We provide many specialty courses, and are proud to introduce world-class, integrated Upset Prevention and Recovery Training (UPRT) through Aviation Performance Solutions (APS). So, it was off to SIMCOM in Scottsdale just a few days later. There the pilot can work through lots of malfunctions, practice lots of approaches, and make lots of mistakes; none are fatal. Headquartered in Orlando, Florida, SIMCOM is a privately owned learning institute that uses 'realistic' simulator-based training. SimCom is focusing, once again, on general aviation training. Initial and or Recurrent Training includes a combination of both training in the customers aircraft and in the visual-motion simulators. You will have the opportunity to gain knowledge and proficiency in normal and emergency procedures. Rates for SimCom training span a fairly broad price range, since a Piper Seneca FTD costs significantly less than a Hawker 800 full-motion simulator, but daily course rates run between $620 and $2,200. You cant afford to be sitting around and doing nothing during time youve set aside for training. 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. FlightSafety Internationalis considered by many to be the gold standard for type-rating training. There we quickly completed the necessary paperwork and I paid for the course. Simcom decided to stay in Orlando because of Lake Nona's developing town . Lets be honest. 2056 Palomar Airport Road Until then, Id not recommend this program. At the most basic level, moving up from a piston single may require additional training and endorsements and/or checkrides to comply with the FARs applicable to the new machine and the pilot. The value proposition for SimCom since the beginning, he says, was to give customers value, customized training, and a friendly atmosphere. I found it extremely useful. 40 hours per week 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. When you train in your actual aircraft, youre polishing every aspect of your proficiency, from buttonology on your equipment to handling the bird in those edge cases your CFI just loves to throw at you. Flying may receive financial compensation for products purchased through this site. After nearly ten years of training at FlightSafety, I decided to try SimCom for achange of pace, and have gone through two semiannual recurrent training cycles at SimComsScottsdale facility. I can tell you fromfirsthand experience that after two hours in the box, youre ready for a long break and atall beer! 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. 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. But Imabsolutely convinced that its well worth the cost. Another example: its one thing for an instructor to slap a No-Peekie over the attitudeindicator, and quite another for the horizon to gradually develop the leansand then subsequently start thrashing around to the point of distraction. 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. You and your instructor dont waste valuable time in taxiingout, waiting for an ATC release, or flying to the practice area or to an airport where thedesired approach is available. I stayed calm through the whole thing and got the engine secured, landed, and saved the lives of my passengers. Aircraft Simulator Training in Santa Rosa, CA, advertises in my type-club magazine and I decided to give them a try. If you like, go finish it off with some time in the real airplane to polish your buttonology and aircraft-specific procedures. 60 weeks, Crew Upon successful completion of the course, you will receive a Flight Review and Instrument Proficiency Check (IPC). Thereare also a number of alternative pricing plans for pilots who train regularly with FSI: Until about ten years ago, FlightSafety was pretty much the only game in town forprofessional-caliber simulator-based recurrent training for piston-powered aircraft.Thats no longer true, but FSI is still the dominant presence in the industry, and setsthe benchmark by which other training organizations are measured. Anon-sim-trained pilot may have logged lots of partial panel instruction, yet be entirelyunprepared to cope with an actual gyro failure that presents itself not with a bang but awhimper. 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. Civil aviation and defence training services provider CAE has acquired a 50% stake in SIMCOM Holdings for $85m. 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. Unlike FlightSafety,Simcoms core business is piston and low-end turbine training for owner-flown aircraft.Originally, Simcom offered training only at one location Orlando, Florida but in1996 they opened a second training facility at Scottsdale, Arizona. A one-location, three-sim training operation in Champaign, Illinois, RTC offers alow-cost, no-frills approach to simulator-based recurrent training at prices sharply belowthose charged by its higher-priced competitors. SimComs trainingalso included circling approaches under low-visibility conditions. The sim allows you to be trained todeal with nearly any conceivable emergency situation. week NOTE: In 1998, FlightSafety introduced a new Operational Recurrentcourse in its Cessna 300/400 program that offers a similar LOFT emphasis. Give us a call: (866)-238-4468 or www.simulator.com. (They also offer turboproptraining for the Beech King Air, Piper Cheyenne, and Pilatus PC-12.) With the advent of relatively inexpensive simulators that meet the FAAs requirement for an Aviation Training Device (ATD)the most basic simulator for which time can be credited toward a rating and recency of instrument experienceany training organization for stepping up to a piston twin, turboprop or jet worth its salt should have an ATD level sim that reasonably duplicates the airplane youre going to be flying. 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. 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. SimCom also has obtained FAA approval for a Citation single-pilot course/type rating thats conducted entirely in one of the companys simulators. It now operates at five facilities in three different locations Orlando; Vero Beach, Florida; and Scottsdale, Arizona (as well as a simulator facility in Kirmington, England, that offers Jetstream 41 and Dornier 328 training only). Rick is an active CFII and holds an ATP with type ratings in the Douglas DC-3 and Cessna Citation. 