TheChampaign training facility is housed in an off-airport storefront building that RTCshares with a travel agency, and is functional but hardly plush. But, is that bad? 800-441-5387, Flight Control Academy 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. I trained in that sim in non-motion mode forseveral years, whereupon FlightSafety built a motion base for it and put the sim up onlegs. Flight training can be accomplished in aircraft or in our simulator at one of our training locations. 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. Flying around the Statue of Liberty and then landing on the 700-foot-long Manhattan Heliport in a jet may sound silly to talk about, but when you do it and discover that you are getting to know the airplane well enough that you can pull it off, youll have made great strides to becoming one with your new flying machine. Initial Type Rating $9,875 This is the sort of training that the airlines call LOFT (Line-Oriented FlightTraining), and is a significant departure from the sort of recurrent training offered byFlightSafety or Simcom. But, I checked with them and found a somewhat different attitude. We think that is important during upgrade training so that the pilot can take advantage of primacy in learning and more readily transfer what is learned in the simulator to the airplane to be flown. Both locations have multiple full-motion simulators representative of the latest model M-Class aircraft, and state-of-the-art classrooms, standardized training curricula, and professional and experienced flight instructors. We provide many specialty courses, and are proud to introduce world-class, integrated Upset Prevention and Recovery Training (UPRT) through Aviation Performance Solutions (APS). Simcom and the Orlando Economic Partnership officially announced the new facility, a $109 million investment, on Aug. 4. Finally, theres cost. instead of aircraft-specific systems knowledge. All rights reserved. But that wasnt the only feature that set SimCom apart. I thought I was pretty competent after the dual until I got into the sim. The single-engine sims are less than 10 years old, and have electriccontrol loading and no motion. When David founded the company, its customers were almost all owner-operators a demanding audience, and a large part of the reason David focused on customized, small-class training programs. Knowing how the systems work and how to troubleshoot them helps isolate problems for the A&P.. One big reason we go to recurrent training is because of the insurance mandate. You startout by studying a printed weather briefing, reviewing the applicable approach and enroutecharts, and then climbing into the sim and flying the trip. I had no idea just how poorly my previous in-aircrafttraining had been in preparing me to handle real-life emergencies. Until youve gone through serious simulator-based training, its hard to appreciatejust what a poor training platform your aircraft is. 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. Virginia Gardens, FL Its a bit more difficult to fly anon-motion sim (because you receive fewer cues), but one could argue that this results ingreater pilot proficiency rather than less. The idea is to move into flight scenarios early. Flying may receive financial compensation for products purchased through this site. 3814 Curtis Parkway There we quickly completed the necessary paperwork and I paid for the course. I went around and landed. The list goes on. Stalls, slow flight, missed approaches and especially engine cuts can generatea lot of wear and tear on the equipment. While thought of as primarily catering to the professional pilot world, it aggressively markets to owner pilots, especially for smaller jets such as the Cessna CJ series and the HondaJet. $7,750, Open Previous Experience 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. Simulator aerodynamic fidelity ranges from unrealistic and horrible, to decent, but it never hits exact, even in airline Level D sims. Obviously, regaining slipping proficiency is one common goal. Being a solo student, I met with my instructor in an office. Since then, Ive returned for regular sim training every six months. To the extent practical, SIMCOM schedules its training on client demand. 19540 International Blvd, Suite 200 In January 1999 it was acquired by the investment firm J.W. A good recurrent training curriculum will cover all of these. Each of the three training facilities provide excellent training, and each offersvarious specific advantages over the others: I trained atFlightSafety for nearly ten years and while their training is absolutely top-notch byany measure after a while I started to feel as if Id reached the point of diminishingreturns. Type Rating But, thats an exception. Drsov 201 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. 305-874-6000, A320 Type Rating Like the initial course you will receive systems training and simulator training but with reduced hours reflecting your experience other PC-12 Series aircraft. Are COVID Vaccines Injuring Pilots? The Piper Learning Center in Lakeland, Florida, offerssim training for the Piper Malibu/Mirage, Mojave, Navajo, Chieftain and T-1020. My motivation was the usual one: insurance.Despite the fact that I had 180 hours in type, 4,000 hours total, and 23 years ofaccident-free flying behind me, I was having a heck of a time finding aircraft insuranceat reasonable rates. Form your own conclusion from that. I always found their training to be excellent, but their focus seemed to be on jets and turboprops with an Oh, yeah, we also have some piston training if thats really what you want attitude that was disconcerting. Now, theres no way that could have happened in use; it had to have been done on installation. The facilities we spoke with said that they train to proficiency so the cost, simulator time and course time is subject to revision upward based on the ability of the pilot to meet the course standards. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. 