Comprehensive New Hire Training Guide
 

The Complete New Hire Guide to Spirit Training.

Hey everyone. We are going to be hiring a lot only folks and everyone always ask the question - what is training like? So I wanted to create this thread and share my newhire experience that is recent as of April 1 class date as comprehensively as I possibly can to help eleviate your stress before getting here.

This was my third 121 airline training program and I don’t care what anyone says, it really wasn’t that hard or this crazy horror story that a lot seem to have. Granted things have changed a bit, for the better, it seems than when my buddy went through 1.5 years ago.

Here we go!

Day 1 - Meet 8am at Corp HQ. A van picks you up from the hotel. You get your iPads, set up some apps and passwords. Various big wigs (depending on the day/week) stop by and talk with you. You’ll get a bit of Kool-Aid - the standard day 1 anywhere. They cater lunch which is nice. You will get your IDs by the end of the day. The van picks you up 4-430. It’s about a half hour ride from your hotel.

Day 2 - This starts Basic Indoc/General Subjects (aka death by Power Point). Meet at the Spirit Training Center 8am - 5pm. You get an hour lunch. There is a little cafe at the FBO next door, but not much else around. You can bring food and keep it in the break room as it has fridges and a microwave. There are also snacks/drinks you can purchase. There are THREE Tests/Assessments during Indoc. You will do your first of these three today. It is ridiculously easy if you have your basic limitations memorized, memory items and flows down as you are told.

It is 20-25 questions. All multiple choice. There are 10 or so limitations then the rest asking you about flows. Example - what comes after checking the Landing Gear Handle Down on the “Preliminary Mandatory Flow”? It is NOT hard. Trust me.

Day 3-5 are a repeat of Day 2. You will have your 2nd of your 3 tests on Friday Day 5. It’s nearly the EXACT SAME test. You might get asked 5-6 questions you weren’t asked on the first one. Again NOT difficult.

Enjoy your weekend off.

Days 6-10 - You will have either of these two scenarios depending on class size. You will either come in at 7am to 11am and do your CPT then have an hour lunch, and after lunch you spend the rest of the afternoon finishing Indoc/General Subjects from 12-4pm. The other scenario is you do Indoc/GS in the morning, have lunch, then do your CPT in the afternoon.

The CPT is done with the paper tiger, but with a MCDU/FMS trainer on a computer. You fly pretend flights from FLL to MCO and TPA. You practice walking in to a cold dark airplane and doing your flows and DIFSRIPP (acronym for programming the box). If you have your flows down you can do the entire lesson (both seats - once as PF and once as PM) in 2 hours when it calls for 4.

By the last day, Day 10, you have what is called a GATE Check. Basically showing that you can do all your flows and briefings, program the Box and need very little coaching.

Last, but not least, you have the 3rd test. It is exactly like the other 2, but a bit more questions. This is 50 questions and has maybe 10-12 basic systems type questions. Nothing too hard.

This concludes Week 2. Enjoy your weekend.

An important note about Indoc/GS. Absolutely NONE of any of what’s covered is tested on. The only 3 tests are the ones that I described above. Moral of the story is, these Power Points are all FAA Check the box. You DO NOT have to stress out or waste any ounce of time on these.

The only Power Point you should spend some time jotting down notes on, is the one that covers the release and TLR paperwork. Everything else like Weather, Aerodynamics etc is all FAA mandated crap.

I repeat. Nothing in all of Indoc is going to be on a test. Anywhere. I can’t say it enough. Don’t waste time worrying about this!

Day 11 - Will be emergency training done at a local Maritime academy pool. You get into the lift raft and jackets and mess around. Play with some fire extinguishers It’s fun. You will also do EET (Extended Envelope Training) and that involves listening to someone explain a ridiculously crazy Power Point with aerodynamic formulas and theory. You will do EET in the Sim as part of your training.

Days 12 thru 19 are CSIs or basically Systems Training. You do this while you do flights, just like you were doing in CPTs. This time, however, your flights are done in the Touch screen trainers so when you do your flows you are manipulating (sorta) real switches and knobs. You’ll have an actual side stick and PFD screen and can actually fly.

You will do the flights from a cold dark airplane to a city and back. Along the way (enroute) you will have system failures and they will teach you some systems type stuff.

The CSI Sim portion is 4 hours, but you meet 1.5 prior to brief. During the brief you will talk about whatever system is covered that day in a one on one lecture type format. So, while people claim you never have any real systems training here, you do. Its just different than doing it Power Point style in Ground School.

You have 8 CSI sessions. Just like the last day of CPT, the last day of CSI your expected to operate the flight gate to gate, both seats and do your flows and call outs without needing any assistance.

After your CSIs you’ll have a couple days off to get ready for the oral.

Day 20 - Type Oral

This is the oral guys.

Limitations
Memory Items
Proficiency Items
Fault Lights/Switches on the Upper Panel

If you come and know the Limitations and Memory Items down cold and don’t miss any, you’ve passed your oral.