775-827-6568, Advanced Childs Associates LP, although David is still president and CEO. 602-454-1400, B 737 For example, when I attended this training I was confident in my instrument procedures and aircraft systems knowledge. Type Rating 36th Street But, thats an exception. November 2018 Killer Quiz: Emergency Procedures. 702-293-7038, Community College of Southern Nevada Its unclear why FlightSafety charges so much more for a Bonanza course than fora Cessna 210 course. A good measure of a training event is if the student would willingly repeat it and recommend it to others. B 737 Program B Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. $7,750, Open Destinations outside of this boundary run an additional $1.25 per mile. Finding none, attend with high expectations that will likely be met. Fax +420.318 690.645 Carlsbad, CA So, being a newly minted math whiz, I compared the cost of the two leading providers of sim training-Flight Safety and SimCom-and made the decision purely on price. We toured FSIs HondaJet training facility, one we think reflects its overall approach to training. 303-941-8204, Private 1201 Airport Road 2056 Palomar Airport Road Themost difficult parts of doing this in a single-pilot cockpit scanning between thegauges and the windshield and deciding whether or not adequate visual references areavailable to make the landing are never practiced at all. Mine was apparently a minority opinion, however, because FSIs Cessna300/400 business at Long Beach doubled within a few months of the time they added motionto the sim. 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. Thus, their pricing no longer seemed "breathtaking" as I'd previously described it. Other situations that we do try to practice in the aircraft can beaccomplished only in very unrealistic ways. The firm hosted a Dec. 8 groundbreaking ceremony on its 90,000-square-foot . You can expect to save at least 10% or 15% on your annualpremiummore if youre a low-time pilot. For pilots who trainregularly, alternating between the type-specific recurrent and the instrument recurrentcourses provides a well-rounded program. The company has also recently introduced a new Pilatus PC-12 New Generation simulator, a Socata TBM 850 simulator with a Garmin G1000 panel, and will offer a King Air 350 simulator with Collins Pro Line 21 avionics by later this summer. A full-service student can also train for a second aircraft type at no extra cost, and can take maintenance training or any of a variety of ancillary special-subject courses, all at no extra cost. Cessna 300/400 training is also available at FSIsfacility in Long Beach, California. 261 01 Pbram, Phone +420.318.690.644 As a side note, weve found Level D sims are able to remarkably, realistically duplicate flight operations and are possessed of superb displays. 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. PO Box 6692 For those 30 years, each of dozens of mechanics had missed it, many multiple times. $8,000, Pacific Copyright 2022 SIMCOM Aviation Training. The reality is that just complying with the FARs will not be enough for your insurance companyit will require that you go through training at a program it approves, and most of those are simulator-based, something we applaud. FSI has long tailored its training to fit the studentand provides mentor pilots to support owners after they complete training. (I was early.). For pilots with at least a few hundred hours in similar airplanes, a simulator-only program is, in our opinion, perfectly satisfactory. We covered everything, but focused on the areas Id selected. 2722 Perimeter Road, Suite 107 Weve chosen the best, most knowledgeable, professional training organizations as Piper Authorized Training Providers, for your initial training, recurrent training, and other specialized training as it relates to your new Piper! We graded it only to define where we needed to review. All Rights Reserved. 2 weeks, K & S $5,295, B737-3/4/500 accident rateduring low-viz approaches, particularly at night, is a testament to the inadequacy of ourtraining. Thats amazing.. Flight training can be accomplished in aircraft or in our simulator at one of our training locations. Virginia Gardens, FL SIMCOM offers training on the following PC-12 Series models: Location:Orlando Lee Vista Training Center, Scottsdale Training Center. Theyve closed the Champagne, IL facility, the closest to me, and I had no interest in going to Tampa. My advice to prospective SIMCOM clients would be to ask about the sim youd use, ask its age and origin. 800-441-5387, Flight Control Academy 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). Belvoir Media Group, LLC. The physical faithfulness of the sim allowed us to nicely review various procedures, which was quite valuable. Promotion Details I needed to renew my instrument currency anyway, and the opportunity to flyFlightSafetys full-motion full-vision twin-Cessna simulator sounded exciting. Previous Experience So, it makes sense to train in the aircraft youll fly. $1,995, Aeroservice Aviation Training Center But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. Helicopter Company 1 & 2. Simcom was founded about a decade ago to provide alower-cost alternative to FlightSafety for piston twin pilots. You have entered an incorrect email address! A mechanic I trust once told me that its a good idea to take your aircraft to a different shop for the annual once in a while. 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). Except, about five years ago, my mechanic found that a cable was misrouted through one of the guide pulleys. 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. 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. Then, theres training. Upon successful completion of the course, you will receive a flight review through the FAA Wings Program. Copyright 2023 Flying Media. 