vtailpilot

I am wanting to try to get a regional job someday and was wondering if anyone could tell me what the initial training is like? I'm changing careers, been in healthcare for last 8 years but have been flying for 12 years since I was 16. Will it be hard for someone who has a bonanza and always flown for pleasure to learn a new plane and systems? Just curious so I don't make a fool of myself. Thanks for any help and sorry if its a dumb question

rickair7777

It all depends on you and what your background is...

There are two parts, classroom and simulator.

Classroom: This is challenging for most people because there is a lot of material crammed into a short period of time. It is commonly referred to as "Drinking from the Firehouse". If you are an MD or an engineer it will be no big deal since you have already seen fast-paced academics. If you are older than 40 and have been out of school for a while, expect to have more trouble with rote memorization than the kids. If you have no turbine experience, read the Turbine Pilot's Flight Manual.

Simulator: You will need to be totally comfortable with IFR procedures and regulations, and you want to have a good scan. A level D sim will be so different from a GA airplane that I would suggest getting IFR current in your bonanza, then just practice on MS Flight sim to keep your scan and procedures tight. You will be doing a lot of unusual maneuvers...assuming that you have been out of training for a while, you might want to hire a CFI and go do some maneuvers and stalls to get your feel back.

The biggest factor is usually attitude and work ethic, that will see most people through. The typical airline program has about a 10% fail rate for new hires, and most of those are attitude, not aptitude, problems.

Be advised that regional interviews are geared for CFI-level knowledge. A recreational flyer will need to really bone up for the interview. They will be slightly suspicious of you anyway, because you have no professional experience.

HercDriver130

We had one guy in my new hire class when I was at S5 on the E170 who had aobut 1400 hours but NO professional flying. All of his flying was in his personal plane and what multi he had bought over the years. He had NO problem with academics.... but never ever ever caught up with the "speed" of things in the sim....... he was never recommended for his check ride.

vtailpilot

Thanks for the info and I was also wondering about the suspicious part myself but why would that raise a flag when most new hires at a regional haven't had any professional experience either. I do have my CFI, CFI-I and MEI just not been a full time instructor just mainly family and a few friends from college so I do have some record of students just not as many as a CFI at a fbo would have. The simulator thing was what has concerned me also, I've never been around the sims much except FSX and the cheap certified one that isn't much different than FSX in my opinion but either way sitting in a desk chair just doesn't have the feeling I need is what I think because I can do the IFR procedures and follow the needles on the sim but I couldn't land a kite if I had to on those. One guy told me that one airline he worked for used the cheap desk computer sim and the other put him in an actual sim. Are there much differences in the sims or should I just start practicing with a sim and is FSX ok for cheap practice or do I need to rent some sim time at a flight school on the certified sim. I'm just lost when it comes to sims and any suggestions to help with the suspicious part. Thanks again for the advice

avschulz

I'd agree with the theme of the previous posts. It's all about quality of time, not necesarilly quantity of time. When I went to my second airline(furloughed from the first), I still had just under 900 hours of total time, about 200 of that was in a professional 121 operation. I breezed through the academics and the sim, having gotten used to the "speed" of things. My sim partner on the other hand, had over 2000 hours of total time, but less multi. He just couldn't keep up with the speed of things happening, the glass cockpit, or how to manage the automation of a RJ. He consequently never took the checkride, and I had someone else with me on my check, because I didn't even want him in the same sim as me. Nice guy, just couldn't hack it.

avschulz

as for the sim...I would go rent some time, even if it's just a low tech frasca 141/142. I'd have an instructor there as well so they can really turn up the pressure on you and get your mind sharp and ready to react to situations that you don't expect.

welle036

I have a question about the ms flight sim also. I asked another 121 pilot about practicing flying approaches at faster airspeeds. He recommened a pcatd with a yoke and rudder setup. Is ms flight sim considered a pcatd and also has anyoned used ch products yoke and rudder, are they worth the price?

Purpleanga

If your background is only single piston with occasional sunny weekend trips, I would find a sim quick. Sim is where 90% fail in training, mostly because they couldn't fly the airplane to begin with not because they didn't know the procedures. It helps to be in a jet if you have no experience, if your first airliner is a tprop you actually do need to have some skills.

vtailpilot

Thanks for the info now you have me worried about the sims. I was thinking my multi time about 54-54 hrs was what I should work on and get more proficient with but since the sims seem to be the focus I'll focus more on that. I also agree with you guys about the time I have around 800 hrs total and took a fuloughed psa guy with about 500 total I think and could definately tell a big difference in his knowledge even in my plane, thats why I never really understood the hours requirement for jobs because it the quality of the hours more than amount that would count. Well I'm sure I have a lot to learn and thanks for helping a guy out along the way. Any opinions about PSA compared to other regionals they appeal to me because they have a base where I live or should that not be a concern when looking for a job

rickair7777

A PCATD is a PC setup which meets certain FAA criteria. A home PC does not count. I would not log the time, or even talk about it at an interview.

I would suggest pedals. A standard joystick works fine and is cheaper (pilots have almost no problems switching between yokes and joysticks).

A PC flight sim will only help with scan and IFR procedures, it's no good for landings or maneuvers. Get some professional CFII help in an airplane or sim, then reinforce the correct procedures and scan on your home PC.