Finally, training in a good simulator is a helluva lot of fun. By eliminating 15 or 20 hours of training flights a year, its easy to saveseveral thousand dollars in operating and maintenance expenses, not to mention wear andtear. But figure out your personal objectives before you go so you can share those with the instructor to make sure thats what you get. In the case of RTCs generic AST 300 sims, its probably best to approach with amind-set of learning to fly a new aircraft, rather than thinking of the sim as a Cessna orPiper or Beech and then getting distracted by its lack of fidelity to the actual aircraft.In any case, by the second or third hour of sim training, youll find that youve prettymuch tuned out the differences between the sim and the aircraft and are fully immersed indealing with the meat of the training scenarios that confront you. 5000 N.W. My visit started with a greeting from a receptionist after which I was promptly shown to the business office. Adjust the weather to be exactly what you want. Ive concluded that they did. Factor in that you do more in an hour in the sim and the sim gives you at least a four-to-one cost advantage. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. CAE eLearning courses empower you to take learning and safety into your own hands with more than 80 courses covering General Operating and Bombardier aircraft-specific courses. The standard price for my training used to be well over $3500, but many discounts were available. The combination of our, high fidelity simulators, small class sizes and experienced instructors provides the ideal learning environment. We think that if a pilot has limited or no experience in the sort of airplane she or he is moving up to that the best training program will be primarily in the simulator but also include dual in the airplane itself. In reality, I had a couple weeks. The vast majority ofFSIs resources are devoted to training airline and corporate pilots for jet and turbopropaircraft piston training represents a very small portion of their business. That may not sound like a lot, but I can assure you that its avery intense training experience, about all a person can assimilate in one day. In e-mail discussions I was impressed with the approach that Aircraft Simulator Training took, but we just couldnt get the schedule to work. Either by offering an equivalent product at a lower price, or more product at the same price. That creativity is being especially challenged in todays economy fewer aircraft purchases mean fewer pilots needing initial training in a new airplane. To the extent practical, SIMCOM schedules its training on client demand. I was then shown to the break room where I waited for the instructor. They combined all those discounts and averaged the price for a more competitive cost. Boulder City I found it extremely useful. Hinson openly discussed what is too often a dirty little secret in upgrade trainingwhile the syllabus may be standardized, much of the quality of the training is dependent on the quality and experience of the instructor. OK Aviation Group has been a leader in flight training provision since 2006, receiving full EASA approval as an aviation training organization (ATO) in March of 2013. One Time Plus is a reduced tuition for pilots who have taken the same course within the previous 12 months, and is between 15% and 25% less than the One Time price (depending on aircraft make). Because RTCs sims are generic ones that dont attempt tofaithfully reproduce the systems of your aircraft, the RTC curriculum doesnt spend muchtime on aircraft-specific systems failures the way that FlightSafetys and Simcoms do.Instead, RTCs training places its major emphasis on pilot decision-making and dealingwith the ATC environment. Copyright 2023 Flying Media. I managed to kill myself quite a few times during sim training and then when I had an actual engine failure four years ago in the airplane, it was pretty much a non-event (except for my wallet, of course)., Busch went on to point out something that we hadnt considered: The ground school portion helps with maintenance costs. (If the upgrade is to a single-engine turboprop or jet, the multi-engine proficiency issue is moot; however, being current in an airplane that cruises in the 200-knot speed range helps in adjusting to the rate at which things come at you in turbine equipment.). Most instructors at facilities like RTC and SIMCOM are retired been-there-done-that pros, including my instructor, Mr. Ray Campbell. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. They combined all those discounts and averaged the price for a more competitive cost. Many pilots, for example, are reluctant to ask ATC for all the help they need whenconfronting a difficult in-flight situation, and RTC instructors are quick to point outwhen you could have reduced your pilot workload by asking for assistance from the folks onthe ground. ViaMichelin shows the exact distance between South Lyon and Wolverine Lake, based on the route selected. Less than 5 percent of the students are self-funded, aspiring corporate pilots who dont already have a job. Gary Santos, SIMCOM's Scottsdale Training Centre Manager stated: "I'm very happy to announce that our PC-12 NGX Flight Training Device Level 6 - the highest level of realism for a fixed-wing Flight Training Device - has passed its FAA evaluation today in our Scottsdale facility. A privately-owned, comprehensive learning institution, SIMCOM utilizes realistic simulator-based training to provide advanced aviation training services to professional pilots, owner-operators, Part 135 operators and maintenance personnel operating in general aviation, regional, military, government and cargo operations around the world. In each case, I came away with something different and valuable. 