The only scenario I can see is if you straight up don’t know a single Fault light or switch. The lights are not hard to memorize. Once your going through the lights they may ask you a bit more in depth questions. They know you have never flown this plane and are basically asking you to get your wheels turning and, ultimately, teach you stuff. The oral pass rate is 96% as of March data.

You will have anywhere from 2-4 days off after the oral then starts FTDs.

Day 21-24 - FTDs (Flight Training Device) This is just like CPTs and CSIs. You start from a cold dark airplane, do your flows, program the box push back, taxi takeoff and land. Except instead of a touch screen your in an actual sim (with all the switches). It’s a sim that doesn’t move. Enroute you’ll deal with ECAMs and other emergencies. A ton of this stuff is FAA check the box. You won’t be doing too much Bs like this on your type ride so just nod and smile and play the game.

After FTDs, just like the oral, anywhere from 2-4 days off. I had 4 off.

Days 25-29 are your 5 Full Motion Simulator events/training. After being in the FTD (which is a sim that doesn’t move) you will have a pretty good idea and won’t be too overwhelmed. Like all sims it doesn’t fly much like the real airplane, but don’t let it bother you.

Day 30 is your Type Ride or PC (if already typed). It’s probably not your first airline type ride so you know what to expect. Just like the oral the success rate is 93%. I can tell you with certainty these guys are fair. When my partner did their ride the guy was very fair, I’ll leave it at that.

Days 31 and 32. You do your EET sim (do stalls and some other fun maneuvers) then your standard FAA required LOFT. It was a flight from Vegas to San Diego and back. All normal to SAN with a small failure on the way back to LAS.

I had 8 days off before starting IOE.

That is training. Full disclosure I already had a Bus Type coming in, but truly, this was nowhere close to the horror story so many talk about. My non typed class mates are in agreement.

In the past, I think things were definitely a bit worse, but the format, as of April 1, really isn’t bad.

Last word:

Just like your welcome letter will state, show up with Limitations, Memory Items and Flows (both Captain and FO) down cold when you arrive Day 1 and you will have no problems. Trust me.

There are only 64 limitations and 5 or so Memory Items. They aren’t hard to get memorized.

Good luck everyone! PM if you have any other questions. You will all do just fine.

Thanks for the great write up. Can’t wait to get started soon.

Awesome post thanks for the write up!

Day 1 to day 32, how many days did it take to get to that point? I see enjoy the weekend stuff during indoc, if they're giving pilots 2 days off in a row now during it I think that's great.

Wow... great job on the writeup! This should be very helpful and maybe even be made into a sticky? Sounds similar to my experience some time ago, but also improved.

Welcome aboard!

The tentative schedule I got had weekends off except the weekend of the oral.

Maybe move the disclaimer that you already had the type to the beginning... I had the privilege of going through an initial already having the needed type. Couldn't understand why my classmates weren't out with me every night...Sounds like your partner had a different experience given their performance during the type ride..

Great write up, thanks for sharing!

Lol yeah training was easy if you show up with an airbus type....

Give the guy/gal a break. He’s just trying to help the new folks and give them a better idea of what the different phases of training are. I think it’s a great write up.

Great, informative write up. Thanks for giving the most up to date information for us guys looking to come aboard soon.

DH

You think being current with 2.5+ years domestically on the bus helps...

Exactly. Guy comes on to give some great advice and a nice outline to what to expect, helping guys be more prepared, and the same negative trolls pop up to give him grief.

It doesn’t matter if he has a type, the schedule and what to expect has nothing to do with that. Sure, learning the plane is easier if you’re typed, but the training footprint and what to expect remains the same.

Should we have more of the “they are failing everyone” posts?

Sounds like they’ve relaxed the schedule a bit. The 60hr week one with one day off and a 50hr week two was nonsense. Then only 4 sims. Now they have a real FTD to work with and an additional sim. Much better

I had a "relatively" new hire FO and he said his class had major failure issues so it sounds like nothing has changed.

As of less then a year ago, my class had almost no issues whatsoever. A few who didnt show up prepared were behind no doubt.
Show up prepared (Flows, memory items and limitations down cold), studied a couple hours a day after class. Work with your sim partner and ask each other systems questions, memory items, etc. I never felt behind or unprepared, just fairly busy. If I wasnt prepared, I can see how easy it would be to fall behind.
The 4 sims felt fast (coming from non sidestick AC), but with the 8 or 10 FTD’s you get leading up to that, they get you procedurally ready to go. That systems study guide is your best friend, but dont use just that for the oral. Like others said AOM/COM’s need to be studied too as you need to know proper SOP’s in the FTD/sim for basically everything.
Only one or two in our class had a prior 320 type rating. Majority were RJ captains/LCA/sim instructors just prior to NK. So 121 recent as well. I cant stress being prepared enough, and working with your sim partner. Although we had no failures, it was obvious that the guys who didnt study together and/or didnt show up prepared as instructed, did infact struggle. This seems to be the some of the most common factors I hear about guys who have a checkride or oral bust.