2080 Phillips Lane Our experience and comments from aircraft owners and training facilities were consistent: If a pilot does not show up multi-engine and instrument current and comfortable and willing to single-mindedly work on the course, he or she will have difficulty completing the course in the basic time allotted. $5,995, Air Excel By clicking Accept, you consent to the use of ALL cookies. Lets look at some. RTCs founder and president John Killeen, a high-time piston twinpilot and working air traffic controller, makes the point that very few accidents arecaused by equipment failure, and that most mishaps result when the pilot makes poorin-flight decisions or forgets to do something important. 2 weeks A simulator also provides a far more efficient trainingenvironment than an aircraft. What an eye-opener! Any owner with the financial wherewithal to step into the world of aircraft with engines that go whoosh is smart enough to immediately talk the idea over with his or her insurance broker. 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). The Cessna Learning Center (also in Wichita) offers sim training for the Cessna210, 310, 340, 402, 404, 414 and 421. The annual cost is about 60% higher than the One Time tuition, and the minimum contract period is two years. FlightSafety has apparently taken note of this. Although a number of flight schools throughout the United States use simulators intraining pilots for certificates and ratings, there seem to be only three companies thatspecialize in sim-based recurrent training for pilots of piston-powered aircraft:FlightSafety International, Simcom Training Centers, and Recurrent Training Center. Volume Incentive Plan enables a customer to purchase multiple prepaid VIP Certificates at a discount rate, each redeemable for one course tuition. 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. If youve been to the same facility for the last few years, or worse, used the same local instructor, look elsewhere occasionally for a broader base of experience. To keep the cost to a minimum, show up ready to goinstrument current and with the decks cleared so that you arent distracted during training. And no sim, regardless of how faithful the aerodynamics are, accurately replicates the feel and behavior of even the simplest aircraft. Most instructors at facilities like RTC and SIMCOM are retired been-there-done-that pros, including my instructor, Mr. Ray Campbell. However, archived articles are not reviewed for accuracy following various changes in industry procedures and practices, FAA guidance or regulations. SimComs prices are at least 25% lower than FlightSafetys. The old expression goes, Train like you fly and fly like you train. That seems to say you should train in your aircraft. 31/31A Pilot Initial $10,495, West Air Aviation Myconclusion is that if cost and distance were no object, the best possible trainingstrategy might well be to rotate among the three firms in order to obtain the best thateach one has to offer. Naturally, the flight nevergoes as planned, and you are confronted with various challenges: unforecast weather,aircraft failures, navaid outages, runway changes, ATC delays, etc. 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. Those things havent changed, and I dont expect them to change in the future., What has changed, according to David, is the technology both the complexity of the avionics in the planes, and the technology SimCom uses to deliver its product. 60 weeks, Crew The value proposition for SimCom since the beginning, he says, was to give customers value, customized training, and a friendly atmosphere. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. The price goes up from there based on the type of aircraft involved and the amount of training you require to reach proficiencywhich may include a mentor pilot flying with you for some hours following the formal training course. The Charter Township of Commerce subsidizes the cost of transportation for its residents through People's Express. 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. In each case, I came away with something different and valuable. Cause failures you just cant (or shouldnt) duplicate in the airplane. What could have been a very difficult situation was not an issue at all. Centennial, CO About SIMCOM. Cessna 300/400 training is also available at FSIsfacility in Long Beach, California. This website uses cookies to enhance your experience. We got some unpleasant stories from users on the broken sim issue. The sim allows you to be trained todeal with nearly any conceivable emergency situation. The physical faithfulness of the sim allowed us to nicely review various procedures, which was quite valuable. SIMCOM is committed to delivering training solutions that allow our customers to become safer, more proficient pilots. If it's over 100, it's more expensive than . The system displays show what is going on as the pilot works through normal, abnormal and emergency operations of the various systems. TO SCHEDULE YOUR TRAINING, OR FOR MORE INFORMATION. An all-new Level 6 Flight Training Device for Pilatus' PC-12 NGX has received the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) National Simulator Programme approval for training flight crews of Pilatus' latest iteration of its popular single-engine turboprop. Nevertheless, it is not a one size fits all affair. Simulator-Based Recurrent Training for Piston Singles and Twins, Crew-6 Launch Scrubbed For Ground Systems Issue, Joby Wraps Up Second Stage Of FAA Certification Process, The Drip, Drip Of Bad Publicity About 100LL. Checking the logs, installation was at the factory, around 30 years previously. This particular sim, however, was simply not acceptable. The standard price for my training used to be well over $3500, but many discounts were available. Rick is an active CFII and holds an ATP with type ratings in the Douglas DC-3 and Cessna Citation. Carlsbad, CA However, if youre looking to duplicate any particular aircraft, you might get close, but you wont get exact. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); WORLD'S PREMIER INDEPENDENT AVIATION NEWS RESOURCE. Your sim instructorevaluates how you deal with these problems, and points out areas in which yourdecision-making and contingency planning and use of available resources might have beenbetter. (PIC Initial) SIMCOMs PC-12 recurrent courses give you the opportunity to practice normal and emergency procedures using realistic scenario based training. SimComs trainingalso included circling approaches under low-visibility conditions. 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