SimCom MCO experience... how was yours?
- Thread starter kiloalpha
- Start date
nocturnalaviator
AI Jedi
I did Simcom DFW for C441 initial. My instructor was excellent! Years of experience some great COA stories I prefer to be taught by the gray haired types. One word of caution, traffic there is ridic, but it's Dallas...
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Soul Brotha'
Off to go do Black guy stuff
So, who's up for an interesting night in Orlando?
Guidetothesky
Well-Known Member
Sim Com has grown a lot over the years. I think they do a great job.
kiloalpha
Well-Known Member
Hmmm... this is my concern. This is the aircraft I'm going for. When did you do your training there?
skydisaster
Well-Known Member
Over the last 10 years, I have been to SimCom Orlando for BE58 initial, C414 initial, King Air 200 initial, and PC-12 initial. I have also done PC12 initial at Scottsdale. SimCom has been hit or miss for me. Scottsdale was horrible instructor and sim. For Orlando to me it came down to the instructor. One was great, two were better than average, and one was horrible. I thought the process was good overall, and I like there approach. However, I believe that their teaching media is starting to show its age, and many of their simulators are getting very tired. The programs are also geared toward an owner pilot. A 6 day PC12 course could easily be done in 4 days for a professional pilot.
MikeOH58
Well-Known Member
May/June 2011. Unfortunately you are SOL as I don't know of any other Part 142 training on the TBM in the States. Here's what my problems with the program were. 1- Use of the "N" word multiple times like I was a good ole' boy because I was friendly with the instructor. I regret not speaking up and telling him to STFU. 2- "Most" people training on the TBM are owner operators. The instructor saw me as a professional pilot and states it was a breath of fresh air. Because I was a professional pilot and had multiple turbine training at other Part 142 centers prior to this, he thought it was fine to breeze through systems. A pt6 is a pt6 i guess?
nocturnalaviator
AI Jedi
Yes I second that for the quizzle (conquest) systems was gone through fairly quickly although the IP did he best to explain and review any questions I had. The biggest thing that concerned me, and and maybe you can attest to or not was the publishing of their emergency checklist. The checklist I was given was all normal procedures. I queried the IP as to where the emergency checklist was. IP shut the door, and gave me his FSI emergency check and said here use this, they don't publish it because they don't want to scare the owner operator types away from this airplane but you can bet your ass we will cover it and they better be scared. IP was also relieved he had someone who was sharp and IFR proficient. Lots of owner operator types walk through the doors I guess.
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auw2fly
Goldmember
I'm headed there next week for TBM 850 training. I've heard they've made a lot of changes recently due to a string of fatal accidents, but as far as I can tell the only thing they changed was the addition of a "checkride" on day 6. I must say I'm a little skeptical of what it's going to be like, especially after what has been said in this thread, and the fact that I've only ever been to SimuFlite before this.
kiloalpha
Well-Known Member
They actually did make some changes due to the fact there were some recent (and stupid pilot error) accidents. My instructor was Jerry Chipman, a former U-2 pilot. He definitely knew his stuff. We did 5 days of classroom and sim (FTD) instruction, 1 day was in the actual airplane, provided you brought your own (I rode in the back since I didn't have mine,) and on the last day, was a check ride/oral exam similar to a 135 check ride. If you don't have G1000 experience, there is a 2-day course prior to the main classroom course.
ctab5060X
Well-Known Member
How long are you going to be in the MCO area?
Anand
Member
I went to the Scottsdale location for a high altitude endorsement. They are basically the only gig in town for it (except for Falcon Field which incorrectly requires (depending on who you speak to at the moment) a ME rating to do it in the King Air-you don't have to be PIC for the endorsement). That being said I had a great experience. I will say, at least my experience, it was very geared to owner/operator which I am. I did have to do it in the old CE500 sim because the Mustang wasn't fully operational just yet, but my instructor Peter was great. He taught me a lot of real world scenarios plus just a bunch of knowledge he gained from flying through the years (even just flight planning advice on routes to CA to minimize turbulence and avoid ATC delays). As an owner/operator I obviously don't fly as much as professionals and I found the instruction, and general aviation advice to be very helpful. I am a physician so a lot of the knowledge stuff was second nature and they didn't waste time with me covering that. Even though the CE500 sim is old I still had a great time and found it to be pretty useful. We even shot the Canarsie approach into KJFK during the high altitude training because I noticed the lead lights while descending during the training,and we had extra time to kill. I can't speak for professional pilots but I can say if you aren't and need training they are great!