Lincoln Osiris

Okay good welcome to the dysfunctional family

digdawgtex

I recently applied to Spirit and have been getting caught up on all the killer info on here. Looking to get some accurate up to date info on their training program hopefully from some Spirit guys with my similar background. It appears based on many posts that a lot of pilots are having trouble with it especially non 121 guys. It will be my first 121 job. I’ve been flying 135 charter for more than a decade with PCs every 6 months in midsize jets and have never had any issues what so ever. I’m quite certain that you don’t fill out a course critique evaluation after 121 training, lol. Obviously you are not clients anymore paying they’re salaries. However, is it really that much different? U take it seriously, study, and do what your told. Or is it just so compressed that they have higher expectations from the get go? Looking for quality insight on here. No problems with my PRIA and don’t want any!

TrojanCMH

The training at Spirit isn't the Flight Safety or teach you everything and hold your hand through the whole process type of training. It's intense for sure but it's certainly doable as 2000 other pilots have obviously made it through. I am by no means smarter than the average guy and I had no issues. Everyone was nervous because of the 4 sims looming over your head the whole time but by the time you get into the sim you should have all your procedures, call outs, and flows down. You're basically just learning how to fly with the stick once you're at this point. The one guy who washed out of my class of 14 a few years ago was a very experienced 121 captain. So I don't necessarily think it's a certain type of background that struggles but more someone who doesn't learn well in the fast paced/teach yourself type of program it is.

Just study what the instructors tell you and take it day by day and you should do fine.

YourMom

Agreed many 135 guys have made it through. It may be a little tougher not knowing 121 proceedures but it is very doable. Just study and give it your best and you will have no problems.

Macjet

I'm from the same background and you will struggle with the airline procedures. Instead of two guys and a jet with coffee/ice/paper you have to learn the cadence in dealing with the fueler, the bags, the flight attendants, and the gate agent. Spirit has a specific flow that you'll have to follow. IIRC it's 5-6 pages of procedures plus the cockpit setup, preflight for CA and FO, and the DIFSRIPP on the MCDU. It isn't impossible but it is a challenge.

Know your flows cold in your sleep forwards and backwards on day one. Also plan to grab a bite to eat and decompress a bit after class and then get back into the books until bedtime. You'll be able to take a day or two to relax at the beach and have a beer or two but it isn't the FS, CAE, Simcom that you're used to. You will have to work harder than your prior 121 peers but there are a lot of us here that are on our first airline.

Good luck and we hope to see you online soon.

Qotsaautopilot

^^ good summary. I say the hardest part I’ve heard from the 135 guys I’ve flown with is just getting off the gate. We don’t show up two hours in advance and wait around all day. Well sometimes we do but not by choice. Once you get off the gate it’s exactly what you’ve been doing if you use flows and and checklists and standardization where you currently work. It’s just more compressed and if you think you’re done for the day when class lets out you’re doing it wrong. All in if it’s not an off day, most days are about 14hrs of class and hotel study. Work with your partner and small groups at the hotel. I find larger groups to be unproductive but that’s me. Go it alone or go home everyday if you live locally to training and you are setting yourself up for failure.

I think the program could use some help and some (most) of the instructors are great. I had a great one and was lucky to have him the entire training cycle which I understand can be rare now. I’m not sure id have made it if I had another instructor some guys in my class had.

Work hard and it’s plenty doable.

When you get on the line the hardest part will be navigating on the ground a lot of the airports your 121 peers have been operating in and out of for years. That’s minor though so don’t sweat it.

flyboyike

I must just be lucky. The 9-month (or thereabouts) FOs I've flown with haven't needed any "OE".

flyboyike

You and me both. If I made it through, it can't be THAT hard.

bruhaha

Another thing to consider is that after you complete ground and sim training, you'll go out to the line to fly OE.

Your first flight on OE, you will have no idea what to do as you're in a different seat that you did for training. During training you learned to do your flows in both seats, but most of the emphasis is being in the left seat, typed in the left seat. The first time you do anything in the right seat is after your type ride to get your right seat qual. and then from there everything is from the right seat until you upgrade.

I hear rumblings that they are going to modify the new hire training syllabus to do all of the training and the type ride from the right seat... who knows.

injun21

So there’s training done in FLL and DFW? What is the footprint timeline for a new hire? What is the training pay? Is per diem paid before IOE? When dies the defined benefit plan for retirement start? Where can you expect to be based initially? How long before you can get ORD reserve? Lineholder? Thanks for the info.