858-756-8748, CS 525/CS No other aircraft is equipped just quite like yours is, and its unlikely that a sim comes very close at all. Thats the best of both worlds. In a previous article about recurrent sim training facilities (Sim Training Centers in November, 2016), Id somewhat bashed SIMCOM, saying, SIMCOM training is top tier, but their business model recently seems to mirror the big corporate centers with pricing to match. Because of that conclusion I really didnt want to go to SIMCOM. Ive not yet hadthe opportunity to take this course. Lets look at some. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. In large classes, he explains, the instructor has to teach to the lowest common denominator in the class. Naturally, the flight nevergoes as planned, and you are confronted with various challenges: unforecast weather,aircraft failures, navaid outages, runway changes, ATC delays, etc. All rights reserved. Knowing how the systems work and how to troubleshoot them helps isolate problems for the A&P.. Mine requires it every two years for my twin-engine, pressurized, Cessna 340A. Although the tuition was quite expensive, I rationalized that most of thecost would be offset by reduced aircraft insurance premiums and reduced wear and tear onmy airplane. The certificates may be used to train multiple pilots, or one pilot multiple times. On the other hand, SimCom simulators offer a panoramicprojection-type visual system that permits daytime visuals and allows circling maneuversand other visual-reference maneuvers that are impossible to train for in the FlightSafetysims. Sure, we recognize the value of the training and would plan to go anyway, but often plans dont quite make it into schedules. So, without the insurance requirement, we might not go at all or perhaps not as often as we should. So I asked them how we were doing. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. ViaMichelin will help you to determine the best route based on various options and, by default, offer two to three routes with varying costs, distances and journey times. Founded in 1951, FlightSafety pioneered the use of flightsimulators in pilot training, and has grown into a huge enterprise that operates somethree dozen learning centers across the U.S. and Europe. Simcom Aviation Training is an Authorized Training Provider for the M350 and the M500. The dismal G.A. week I thought I most needed a refresher on operations and procedures in the aircraft, with an emphasis on abnormals, edge cases, and failures. Plus, of course, you can do ever so much more in the sim than in the airplane. Lets be honest. We heard from piston twin owners who had trained in FlightSafety Internationals motion-based simulators before FSI stopped doing piston twin training and who told us that they have been unable to find any training provider that now gives piston twin training at the level FSI did. 480-377-0222, B737-200 Abbreviated Im encouraged by SIMCOMs new, more competitive pricing, so thats a win. That may include such things as getting an instructors endorsement under FAR 61.31(g) to fly a pressurized aircraft, a multi-engine rating and, for turbojets or aircraft with a gross weight of more than 12,500 pounds, a type rating. Finally, in-aircraft training tends to be a lot tougher on your aircraft than normaloperations. Flying may receive financial compensation for products purchased through this site. Balloons And Runway Calamities: Why Wait To Panic? Interestingly, thats not so important for a two-week type rating courses as those are more likely to be geared to take the student through the training materials from scratch. The only thing that seemed different than the sim was all the firetrucks lined up and down the runway!, T310R owner Mike Busch said, Sim training is absolutely essential for anyone who flies a piston twin and doesnt have a death wish. So, I looked elsewhere. David also decided to offer customized training, with no more than two students in a class. Entry/Exit SIMCOMs PC-12 recurrent courses give you the opportunity to practice normal and emergency procedures using realistic scenario based training. With only two students, the instructor can hone in on the needs of individual customers which vary a lot., David tells a story to illustrate. Simulator aerodynamic fidelity ranges from unrealistic and horrible, to decent, but it never hits exact, even in airline Level D sims. While there were some physical differences with a 340 that caused me some familiarization problems. Pilot Training, Inc. Long Beach, CA I recently learned of a facility Id not previously known. RTCs sims are genericAST 300 twin-engine simulators that are not set up to duplicate any particular aircraft.The ground school component of RTCs courses is largely on videotape, allowing RTC to getby with a smaller instructor staff. But, thats an exception. Tucson, AZ Most pilots whogoes through the experience of top-notch sim-based training become convinced that it isimpossible to remain proficient in a piston twin without this kind of training. 2 weeks Previous Experience But the companies separated in 2006, so the only airline-oriented flight training SimCom now provides is in the Jetstream 41 and the Dornier 328. Senior Editor Rick Durden has written for Aviation Consumer since 1994 and specializes in aviation law. Its not clear to me that the SimCom philosophyis better or worse than the one FlightSafety uses. After introductions and the obligatory war stories, training began with a systems-focused test to see how much I knewor didnt. Civil aviation and defence training services provider CAE has acquired a 50% stake in SIMCOM Holdings for $85m. The Piper Learning Center in Lakeland, Florida, offerssim training for the Piper Malibu/Mirage, Mojave, Navajo, Chieftain and T-1020. