At Simcom, for example, a new 340 pilot attends a five-day course with ground school on the systems and then 10 hours of full-motion simulator training. He said that finding and retaining quality instructors is important to ensuring that pilots who come for initial training will return to SimCom when its time for recurrent training. I also found them to be a bit less faithful in simulating variousaircraft systems failures. 261 01 Pbram, Phone +420.318.690.644 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. True story: The elevator, rudder and trims on my aircraft are operated by cables that run under the floorboards, down the cabin, into the tail section and to the respective controlspretty normal stuff. 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. Ive personally flown a certified AATD simulating a Cessna 414 that would accelerate on an ILS with the power off. SimCom is a much smaller company than its behemoth competitor, andthis seems to be reflected in a more informal corporate culture. Ferris State University Online Application. How about the fidelity with which a simreproduces the cockpit layout, control feel and systems of the aircraft you fly? I always look forward tomy recurrent training cycles with great anticipation. $10,495, West Air Aviation This is a reasonable compromise.). No. Since then, Ive returned for regular sim training every six months. Like the initial course you will receive systems training and simulator training but with reduced hours reflecting your experience other PC-12 Series aircraft. You have entered an incorrect email address! FlightSafetys piston twin simulators are exceptionally good. Tempe, AZ The old expression goes, Train like you fly and fly like you train. That seems to say you should train in your aircraft. Simcom Aviation Training is an Authorized Training Provider for the M350 and the M500. $3,500, Flight Crew Systems, Inc. In reality, I had a couple weeks. Helicopter Pilot 972-641-4661, Cycled We think it will save you money in the process of getting comfortable in your airplane. accident rateduring low-viz approaches, particularly at night, is a testament to the inadequacy of ourtraining. Finally, theres cost. FSI has long tailored its training to fit the studentand provides mentor pilots to support owners after they complete training. The value proposition for SimCom since the beginning, he says, was to give customers value, customized training, and a friendly atmosphere. 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. Schedule your DeSat training in conjunction with your aircraft training program while at SIMCOM. Yet, quality recurrent training isn't cheap. The students next move into a graphical flight simulator with full-scale displays, touchscreens and, importantly, dynamic graphic system schematic displays at the top. 800-441-5387, Flight Control Academy I had no idea just how poorly my previous in-aircrafttraining had been in preparing me to handle real-life emergencies. When that feeling starts to fade, its time to schedule another cycle. 5401 Longley Lane, Suite 49 $5,475, B727 Although full-motion sims have a lot of sex appeal, Im convinced that having motion isnot at all essential in terms of training value. Partner Pricing Program provides reduced tuition for two pilots who train together, taking the same FSI course at the same place and time. But, is that bad? SIMCOM has restructured its pricing. Once you get into the world of jet type ratings training cost can be north of $30,000. 2 weeks, K & S Copyright 2022 SIMCOM Aviation Training. So did my friend Chris Wrather, a 1,500-hour pilot andBonanza owner, who accompanied me to RTC for his first taste of sim-based training. Centennial, CO Las Vegas 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. Helicopter Company SimCom has expanded and evolved over the years. 52 hours/week Trust me, the real airplane wont do that. B 737 Program B After all, sim development was pushed by the airlines because their professional pilots were killing themselves during in-airplane training. Accidentstatistics back this up: pilots who get regular sim training are far safer than those whodont. Scheduling varies with each class and number of participants. Reno I didnt find that the addition of motion added any significant training value tothat simulator. Our experience and comments from aircraft owners and training facilities were consistent: If a pilot does not show up multi-engine and instrument current and comfortable and willing to single-mindedly work on the course, he or she will have difficulty completing the course in the basic time allotted. This was one of those years, so I had some decisions to make about quality of training, availability, and economics. Nevertheless, it is not a one size fits all affair. But Imabsolutely convinced that its well worth the cost. SimComs trainingalso included circling approaches under low-visibility conditions. By clicking Accept, you consent to the use of ALL cookies. Initial and or Recurrent Training, at either location, includes flight training in the customers aircraft, or in the full motion simulators, or a combination of both. The company, which currently operates two learning centers in Orlando, is investing $109 million in a new headquarters and training facility and plans to create more than 50 new high wage jobs over the next two years. For one, duplicating the effects on the pilots of a pressurization failure. Form your own conclusion from that. And when you arrive at RTC for training, they dontgive you a personalized laminated nametag or a 200-page looseleaf binder or a customizedcanvas tote bag. Ive rehashed my sim time, trying to conclude if the sims deficiencies diminished the training. 702-294-0188, 20 hours per 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. Originally, SimCom focused on training for owner-operators of cabin-class, twin-engine piston aircraft pilots who wouldnt normally have access to simulator training. 2080 Phillips Lane Ive concluded that they did. Myfirst exposure to serious simulator training took place in October of 1987,about six months after Id purchased my T310R. SimComs prices are at least 25% lower than FlightSafetys. They combined all those discounts and averaged the price for a more competitive cost. Your insurance company will be ecstatic that you aredoing this sort of training, and will almost always express its ecstasy through reducedaircraft insurance premiums. The Thinking Pilots Flight Manual or, How to Survive Flying Little Airplanes and Have a Ball Doing It, Vols. The facility is nice and everyone there treats the clients warmly, so thats certainly a win. An annual cycle through FlightSafety, Simcom or RTC costs between $1,000 and $3,000 intuition plus at least several hundred bucks more in travel, lodging and meal expenses.Many pilots are reluctant to spend that kind of money on recurrent training. 