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. I had no idea just how poorly my previous in-aircrafttraining had been in preparing me to handle real-life emergencies. Dec 9, 2021. A cost of living index allows you to compare what it costs to live in one place against another, revealing how far your money will go in different areas. SIMCOMs Scottsdale facility is one of the nicest of the training centers Ive seen outside of Flight Safety and CAE. The students next move into a graphical flight simulator with full-scale displays, touchscreens and, importantly, dynamic graphic system schematic displays at the top. Flying Lessons: Forgotten Adventure in Real Time, Flying Lessons: Connor and Lanes Big Adventure. When a fuel valve is moved, the display depicts just what that action has done within the fuel system. They were more competitive on their pricing ($2690 for a two-day recurrentabout the same as RTC) and they could fit my schedule. 700 Wyoming Ferris State University Online Application. In addition to the type-specific courses, FlightSafety offers three genericinstrument refresher courses that concentrate on instrument flying subjects (weather,chart reading, ATC procedures, etc.) Most instructors at facilities like RTC and SIMCOM are retired been-there-done-that pros, including my instructor, Mr. Ray Campbell. Now, theres no way that could have happened in use; it had to have been done on installation. 4330 Donald Douglas Drive A simulator also provides a far more efficient trainingenvironment than an aircraft. What If I Hit an Animal with My Airplane? Consequently, its a good idea to mix it up occasionally. So, I looked elsewhere. TheChampaign training facility is housed in an off-airport storefront building that RTCshares with a travel agency, and is functional but hardly plush. Boulder City 305-871-5557, B737 Kingwood, TX A sim that had been working properly would have provided a more complete and rewarding training experience. 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. 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. That tells us that the procedures learned in the sim are directly transferable, even if the sim isnt a faithful replica of what you fly. A multiengine recurrent course usually takes three fulldays and costs $3,100 for Beech Baron/Duke, $3,000 for Cessna 300/400, and $2,700 forPiper twins. SIMCOM has restructured its pricing. 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. Airshow legend and three-time national aerobatic champion Patty Wagstaff can teach any pilot a thing or two about upset recovery in her Extra 300L classroom, and has now paired with simulation specialist SIMCOM Aviation Training. Being a solo student, I met with my instructor in an office. The idea is to move into flight scenarios early. The size and number of SimCom facilities, however, has expanded. I skipped Recurrent Training Center (RTC). And that, David realized, could dramatically lower the cost of simulator training opening up the option of simulator-based training to many more pilots and owners. (PIC Initial) Orlando is the companys main headquarters and training location. In an airplane, how many approaches can you fly in an hour? We think anything less than that is a deal breaker. This is a reasonable compromise.). Sign Up; Log In; Sign Up First Name Last Name Email Address Trust me, the real airplane wont do that. 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. Ive flown 10 in an hour in a sim; just put yourself out on a five-mile final and try it again. In addition to getting a ballpark estimate for the cost to insure a used King Air, Citation Mustang or new HondaJet, one of the first things the prospective owner will hear from the broker is that any insurer is going to require upgrade training at a facility approved by the insurer. The training facility should have a viable plan B that is satisfactory to you and be willing to use it. As Pilatus's ingenuity paves the way in the single engine Rating $5,500, Pan Am Aviation Plan on spending a bare minimum of $4000 for piston-twin upgrade training. Dr. Brent Blue commented on his transition into a Cessna 340: My insurance required 10 hours of dual, then simulator-based transition training. Nevertheless, it is not a one size fits all affair. (FSI alsooperates a Mooney Learning Center in San Antonio, Texas, but no simulator training isavailable for Mooneys.). But, is that bad? 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. Lets look at some. The instructors and material are first rateanother win. 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. But figure out your personal objectives before you go so you can share those with the instructor to make sure thats what you get. 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. Our take on the matter is that a training customer is paying big money for good instruction and the training organization should be preparedand willingto smoothly change instructors if a customer runs into a problem. 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. So Idecided to do it. This provided a comfortable informal setting that persisted for the day and a half I was there. Legacy Flight Training LLC is an Authorized Training Provider for the M350, M500 and is the exclusive Authorized Training Provider for the M600. The dismal G.A. If you get confused or make a mistake, the instructor can freezethe sim and discuss the situation with you, or even back up a few miles and let you tryagain. I was then shown to the break room where I waited for the instructor. Each day of the course normally includes three hours of classroominstruction, a half-hour of pre-sim briefing, two hours in the simulator, and a half-hourof post-sim debriefing. Dont believe me? 520-918-7100, Lear Jet Readers should take note of the original publish date for each article. 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. We got some unpleasant stories from users on the broken sim issue. Eachoffers a completely faithful duplicate of the aircraft cockpit, because each is built fromthe actual cockpit of a wrecked aircraft, with all the instruments and controlseviscerated and replaced by servos. 520-670-9583, Aircraft Dispatcher (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.). 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.

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