Training?

[Stearman]

Who do you guys think does better training?

I am sure there are those whom have done both out there just curious is all.

Or if there are any other training Companies that deserve an honarable mention, just post.

[Tibor]

Though I have only used flightsafety, I would have to say it really depends on the instructor....not the facility. I've had quite a few good instructors, one okay instructor, and one shitty one. The shitty one was on an initial and it made the trainning a lot more difficult/less fun/aggrevating.

[wallypilot]

There are also: SimCom(Many bizjets and turboprops), Bombardier Customer Training(Challenger, Global, RJ), Pan Am International(mostly airliners, but some turboprops), and Boeing(in Renton, WA....obviously airliners). I'm sure there are others, but that's all I know about.

But to answer the question, for sure it depends on the instructor. I have had good instructors at FSI, and crappy ones. I have had a great instructor at Bombardier and a shitty one. I haven't been to CAE Simuflite, Pan Am or SimCom, but I know guys that have....and same thing. Totally depends on the instructor.

Now as for facilities, the best one I have been to is Bombardier Customer Training Montreal.

[it'sme]

Been to FSI, Simuflight and Simcom. Worst experience ever was at Simuflight but like has already been said...much depends on the individual instructor. Had "ok" to "great" sessions at the other two over the years.

[learcapt]

I have been to FSI (at numberous locations), CAE and Bombardier DFW. I agree, it really depends on the instructor, but the CAE and Bombardier location at DFW has really good facilities. By the way, Bombardier also does LR60/60 XR and 45.
See you.

[Stearman]

Yeah the instructor does go along way, to contributing to the expeirence, eh.

[Cap'n P8]

An interesting point, the CAE/Bombardier training center at DFW is the largest in the world.

[rippey]

I've had great experiences at FSI's Wilmington and Montreal locations, some of the instructors in Montreal were incredible. The last couple of years I've been going to Simuflite in Dallas - the facility is awesome, the instruction has been decent. The downsides I've found with Simuflite is that because it is such a huge busy facility, they just try and crank you through as fast as possible, and I find recurrent sim sessions are just 'checking off the boxes' rather then real learning experience...they also don't allow the flexibility in scheduling that I enjoyed at FSI. Also, the sim at CAE (CL 601) is old and pretty loose, seems to break down a lot.

[lyncher]

Been to FSI and CAE. I have to say the programs at CAE seem to be lacking compared to FSI, we had a great instructor at CAE, however the material was terrible. FSI I havent had a bad instructor, the courses are well planned and put together and generally, a good time, aswell as useful.

[ScudRunner]

I did the PC-12 at a Simcom we used our own company instructor wich was good so no real opinion other than nice facilities. The PanAm Ground school instructor was amazing he drew the 727 systems by hand from memory! he would then apologize when he was off by a volt or PSI on some sub system limitation and he hadn't flown it in 15 years.

[hawker driver]

I just got back home from Simuflite recurrent in DFW last week, and have to say that it was a first class operation. Having been to both I would have to agree that a lot depends on the instructor. At both places they had OK instructors as well as great instructors.

The best would had to have been at Simuflite during my Falcon 50 initial a 8 years ago. The superb knowledge of the ground instructor ( Nick) has yet to be matched by any instructor in the last 10 years. What impressed me the most was when we discovered that he was a AME who taught the ground school and wasn't even a pilot. He was the guy other instructor pilots went to when they needed something to be explained.

[skidoo]

I have been to both CAe and FlightSafety numerous time, The CAe facilities are much nicer but I really do feel that the quality of training at Flightsafety is much better.

[rigpiggy]

Simcom is for lawyers, FSI for pilots have had the same A/C from both and I had a much better systems knowledge from FSI, Simcom was push the button, get a banana. My .02$

[Truckpilot]

I've completed three types with FSI in various places and four more types with Bombardier, Montreal. While all have their plusses and minuses, my vote goes to Bombardier however, upper management there better watch out...there seems to be a lack of concern for the customers needs...

[wallypilot]

What impressed me the most was when we discovered that he was a AME who taught the ground school and wasn't even a pilot. He was the guy other instructor pilots went to when they needed something to be explained.

That's what I really like about Bombardier at Dorval. The ground school guys (not all, but most of the ones that teach the systems heavy sections) are AME's. One guy worked the challenger production line for 15 years and took us on the best in depth tour of a production line I have ever had. Learned more in the 4 hours on the production line floor than i did in 40 hours of groundschool!

Problem is about half are guys like that, but the other half have never flown a jet before, and come straight out of a turboprop operation and are teaching jets....

[xsbank]

FlightSafety: you pay your fee, you get a type rating. Bombardier, you have to meet the standards of the OEM to get your type and you won't get it if you don't meet their standards because when you fly one of their products you represent them. When I 'did' Bombardier, half of the instructors were ex-Herc drivers. Why is that a detriment to teaching a jet?

[wallypilot]

i never met any ex herc drivers...and I am sure those guys would be fine...I am referring to the fact that I had 2 ground school insturctors that hadn't flown anything more advanced than a 1900 before coming to Bombardier...not saying they were bad instructors, just didn't have the experience to really give me a lot of confidence that they really knew what they were talking about.

[Hawkerflyer]

FSI in DFW is good but instructors are always looking for potential jobs with the customers. FSI in Teterboro is fantastic!

[V1 Rotate]

The FlightSafety Metro course in SAT is great. Much owed to the fact that they have a guy that knows Ed Swearingen personally and has flown every Metro and Merlin varian ever made.

My company has recently switched to FS as our sole training provider.

[x-wind]

deleted

[NovaBoy]

It all depends on the instructors as previously mentioned. We train at FSI in Orlando and Dallas. The Sovereign course was painfully too long at the time. Instructors were good, but none of them had any actual time on the aircraft which I think is one thing lacking at FSI. The 2000EX course in Dallas was excellent, one of the best courses I've taken, plus it is a real nice facility with a great restuarant.

The training at any of the FSI facilities I've been to is not as good as the training I received at Air Nova and Westjet. You knew your s$%t when you finished line indoc there.

[Hawkerflyer]

FlightSafety: you pay your fee, you get a type rating

Professional pilots are expected to get a type rating when they go for training. There is no way around the fact that an individual needs to bust their ass on an initial course.
Yes, FSI is very expensive (68k for an initial and 24k for recurrent on my aircraft) but don't discredit pilots that train hard, it's not easy.