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). A good recurrent training curriculum will cover all of these. The annual cost is about 60% higher than the One Time tuition, and the minimum contract period is two years. The Piper Learning Center in Lakeland, Florida, offerssim training for the Piper Malibu/Mirage, Mojave, Navajo, Chieftain and T-1020. 2056 Palomar Airport Road SIMCOM is committed to delivering training solutions that allow our customers to become safer, more proficient pilots. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. But figure out your personal objectives before you go so you can share those with the instructor to make sure thats what you get. I wrote a detailed chronicle of that experience (Trainingat FlightSafety) because it was a watershed event in my flying career. Unfortunately, its the pilots who have never experienced such training (andunfortunately this includes the great majority of owner/pilots) who dont know whattheyve been missing. Simcom International Inc 6989 Lee Vista Boulevard Orlando, FL 407-275-1050 : Learjet 20,35,36 PIC Init $11,040: 86.5 hours: Citation I, II, III, V, Bravo PIC Init We think that is important during upgrade training so that the pilot can take advantage of primacy in learning and more readily transfer what is learned in the simulator to the airplane to be flown. "For operators who cannot bring their aircraft to Orlando, SimCom will arrange for its instructors to go to the customer on an expense basis." Customers can get even more training in their. In the case of RTCs generic AST 300 sims, its probably best to approach with amind-set of learning to fly a new aircraft, rather than thinking of the sim as a Cessna orPiper or Beech and then getting distracted by its lack of fidelity to the actual aircraft.In any case, by the second or third hour of sim training, youll find that youve prettymuch tuned out the differences between the sim and the aircraft and are fully immersed indealing with the meat of the training scenarios that confront you. $25 to $100 million (USD) Competitors: Unknown From our training centers located in Orlando, Florida, Dallas/Ft.Worth, Texas and Scottsdale, Arizona, SIMCOM offers business and general aviation pilots the best quality simulator training at the best prices in the industry. 40 hours per week $12,400, Flight Safety International The instructors and material are first rateanother win. (I was early.). Promotion Details I went around and landed. Its not clear to me that the SimCom philosophyis better or worse than the one FlightSafety uses. Sign Up; Log In; Sign Up First Name Last Name Email Address There we quickly completed the necessary paperwork and I paid for the course. 5000 N.W. Now, almost 45 percent of the 8,000 people who train at SimCom each year are professional corporate pilots, sent there by their employers. Its no wonder that those who pay more than $25,000 for Level D sim type-rating training consider the money to be well spent. SimCom offers simulator-based training for the Beech Baron and Duke,Cessna 300/400 twins, and Piper Aerostar, Mojave and Navajo. Simcom was founded about a decade ago to provide alower-cost alternative to FlightSafety for piston twin pilots. (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.). Certification Course So, it was off to SIMCOM in Scottsdale just a few days later. Obviously, regaining slipping proficiency is one common goal. 3710 South Park Avenue, Suite 704 3401 Quebec Street, Suite 9150 Simcom is located in Orlando, Florida and has two visual-motion simulators, classrooms and a team of professional flight instructors located in Orlando, Florida. Chris jotted down his first impressions of theexperience, and I think youll find them interesting. Its just different. Many products featured on this site were editorially chosen. 500 Type 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. 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. The price goes up from there based on the type of aircraft involved and the amount of training you require to reach proficiencywhich may include a mentor pilot flying with you for some hours following the formal training course. About SIMCOM. So, it makes sense to train in the aircraft youll fly. Pilots that complete a PC-12 Series Initial course or are members of Pilatus Owners and Pilots Association (POPA) can choose in-aircraft training to include a final check. Id been to this facility a couple times before. Besides Id trained with RTC last time. Proficiency comes more quickly with that kind of repetition. If you want to stay proficient while at the sametime treating your aircraft with TLC, you should seriously consider doing your recurrenttraining in a simulatoror in someone elses aircraft! Carlsbad, CA All Rights Reserved. In a previous article about recurrent sim training facilities (Sim Training Centers in November, 2016), Id somewhat bashed SIMCOM, saying, SIMCOM training is top tier, but their business model recently seems to mirror the big corporate centers with pricing to match. Because of that conclusion I really didnt want to go to SIMCOM. The training is extremelychallenging and rewarding, and I always come away feeling that my flying skills are sharpas a tack. 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. Those things havent changed, and I dont expect them to change in the future., What has changed, according to David, is the technology both the complexity of the avionics in the planes, and the technology SimCom uses to deliver its product. The quality of individual instructors was a constant refrain in our conversations with users as they related good and bad training experiences. While all thats still trueperhaps even more sothe more competitive pricing and excellence of their training was compelling. A combination of more than a decade of economic growth, a soft aviation insurance market (although that appears to be changing) and relatively low selling prices for used piston twins, turboprops and light jets has resulted in a healthy number of piston single owners giving serious thought to stepping up to more capableand demandingairplanes. But as its courses have expanded into bigger jets, the customer base at SimCom has shifted. Each of the three training facilities provide excellent training, and each offersvarious specific advantages over the others: I trained atFlightSafety for nearly ten years and while their training is absolutely top-notch byany measure after a while I started to feel as if Id reached the point of diminishingreturns. Initial Training Entry/Exit The facilities we spoke with said that they train to proficiency so the cost, simulator time and course time is subject to revision upward based on the ability of the pilot to meet the course standards. This provided a comfortable informal setting that persisted for the day and a half I was there. No other aircraft is equipped just quite like yours is, and its unlikely that a sim comes very close at all. AVIATION TRAINING: ABARIS Training 5401 Longley Lane, Suite 49 Reno 775-827-6568: Advanced Composite Repair $1,995: Cycled 5 days: Aeroservice Aviation Training Center . 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