Is the system study guide available online part of the prep material they sent you? Or do we get that when we show up?


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Comprehensive New Hire Training Guide
 

121 training is all about knowing what you need to know and what you can skim through. Know your flows before you show up. During indoc study your memory items and limitations while they’re showing the videos we’ve all seen 100 times and talking about VFR cloud clearances. Spend a couple hours a night with sim partner and study. Study what your instructors tell you and you’ll be fine. Don’t get too wrapped around the axle and burn yourself out.


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Updated training instructions
 

Got new training instructions:




Hello New Spirit Pilots,



Some exciting new changes are coming to Spirit’s Training Program. Outlined in this email is what you should expect for your training experience here at Spirit Airlines.



Prior to arriving for training, all limitations, memory items, and proficiency items should be committed to memory. An assessment will be conducted to establish your level of knowledge on these areas and the flows.
Some aircraft flows are changing effective July 8th.
The follow flows should be reviewed, but not a focus for committing to memory. New flows will be similar to existing flows, but easier to follow.
Preliminary Cockpit Flow
Preflight Flow – Captain and First Officer
Before Start Flow – Captain and First Officer
Before Takeoff Flow – First Officer ONLY
All remaining flows not listed above should be committed to memory as they will remain unchanged.
Emergency Training will occur on the last day of the first week of training. This training requires you to have a bathing suit for a wet ditching simulation.
After the first two weeks of ground school, you will be sent home for one week to have a self-study of systems knowledge.
You have to vacate the hotel room after the first two weeks. A new hotel room will be provided to you upon return from the week of self-study.
Computer Based Training (CBT) courses will be provided through SumTotal. These courses cover the remainder of Basic Indoctrination and provide the foundation for Systems training. They must be completed during the week to prepare for Cockpit Systems Integration (CSI) training.
Your ground instructor will be tracking your progress through the systems CBTs. He will also be available during normal business hours to answer any questions or assist with any issues you may have during this self-study week. THIS IS NOT A WEEK OF VACATION.
AOM Vol. 1 may also aid in your studies.
The recommended order for completing CBTs is:
Autoflight
Electronic Instrument System
APU
Electrical
Fire Protection
GPS ADIRS NAV
Communications
Air Conditioning
Pressurization
Ventilation
Pneumatics & Lighting
Ice and Rain Protection
Fuel, Engines, Hydraulics
Flight Controls I
Flight Controls II
Landing Gear and Brakes
Exterior Preflight
GPWS, RADAR, TCAS
Upon returning, you will start CSI training. The training is very intense and fast-paced so it is critical that you have well-prepared yourself during the week of self-study

Good news for people with families.

I thought Sum Total was out...and L3 was going to be the new provider.

Not yet I guess

So we got yet another transient Director of Something or Other coming through the revolving door of mid level managers?

Making changes so they can have a "TMAAT when you changed something for the better at your last company" as they move through their latest stepping stone and on to a Real Airline?

Ok overall this is very good but I’m going to correct him on one thing. The Oral is difficult. It’s not just know what the buttons do and “maybe” a few in depth questions, that’s total BS. It’s DEFINITELY every button on the overhead panel and DEFINITELY in depth questions on every one (one if you know your stuff multiple if you struggle). So go into that oral knowing every button damn well or you will fail. Phases of flight/general airbus logic and everything that goes with that too. The moral of the story is don’t half ass the oral be prepared. I had no problem with training and agree that it wasn’t that bad but that oral is rough. Hope this helps, don’t fail and get on that senority list.

Did you get TG I heard he is giving the tough oral?

How is SH in type ride/pc? I heard he is pretty tough. Can anyone tell me what to expect?


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Don’t waste your time, you will fail, quit now. ;)
Do your part, show up prepared and you’ll be fine.

100% correct. Just read AOM 1 and you'll be fine. Did I say read AOM 1! The lack of training could be a real NTSB finding if and when we have a major issue. A lot of folks that think they can just get the gouge end up in a bad spot when the oral is done. IMHO the oral should be after the sim training, we'd have fewer issues. :cool:

SH is just bad news! IMHO a clown too! :eek:

Come on, he's fine. Yes he's a little high strung, but he really does love to teach. Obviously YMMV.

Had him for my PC. I came to Spirit with the type so it wasn’t a Type Ride (but still a newhire). He was absolute class. Barely said a single word. Did the PC in barely 1.3. In and out. He’s a good dude.

I can see, especially during a lesson, how he could go crazy and talk a lot and overwhelm you, but checkride SH, he’s more than fair. My partner did their ride with him. All I can say is, more than fair. By a long shot.

8 people in my class had him for our oral test including myself. Everybody passed without any hesitation! Study and show up prepared and you don't have to sweat! He was very fair! Like everyone says, He likes to teach, so sit there and listen what he is teaching you! Co-operate and Graduate!