FlyChicaga
Vintage Restoration
...is the hat that says "737 Type Rated" from Higher Power Aviation. Yesterday I passed my rating ride for my Boeing 737 type! I'm pretty excited. With getting my ATP and my B737 type within a year, I feel like I've really accomplished something. The "hat" I speak of is a gift we receive after completing the type, and in the halls of Higher Power you'll see pictures of that hat making its way around the world.
If anyone else is considering on getting the type rating at some point, I really want to give my recommendation to get it at Higher Power. I had considered going to some other schools that were cheaper and required less time for training, but I finally made my decision to go to HPA in Dallas. It was definitely a good choice! Not only was the training excellent, but the people there are absolutely top notch. It's like the entire training center is a family.
I'm sure the training could be condensed, but who would want to when you take the time to hear the straight dope from Lindsey Lang at Southwest Airlines People Department, or take a trip to the ballpark in Arlington to have a lunch overlooking the field? Our ground school instructor took the time to really make sure we knew the systems of the Boeing 737-200, and understood them. Then our sim instructor, with 24,000 hours of experience flying the B-58 Hustler, B727, B737, and so on, helped us tweak our flying skills in the challenging -200 sim. Most of the instructors there are ex-Braniff pilots, and they really have some great experience and stories.
I'm sure I'll keep in touch with my fellow classmates there, because every single one of them were great guys. It was about a 50/50 split between civilian and military. In my ground school class, we even had a pilot from Nigeria and another from Japan.
Like I said, if you are considering the type rating, definitely consider Higher Power. I'm not giving out this recommendation because they asked me to; I am giving it because it is nice to know that when you are spending a large sum of money for training, you are treated like a part of the family. They want you to actually learn the airplane.
PS: In the halls, there are pictures of all the classes that have gone through training. Each class picks a "theme," and we give that theme picture to Southwest Airlines. Our class theme was "Over The Hedge," so if you find yourself in the halls, look for Hammy. I'm hanging off the shopping cart airplane, going over the hedge...
If anyone else is considering on getting the type rating at some point, I really want to give my recommendation to get it at Higher Power. I had considered going to some other schools that were cheaper and required less time for training, but I finally made my decision to go to HPA in Dallas. It was definitely a good choice! Not only was the training excellent, but the people there are absolutely top notch. It's like the entire training center is a family.
I'm sure the training could be condensed, but who would want to when you take the time to hear the straight dope from Lindsey Lang at Southwest Airlines People Department, or take a trip to the ballpark in Arlington to have a lunch overlooking the field? Our ground school instructor took the time to really make sure we knew the systems of the Boeing 737-200, and understood them. Then our sim instructor, with 24,000 hours of experience flying the B-58 Hustler, B727, B737, and so on, helped us tweak our flying skills in the challenging -200 sim. Most of the instructors there are ex-Braniff pilots, and they really have some great experience and stories.
I'm sure I'll keep in touch with my fellow classmates there, because every single one of them were great guys. It was about a 50/50 split between civilian and military. In my ground school class, we even had a pilot from Nigeria and another from Japan.
Like I said, if you are considering the type rating, definitely consider Higher Power. I'm not giving out this recommendation because they asked me to; I am giving it because it is nice to know that when you are spending a large sum of money for training, you are treated like a part of the family. They want you to actually learn the airplane.
PS: In the halls, there are pictures of all the classes that have gone through training. Each class picks a "theme," and we give that theme picture to Southwest Airlines. Our class theme was "Over The Hedge," so if you find yourself in the halls, look for Hammy. I'm hanging off the shopping cart airplane, going over the hedge...
SWA here you come! Well, when they start interviewing again. 
anic:
