there. It's DAL based with all most regular employee benefits. I think they were looking to hire quite a few (100 plus) new IP's.

Southwest will provide a stable work environment with equal opportunity for learning and personal growth. Employees will be provided the same concern, respect, and caring attitude within the organization that they are expected to share externally with every Southwest Customer.

Provide Flight Operations training in accordance with FAR, Flight Operations Training Manual (FOTM), and Company requirements.



RESPONSIBILITIES

Prepare and conduct classroom training in accordance with FAR, Flight Operations Training Manual (FOTM), and Company requirements
Facilitate pilot learning
Develop and create instructional and evaluation media/materials for support of training programs
Maintain course material and procedural integrity through self-study, skills practice, critique review, and instructor meetings
Accomplish special projects and assignments as directed
Must be able to meet any physical ability requirements listed on this description
May perform other job duties as directed by Employee's Leaders


Southwest Airlines is an Equal Opportunity Employer

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES

Must have a good working knowledge and experience in the operation of training equipment that includes computer based training workstations
Must have a good working knowledge of Microsoft Office programs
Must have the ability to read technical aircraft documents, follow technical instructions, learn and understand new technical concepts and prepare written technical documents that will convey information or guidance to others in an understandable manner
Must possess extensive knowledge of flight training instructional duties along with a good working knowledge of FAR training requirements
Must possess excellent English verbal communication and interpersonal skills
Must possess the ability to accomplish accurate work under tight time constraints while maintaining a high degree of flexibility
Must be able to work various assigned hours as necessary, which may include evenings, weekends, holidays, with a rotating assigned work schedule to cover the operational hours (which includes 365 day a year up to 24 hours a day)
EDUCATION

Required: High School Diploma or GED
Preferred: Bachelor's Degree
EXPERIENCE

Required: Minimum of 1 year of experience of previous flying experience in aircraft above 12,500 pounds
Preferred: Minimum of 2 years of experience as Classroom or Simulator Instructor or equivalent
Preferred: 2 years of experience of previous FAR Part 121 operations
LICENSING/CERTIFICATION

Required: Valid motor vehicle license
Required: Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) rating
Preferred: B-737 type rating
PHYSICAL ABILITIES

Must have vision ability to view and read computer/video displays on a frequent basis
Must be able to lift up to 35 pounds in order to move training support equipment from one location to another
Must be able to participate in the FAR directed Line Observation Program and be able to enter and exit the aircraft under normal and emergency conditions
Must be able to enter and exit the flight simulator, cabin simulator or mock-up, briefing rooms under normal and emergency conditions
Must be able to sit in the simulator uninterrupted for up to 4 hours
OTHER QUALIFICATIONS

Must maintain a well-groomed appearance per Company appearance standards as described in established guidelines
Must be a U.S. citizen or have authorization to work in the United States as defined by the Immigration Reform Act of 1986
Must be able to comply with Company attendance standards as described in established guidelines
Must be at least 23 years of age
Must have authorization to work in the United States as defined by the Immigration Reform Act of 1986, without requiring sponsorship now or in the future
Must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by start date to comply with Executive Order 14042, which requires employees of federal contractors to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

To make it easier to find:

https://www.twu557.org/images/Documents/contract.pdf

So it looks like you start at as little as around $40,00 a year (Step 1) by the contract, assuming you are not a Captain Qualified Instructor, whatever that is. Dallas aint cheap, and they need to do better than that. Can you commute on the job or is it a live in base requirement?

Pretty sure you start on step 3 and quickly move to step 4. Something like that, might have the exact steps wrong. And just like pilots, ample opportunity to earn more.

Still doesn’t pay enough, but it’s not absurdly low.

I think they pretty much expect you to be a DAL or nearby guy. Commuting would be a bit difficult on a space A basis. I doubt anyone would take the job for 40K. I think they would start at 80K+

I think somebody in the other thread said s they started at stage 4? Or at least that everybody starts as captain qualified so that would make the minimum pay around $87k.

I know an instructor who commutes from Virginia but he keeps an apartment in Dallas to use while he is working. His apartment is on the DART line so he doesn't need a car.

It's not a bad gig for someone past 65 or someone without a medical for sure. Also, an opportunity for others to get their foot in the door perhaps. I just feel living in the base would make it an even better deal. I do believe SIM IP's can J/S on SWA as well.

Does Southwest use non-Southwest pilots for all simulator training or just certain events?

All Southwest training is done by Southwest pilots, directly employed by Southwest Airlines, in a world class training facility.

Some events are conducted by Flight Crew Training Instructors (FCTIs), some by SWAPA pilots, and some by check airmen (also SWAPA pilots).

Full motion simulator training (not checking) is scoped to FCTIs. I might not have the language of this totally correct but this is what it is basically.

All of the above is contractual minutiae from the perspective of a new hire...the training is very good (I said training, not the schedule of which sucks) and you'll have no idea what group your instructor falls into unless you ask. You have to be a major screw up to not succeed.

