Sim Ride on CRG or 737? Urgent!

[stefair]

Hi,
I passed the first selection stage and am invited to do a sim screening on either a CRG or 737. Now, which type is easier to handle for someone with no jet experience?
Please note this inquiry is pretty urgent as I need to schedule the date so would greatly appreciate if you guys gave me your thoughts in this rather today. Many thanks! :ok:

[Parkbremse]

i guess you mean CRJ ;)

As a rookie with no prior Jet experience i would choose the 737 anytime. Not that the CRJ is incredibly difficult to fly, i personally think it's fun to fly manual raw-data once you get the hang of it, but compared to the 737 it's a lot more unstable and pitch and trim sensitive... It takes more time to get used to it which is not ideal for a simulator screening. I did two screenings on the 737, passed both of them and compared to my experience from the CRJ FFS during the TR i think the 737 is way more forgiving to nervous control inputs than the CRJ ;-)

Good Luck anyway!! :ok:

[stefair]

Hey, thanks a lot! Uhm, CRJ, of course! :ugh: Others?

[Professor Rubik]

Hi,

The B737 would probably be a good bet given the large pitch power couple and the inertia due to its weight. It would certainly give you good general intro to a jet and the likelihood of an assessment being on it is probably higher, unless the airline you’re screening with specifically use something else.

There are several good sims around the country that you can get some practice in but the price has increased a lot in recent years.
However, I was recently invited to a place called Virtual Flight Centre based at Billingshurst just outside Gatwick.
These guys are unique in so far as they build simulators from the front ends of real airliners. They have a B737 that formerly belonged to Ryanair (it was the one in the Jaguar colour scheme). You walk into it through door 1L, through the fwd galley and into the flightdeck. It even has the first three rows of seats still in place !
Don’t be fooled though, the actual sim is extremely good. It’s configured as an 800 and has full 180 degree visuals. Granted not every single switch on the overhead functions like the real thing and the FMC is limited. It wouldn’t be quite good enough for a type rating but for what you want it is excellent and what’s more, it costs a lot less than the ones elsewhere.
The instructors are current line pilots with different airlines and know exactly how to prepare you for an assessment.

They are currently working on another B737 which will be even better (good enough for fixed based elements of the type rating) also a B747, B757 and an Airbus. They previously built an SD360 and they’ve even just completed a C152 !!

It’s a great place and well worth checking out www.virtualflight.co.uk (http://www.pprune.org/www.virtualflight.co.uk) +44 (0)8456 800 737.

[G SXTY]

737, definitely.

My introduction to the CRJ sim was; "She's a twitchy little bitch, just like the real thing." And that from a man who used to fly them. I found it a bit of a handful, much harder work than the 73.

[fadedfootpaths]

737

Anyways, Its your personal choice finally. Whatever choice you make, Good Luck with it:ok:

[stefair]

Thanks guys. Wish it was that easy but unfortunately it's not: One hour 737 sim costs EUR565 at the place where the screening will be held, the CRJ sim, on the other hand, "only" costs EUR350 per hour. Two hours on the 737 therefore EUR400 more. Lotta dough! No doubt would like to go for the CRJ as is cheaper, however, if that's the harder route, no thank you. But is the presumably easier way really worth the extra costs? Don't know what to do?! Suggestions please!

[GAFO]

Please listen mate.
Get the money out of your pocket and just do it. This is the wrong point to be a cheap. Suggestions, suggestions, STOP being naive and listing to others. Do it. The end.
Eric

[stefair]

:= Easy GAFO! Ain't naive, not at all. And not a cheap skate either. Just careful with money, that's all. If spending 400 more won't give me a significant advantage in the screening no point in doing it. Period. If it does will fork out extra cash.

[ford cortina]

Stefair, are you more likely to be flying a large passenger jet or a small regional jet?
Being a 737 pilot I would say 737, However I would consider the fact what you are likely to fly once you have that job.

[rogerg]

A certain "academy" has a full motion pretend 737 sim. I expect it would be quite cheap at the moment.
And I would go for the 737, I have flown both and as has been stated the CRJ is not easy.

[stefair]

FC, The company operates a fleet of CRJs and Avros and should I get that far will most likely be TRed for the CRJ.

Thanks a lot all for your advice. Some of you might call it an unlucky decision but decided to go for the CRJ sim. Booked in two hours on the same sim the ride will be as I have already spend more than enough $€£ on this career. Even if flying the "twisty little bitch" is a little harder the examiner will be aware of that. I am going to be practicing all procedures on my home PC before showing up for my training session in the sim and so expect to be in pretty good shape. If it won't work out will hurt but there will be other rides after that. Again, thanks for help!

[fadedfootpaths]

Good Luck!! And if you get through, Buy me a Drink :ok::ok: