Originally Posted by
nickler
I have a different opinion.
Having a complete instructor background makes overall a big difference in the way the LIFUS is conducted. Learning how to conduct briefings, debriefings and handling a sim improves situational awareness, workload and time management and communication. I have trained new TRIs on the line to conduct LIFUS and have recently started training new LTCs to do the same. It is a different story. Ok 2 different airlines, where TRI training took 3 months and somewhere else the LTC training takes 3 days. The end result is a bit different.
Workload, time management and communcation is a captain's responsability on the flightdeck from day one, you don't need to be TRI or LTC for that. It is the first thing a TRI/LTC will have to "guide" when flying with upgrading people flying in the left seat for the first time. So it's understandable that a company might require some time in the left seat before you're eligible to be an LTC or TRI.
The companies I know will make TRI's undergo TRI training in the simulator and start LIFUS flying already before that as it takes a long time to complete the simulator training. When you start out as a TRI, it's the same "swimming" feeling as an LTC when you do LIFUS for the first time. Both TRI and LTC have at that point received exactly the same teaching & learning training. There is no "new" status that makes you gain experience in the simulator first as a TRI, you're "thrown in the LIFUS flying" like any other starting LTC.
And as mentioned before, having LTC experience before jumping into a TRI position is a gigantic advantage.