I was actually contacted by SWA about this opportunity. I make quite a bit more than 130K as a 135 captain, but there's a lot to be said for SWA - I know a couple of guys who fly with ya'll and they love the company. Do any of you line pilots know if there's a path forward into flying over there from an instructor position if I elected to do that, or would I be better off simply applying for a pilot position?

After 2 or 3 years… you’ll have the opportunity to interview to be a flight crew member. I would imagine that one would be observed during their tenure as an instructor. You do your job well, get a few atta boys in your file, the interview should be nothing more than a formality

If you meet the requirements, I would apply for the pilot position. The SIM position is the "carrot on the stick" and I think you have to commit to 3 years before being considered for a pilot position. In the current market, I don't think it's a good idea for someone who wants to keep flying or wants to get on with someone else. For someone without a medical, over 65, or just someone not interested in flying the line it is a good opportunity, especially if you live in the DAL area. They do offer positive space tickets for commuters but would need to get a hotel or place if you are from out of town. I know of one person (MIL and B737 qualified) who was turned down for a pilot position but was hired as a SIM guy. He went through everything and soon after being qualified he got picked up by a legacy carrier.

Great feedback and definitely will give some thought to both points of view. I've flown Part 121 in the past and I know how it can be, so I'm going to give some thought to how I'd like things to look in the next 3-5. Thank you, gentlemen.

From the looks of it, the majority of airlines are going to be hiring 100/month or thereabouts in 2022. If you have competitive qualifications, don't waste your time on a sim gig where you also will lose recency of experience which many desire in their screening process. But in the end, as you say it depends on your age and stage in life as well as your career aspirations.

Great points, sir. Well received.

It is a 3 year commitment before you can apply for a pilot position. Seniority is everything. Every class can make a difference. If you want to make a move apply now. Get hired then decide.

I heard that the pilots that walk past those doors of the training center are the greatest trained pilots on Earth.

I thought Halon 1211 was supposed to put fires out, and not start them!

You spelled Merican wrong.

Unlike some other well-known airlines that shall remain nameless, SWA's training center does not have such a sign. However, having been built from the ground-up in just the last five years or so, it is one of the zoomiest-looking training centers in the world today. See for yourself:

Southwest Airlines Flight Training Center

that is the other major with HQ in Dallas.

It’s fun to start fires.

Trip Reports / Gouge
 

Does anyone have any gouge or trip reports regarding the interview for the sim instructor position?

Don't tell that to the hardcore AA guys, they will tell you their HQ is not in Dallas.

Tell us why you wouldn't apply to Delta?

Meh
 

Hmmm...not terribly helpful. I guess I'd better start taking flying lessons in aeroplanes so I can figure out this voodoo magic.

Probably have to brush up on the Challenger disaster regarding “drift,” ABCD, red yellow green circles and squares, and also ask why you don’t want to go to Flight Safety for double pay.

The irony of SWA using Morton Thiokol as a case study is a bit much, even for me.

What would you call it when a corporation knows it can't cover the schedule it published without working people on their days off, and then does it anyway?

And tell them you aren't stepping foot on property without a seniority number. Because until they do that, they are spinning their wheels.

Dumb. (Filler)

I did find it funny that they were having a discussion about normalization of deviance in a building with signs everywhere that say 'wearing a mask is required' but where nobody was wearing a mask. [emoji38]

this company's motto should be "normalization of drift" (they even had to out-do nasa and find a better term 🙄). VNAV=that's just how the system works. Scheduling meltdowns=that's just a one time occurrence. Manuals suck=manuals and the FAA are complicated, you wouldn't understand despite having worked at multiple airlines where manuals didn't suck. Unable to be on time=Continue to let ground ops take care of it. Tech debt=swa is unique so we can't use programs that every other airline uses. 1980s contract language=the language we've had in there hasn't hurt us yet, TFP is unique and different because we're swa!

The list goes on and on, but I agree with the company that none of those things I mentioned are nearly as dangerous as us saying "nines and twos". (/sarcasm)

Nines & twos? Here I’ve been saying STDs the whole time. Thanks. I’ll be sure to correct that before my next check ride.

You forgot all the airplanes we've crashed because the pilot flying said speed instead of airspeed coming through 1000'

why do you guys hate safety?

I was corrected because before I started reading a checklist, I would state the name of the checklist I was about to begin reading.

So if the Captain said "before start originating checklist" I would repeat, "Before start originating checklist... logbook.."

That was apparently worth a debrief after we were done.

Naturally, being a believer in safety I thanked him for correcting me and said I'll work to correct it.

Simulator Instructor
 

I hope the Air Force F-15 Kernal that designed this year's training steps on a Lego.

What a waste of 3 precious days. They have the opportunity once a year to bring us in and really make a difference and they wasted it on discussing proper call out verbiage and north face jackets.

And yeah, the company who, by all accounts, is perfectly imitating Morton Thiakol lecturing us?! That's pretty rich.

And management was the cause of the shuttle “drift.”