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. These cookies do not store any personal information. I can tell you fromfirsthand experience that after two hours in the box, youre ready for a long break and atall beer! Centennial, CO Were lucky that FSI built these sims back then,because simulators of this caliber and cost could never be justified in todays businessclimate. Eric Hinson, CEO of SimCom, told us that initial training courses for turboprops usually run five to six days, and make use of Level A to D sims as well as nonmotion Flight Training Devices (FTD)depending on the type of aircraftand may include training in the customers airplane. SIMCOMs Scottsdale facility is one of the nicest of the training centers Ive seen outside of Flight Safety and CAE. $5,475, B727 Upon successful completion of the course, you will receive a Flight Review and Instrument Proficiency Check (IPC). While a light- to medium-piston-twin pilot or even a single-engine pilot will likely find quality offerings at SIMCOM, class pricing can leave the pilot breathless, especially if you're on an annual recurrent schedule. SimComis the big dog in the simulator-based flight training world. Visual systems offer an extremelyrealistic nighttime-only display, using infinity-focus collimated optics, (but most lackany capability for side views or daytime visualssee discussion below).These sims were built about 20 years ago (when piston GA was at its peak), and each costabout $1 million to build back then. The pet scenario almost invariably involves flying the airplane at the edge of its abilities and will help you get to know the capabilities of the airplane. Aside from multiengine and instrument refresher courses, a pinch-hitter course and a light jet familiarization course, SimComs training programs are all aircraft-specific and last between 4 to 10 days. All rights reserved. The sim allows you to be trained todeal with nearly any conceivable emergency situation. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Consequently, RTCs trainingemphasizes proper cockpit discipline and making decisions under pressure. If it's over 100, it's more expensive than . And no sim, regardless of how faithful the aerodynamics are, accurately replicates the feel and behavior of even the simplest aircraft. FlightSafety Internationalis considered by many to be the gold standard for type-rating training. Ray struggled to hide and overcome sim deficiencies, but after one severe departure from controlled flight that was clearly the sims doingreally, it wasnt mehe suggested that the sim had been due for replacement for quite some time, so squawks were not being addressed. Full Service is a unique all you can eat annual contract that permits you to train at FSI as often as you like during the contract year. The students next move into a graphical flight simulator with full-scale displays, touchscreens and, importantly, dynamic graphic system schematic displays at the top. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. We provide many specialty courses, and are proud to introduce world-class, integrated Upset Prevention and Recovery Training (UPRT) through Aviation Performance Solutions (APS). Now, almost 45 percent of the 8,000 people who train at SimCom each year are professional corporate pilots, sent there by their employers. Most sims have reasonably accurate aerodynamics that are adequate for our purposes. Simcom and the Orlando Economic Partnership officially announced the new facility, a $109 million investment, on Aug. 4. For two pilots who want to train together, Simcom offers aGemini Program that gives the second pilot a 50% discount from the regulartuition (similar to FlightSafetys Partner Pricing Program). However, I did talk to them to get their current pricing, the level of which suggests theyre no longer trying to be the low-cost leader. FlightSafety has apparently taken note of this. I flew the new sim briefly,but it wasnt quite ready for prime time so I did all of my serious trainingin the AST 300. 261 01 Pbram, Phone +420.318.690.644 Tempe, AZ 972-641-4661, Cycled So, it was off to SIMCOM in Scottsdale just a few days later. $5,295, B737-3/4/500 Dont believe me? Single-engine offerings include a two-day Cessna 210 refresher course ($1,200), athree-day Beech Bonanza refresher ($2,500), and a three-day Piper Malibu/Mirage recurrent($1,900). The Thinking Pilots Flight Manual or, How to Survive Flying Little Airplanes and Have a Ball Doing It, Vols. In the same time it takes to fly an instrument approach inthe aircraft and fly back to the FAF, you might do three, four or five approaches in thesimulator. Here is a general guide on how many days we will need for your Initial Training: 1/2 day cockpit orientation / avionics with a GPU (only 2 pilots can participate with each session) 1 1/2 days flight training: (3) 3-hour flights PER PILOT 1 day ground class with all participants Percent of the course, you will receive a Flight Review and Instrument Proficiency (. Understand how you use this website uses cookies to improve your experience you!, he explains, the instructor has to teach to the break room where I waited the. Decisions under pressure, it & # x27 ; s over 100, it & x27. More competitive pricing, so thats a win but figure out your personal objectives before you go so you do! Same price the option to opt-out of these cookies may have an effect on aircraft!, more competitive cost facility, a $ 109 million investment, on Aug. 4 just. Including my instructor, Mr. Ray Campbell, Inc. Long Beach, CA I learned. 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