Buck Rogers

I have seen the whole gamut of training....2 weeks of ground school with an FAA oral that started with...”You are an air molecule that gets sucked into an engine, take me through the airways and all the possible routing through the packs, what you can power etc”..... at the time I thought this is dumber than dirt.

Now the systems is so dumbed down you know next to nothing when you finish.

I’ll take the new way....not because it is easier, but because they pay us to be pilots in the air and on the ground....NOT MECHANICS. The FAA procedures have changed and now you have to bring dispatch/Mx into the loop(on the ground). They want you to follow the checklists/ECAM actions...not trouble shoot. So guys that “think” they understand systems knowledge and John Wayne it, invariably get themselves into trouble....... if you have a no sh!!ter...they expect you to be a pilot..ie stall....break the stall...flock of birds over the Hudson?....do some of that pilot shiznit.

If you want more info...that’s up to you...nobody is stopping you for increased knowledge...but it’s up to you. We are pilots...not test pilots! On another thread they were talking about how guys don’t even want to watch the e-briefs...such is life. Over-achiever/underachiever? You get to decide.

JMHO

Now back to the regular scheduled program....CLASS DROPS

CBreezy

If you have a competitive resume, it'll be obvious who is qualified.

And honestly, we need a few less motivated people here who aren't so eager to fix Management's problems for them.

Crown

I'm with you. I probably spent 80% of my studying for the interview just on the JKT. Granted I felt like I didn't fail the thing, but still...knocked me on my you know what.

At my regional, the oral exams were brutal. Say "push" instead of "press" for a memory item and you'd then be asked every autopilot limitation. It was brutal. Delta's training? Awesome!

notEnuf

I managed to make it through pay for training in a Brasilia at 24, that was more challenging than any airline job knowledge/interview after. My 10 regional years were more experience than my now 14 years at a major/LCC. If you have been a regional PIC for 1000 hours, you know the job.

TegridyFarms

I did go through more than 4 years ago and I didn’t have issues. However ~6 years on property and I am sitting on a layover right now teaching myself a new airplane. Doing LMS as I type this. This is my first training event outside of NH training. Not saying I support the job knowledge test, I was just saying this whole thing of “here’s a bunch of stuff pushed to your iPad that you know nothing about….Learn it and show up in 4 weeks and pass the test” is similar to the BS I had to do with that job knowledge test.

CBreezy

I mean, except one is directly related to your job and the other a complete waste of time. Give me a 717IQ and tell me to show up to my interview ready to take the test and we can talk.

Redbird611

I tend to think there should be enough systems comprehension to know why the checklist/ECAM is telling you to do something. Nobody should attempt to "John Wayne it" with systems knowledge, but if you understand why you're flipping a switch it can help prevent errors and keep you out of trouble. In a no-****, no-time, multiple failure emergency that isn't in the QRH, good systems knowledge might help you accomplish some of that pilot shiznit. We don't need engineer level knowledge, but I do wonder if we've dumbed it down a little too much.

notEnuf

If you never had to do a single molecule through the system explanation you may be lacking in a general sense of how a fuel or pneumatic system works but a pack is a pack and an engine is an engine. I can't tell you exeacly how many valve are between the high pressure bleed and the out flow valve but I know there are some and the purpose is protecting the sytem and guiding the air where you want it. Also, some I have absolutely no control over and some I use every day. We would get more benefit from immediate action cards with memory items on them. When the stuff hits is no time to try to remember sequence and nomenclature. Read and do. Period. If its not OK to use the everyday checklist by memory wtf are we thinking for critical situations? Checklist discipline... unless your life is on the line.

I still keep the 737 stab trim runaway hard copy in my bag for that 5th leg of the day or Vegas redeye.

Drum

I went thru more than 4 years ago.

I didn't mind the prep. JKT and COG - just prep - easy. Cost benefit analysis it was easy decision - prep.

Hardest question I was asked in the interview: "Given your credentials, why are you applying to us and not to say some test program at <insert major aerospace company name here>"

Luckily EC had prepped me for such a question and I had given it some considerable thought. I simply answered honestly.

We don't have a dog in the hiring fight, that is on the kompany, not us.

Back to regularly sched programming....did the 22 Jun class make it to the SL for July? I only went up like 30 numbers. Which is typical for just retirement attrition.

Gone Flying

yes. 22 June and 6 July class are on the seniority list